The nation's largest health insurers are far from leaping at the chance to join new state health insurance exchanges under President Barack Obama's reform law, making it likely that some markets will have little or no competition next year. These new insurance marketplaces are due to open their doors on October 1 to enroll millions of Americans who have not been able to buy coverage on their own. A key principle of Obama's health reform is that individuals will have a robust offering of insurance plans to choose from, and that competition for new customers in each state will help keep prices down for consumers.
New Jersey hospitals are celebrating major drops last year in hospital infections and other preventable problems, crediting a federally funded initiative that's part of the Affordable Care Act. The effort, led by the New Jersey Hospital Association, is aimed at improving the quality of care offered at hospitals by reducing preventable illnesses that originate in health care facilities. These problems are a major cause of concern at hospitals and reducing their occurrence is a goal of federal health reform. The association has been holding face-to-face learning sessions in which doctors and nurses share their experiences in reducing the spread of infections, readmission rates, and other preventable problems.
Many part-timers are facing a double whammy from President Obama's Affordable Care Act. The law requires large employers offering health insurance to include part-time employees working 30 hours a week or more. But rather than provide healthcare to more workers, a growing number of employers are cutting back employee hours instead. The result: Not only will these workers earn less money, but they'll also miss out on health insurance at work. Consider the city of Long Beach. It is limiting most of its 1,600 part-time employees to fewer than 27 hours a week, on average. City officials say that without cutting payroll hours, new health benefits would cost up to $2 million more next year.
Carolinas HealthCare System wants to improve care and reduce hospital stays for its sickest patients by using virtual medical care. The Charlotte health-care system is putting the finishing touches on a $12.3 million, virtual critical-care project, slated to open on Tuesday. The 3,200-square-foot command center in Mint Hill will allow for 24/7 remote monitoring of patients in intensive-care units across the health-care system's footprint. The command center will rely on audio and video to monitor patient data, such as lab results, blood-pressure readings and heart monitoring. Hospital personnel and the command center will be able to communicate around the clock about a patient's condition and concerns.
A recent article in the Bangor Daily News lists Maine as having the fifth highest health care costs in the U.S., and mentions that health care expenses in the U.S. overall are two-and-a-half times greater than the next most expensive country. The article goes on to mention some of the reasons for the expense, including the ageing of our population, "excess infrastructure" of health technology and hospitals, an above-average use of the emergency room and increases in chronic illness. I'm sure these factors have an effect on our health care expenses. But, from a wellness perspective, they absolutely pale in comparison to the two biggest cost drivers in our current culture: lifestyle, and a health care system that focuses on treating disease with drugs rather than improving health.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's not a "Star Trek" tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical — without the paper gown or even a visit to the doctor's office. Blood pressure? Just plug the arm cuff into the phone for a quick reading. Heart OK? Put your fingers in the right spot, and the squiggly rhythm of an EKG appears on the phone's screen. Plug in a few more devices and you could have photos of your eardrum (Look, no infection!) and the back of your eye, listen to your heartbeat, chart your lung function, even get a sonogram.