California's budget impasse is threatening to force the shutdown of many healthcare services across the state if a deal is not struck soon. Without a budget, hospitals, clinics, and homes for disabled residents that rely on state funds to operate will have lost as much as $5.4 billion in state funds by the end of September. State payments for most of them ended in July, and many service providers said they've already received loans, maxed out their credit cards, and even poured in personal funds to keep their centers open.
At free clinics in the Charlotte, NC, area, the demand for healthcare keeps growing as the economy continues to sour and people lose jobs and health insurance. In North Carolina, three out of four uninsured people are from working families, according to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. Most of these uninsured work in low-wage or part-time jobs.
Missouri's Republican gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof unveiled his healthcare plan amid predictions that it would help nearly all 729,000 uninsured Missourians acquire health coverage at modest cost. The plan contrasted sharply with the proposal floated by Democrat Jay Nixon, which focuses on expanding coverage for the very poor and universal coverage for Missouri children. But as details of Hulshof's plan emerge, questions have arisen about the plan's funding, its practicality, and whether it really addresses the problem.
Sunrise, FL-based Pediatrix Medical Group has purchased a neonatal physician practice based in Alexandria, LA. The practice has a volume of 8,000 annual patient days at the neonatal intensive care unit. During 2008, Pediatrix has acquired eight physician group practices, including neonatal, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, and anesthesia practices.
Employers scrambling to rein in health costs tab are making employees shoulder more of the cost, and hoping they'll make better buying decisions. Some insurance companies now publish the prices charged at local hospitals for common procedures to allow patients to compare, and the federal government has started releasing death rates at hospitals across the country for some common killers. But some experts argue that the information still isn't enough for consumers to make life-or-death decisions.
Grady Memorial Hospital will receive a $5 million gift from medical insurer Kaiser Permanente, and most of the funds will pay for medical care for one year for 1,000 chronically ill poor people. The gift will support two of Grady's urgent missions in Atlanta, designating $3 million for care of the needy, and the remaining $2 million for trauma care. Grady supporters hope the gift sets a new bar in giving to the financially-struggling hospital.