Large hospitals around Washington state are heading to federal court seeking millions in federal payments for some indigent patients who aren't eligible for Medicaid or Social Security. When such a person goes to a hospital in Washington, the state covers some of the cost, but the hospital would get more money from the federal government if he qualified for Social Security and Medicaid. The University of Washington Medical Center and 17 other large hospitals in Washington state are seeking higher reimbursement for such cases from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that the federal government should pay for such patients because it did so in some other states before 2000.
WellPoint, the nation's largest health insurer, has launched what could be the start of a campaign for the hearts and minds of the American public as the country prepares for debates over reshaping its healthcare system. The company made 3 million computer-generated phone calls last week to gauge the public's appetite for overhauling healthcare and to enlist, critics say, a grass-roots army to voice concerns about the sweeping proposals developing on Capitol Hill.
State and national health experts are baffled as to how a rare and deadly strain of meningitis killed four people and infected eight others in South Florida since December, an unprecedented outbreak in the United States. The cases of the W135 strain of meningitis were disclosed by Miami-Dade health officials. They were recommending vaccinations for those in high-risk groups, mainly those living in close and crowded situations such as college dorms or military barracks.
The top doctor at Edward Hospital & Health Services has taken a similar job at the largest community hospital system in Iowa, the Naperville, IL, hospital confirmed. Alan Kaplan, MD, vice president and chief medical officer at Edward will be Iowa Health System's new vice president and chief medical officer beginning June 1, 2009, the Des Moines-based medical care provider said in a statement. In the Iowa Health System, Kaplan moves to a hospital operator with a network of facilities statewide and about $2 billion in annual revenues.
Gaps in medical knowledge are getting new attention as the federal government prepares to invest $1.1 billion in "comparative effectiveness" research and evaluate potential therapies head-to-head.
The Institute of Medicine is reviewing priorities for this type of research and preparing to issue recommendations this summer. A new 15-member panel overseeing the government's initiative has been asking for public input. The hope is that by identifying which treatments are most effective, doctors and patients will make better-informed decisions and avoid therapies that don't measure up.
More people are seeking care in Massachusetts hospital emergency rooms, and the cost of caring for ER patients has soared 17% over two years. This is despite efforts to direct patients with nonurgent problems to primary care doctors instead, according to new state data.
Visits to Massachusetts emergency rooms grew 7% between 2005 and 2007, to 2,469,295 visits. The estimated cost of treating those patients jumped from $826 million to $973 million.