Republican lawmakers tried to slow momentum for expanding a children's health insurance program by arguing that a bill in the Senate would draw about 2.4 million children away from private insurance into government-sponsored coverage. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-AZ, said the legislation does not do enough to limit the State Children's Health Insurance Program to low-income families. He said about a third of those who gain insurance as a result of the bill would otherwise have access to private insurance.
Hospitals in Texas that used computers to keep track of patient records and manage care had lower rates of deaths, complications and costs, U.S. researchers announced. Researchers said patients treated in hospitals that ranked highest in use of health information technology to manage patient records and physician notes were 15% less likely to die compared with patients in hospitals that ranked lower. "If these results were to hold for all hospitals in the United States, computerizing notes and records might have the potential to save 100,000 lives annually," Neil Poe, MD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, who worked on the study, said in a statement.
As Gov. Tim Pawlenty tackles Minnesota's epic budget deficit this year, he faces the huge dilemma with Medicaid. The federal-state health insurance program for the poor, elderly and disabled is growing at a frightening pace in every state. But cutting it could end up costing Minnesota more in lost federal revenue. Moreover, Pawlenty is up against those in the Legislature who want to expand healthcare coverage for the poor. In Minnesota, the state government's $3 billion half of the Medicaid bill represents about one-fifth of its annual budget. That's expected to rise by 12% in each of the next two years.
Los Angeles County hospitals are standardizing the forms patients sign before surgery in response to a malpractice lawsuit that cost the county $1.6 million to settle. Health Services Department official Carol Meyer said the new standardized consent forms will be in use by the end of the year. A patient filed a lawsuit following a back surgery that left her paralyzed in 2005, and claimed no one explained the risks of the surgery to her.
A judge issued a temporary restraining order against Anthem Blue Cross, barring the company from sending a notice to former customers offering them $1,000 to drop all legal claims against the health insurer. The order stems from a class-action lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles city attorney against the health insurer for allegedly dropping coverage to people who file expensive medical claims. Anthem Blue Cross reached a settlement with the state Department of Managed Health Care last July that required the insurer to send out offers of new coverage to about 1,700 people who had their policies canceled. The company also offered former customers $1,000 each if they drop all legal claims.
Expanding a medical video network in Tennessee will allow small-town doctors who treat pregnant women to consult electronically with obstetrics specialists in Knoxville and Chattanooga when there are serious problems. The telemedicine project will serve women at 11 rural sites: Winchester, Tullahoma, McMinnville, Cooke ville, Livingston, Crossville, Jellico, Morristown, Newport, Sevierville, and Athens. Perinatologists from Regional Obstetrical Consultants will link with the patients through high-speed, secure Internet connections, specialized computer video equipment, and digital medical devices.