Healthcare advocates are actively campaigning to persuade Barack Obama to cross Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee off his short-list for secretary of Health and Human Services. At issue are cuts Gov. Bredesen engineered to Tennessee's Medicaid program, removing 168,000 people from the program in an effort to control costs. And, in an unusual move for an official under consideration, the governor is fighting back publicly.
The University of Chicago Medical Center is changing the way it admits emergency room patients as part of its effort to deal with the worsening economy, a move underscored by its announcement of 450 layoffs, or 5% of its workforce. The decision to introduce what amounts to a new version of patient triage represents an aggressive and unusual move by one of the city's premier hospitals to cope with spiraling costs and the long waits for emergency treatment. Some don't like the plan, but the U. of C. says it has no choice: The academic medical center said 40% of the 80,000 patients who go to its emergency room each year do not need to be there. These visits cost the hospital tens of millions of dollars a year.
The Senate has overcome a key parliamentary hurdle to move a massive economic stimulus bill one step closer to becoming law and set the stage for potentially tumultuous negotiations with House leaders over the final shape of the legislation. On a 61 to 36 vote, the Senate cleared the path for a final vote on its $838 billion bill that would provide money for a wide variety of purposes.
There is a small but growing movement to get unbiased reports of the pros and cons of different tests and treatments into patients' hands before they fall back on, "Doc, just tell me what you'd choose." The trend goes a step beyond the brief patient education that doctors are required to provide. One state, Washington, has passed a law encouraging the trend. And it may get renewed attention in this era of healthcare reform because studies suggest that patients who get the full scoop frequently choose more conservative therapy than their doctors initially recommend.
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons' plan to eliminate the Consumer Health Assistance office met sharp resistance from lawmakers and those who use the agency's services. The Consumer Health Assistance program helps solve problems with health insurance, medical benefits, workers compensation, prescription drugs, and medical bills.
Program director Valerie Rosalin said her office handled more than 8,000 cases in 2008 and saved patients more than $30 million in out-of-pocket costs by resolving disputes.
The employment agency that placed a convicted rapist in a large East Los Angeles county health clinic said that the X-ray technologist's criminal background check came back clear and that he "did not answer truthfully" several questions on his application. Mediscan Staffing Services said it terminated Gariner Beasley, 48, soon after learning of his criminal history. Until recently, Beasley had been working for about a month at the Edward R. Roybal Comprehensive Health Center despite being fired last August by county officials from a similar position.