The healthcare industry, often deemed recession-proof, may not be so immune to the economic downturn, according to a parade of recent reports from Moody's Investors Service. The financial ratings firm has issued reports in the past two weeks on various sectors, from hospitals and medical devices to insurance companies, revising the healthcare industry's 12- to 18-month outlook to "negative" from "stable." Moody's sees fewer patients seeking medical care, particularly elective surgeries, while more people could lose their healthcare coverage altogether. Such trends will lead people to delay getting medical care or avoiding treatment.
At least two Pennsylvania lawmakers are hoping that a pending state budget deficit and a dismal economy do not result in spending cuts in the state's $14.8 billion Medicaid program. Both state Rep. Chelsa Wagner and Sen. Wayne Fontana are trying to avoid the cuts, though a spokeswoman for a legislative budget committee said Medicaid reductions were a possibility.
Sutter Health is seeking a pivotal city approval for Elk Grove, CA's first community hospital. The hospital is part of a 488,000-square-foot medical campus. If the Elk Grove Planning Commission gives its initial thumbs up Dec. 4, the project could proceed in stages, starting with an ambulatory surgery center and medical office building completed in about two years. In 2012, Sutter Health also hopes to have completed the first phase of the hospital, a 133,000-square-foot facility with 68 licensed beds.
Along with butler and concierge service, spa and sauna, buyers who purchase homes at a new luxury high-rise in Atlanta receive two years of service from MD on Call, a mobile medical practice that treats patients in their homes. The high-rise, which opened in May but is yet to be occupied, is believed to be the first residential property in Atlanta and among the first in the country to offer medical services to its homeowners.
If Roy Schoenberg, co-founder and chief executive of American Well, has his way, patients will no longer have to wait a month to see a doctor, wait all day for a doctor to return their call, or leave work and drive a long distance for a routine appointment. Instead, patients will log on to their computers and find themselves face-to-face with physicians over Webcam.
Policymakers have focused primarily on increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to increase physicians' participation in Medicaid, although physicians often complain of payment delays and other administrative burdens associated with Medicaid. This study from the Center for Studying Health System Change examines how Medicaid reimbursement time affects physicians' willingness to accept Medicaid patients. Delays in reimbursement can offset the effects of high Medicaid fees, thereby lowering participation to levels that are closer to those in states with relatively low rates. Increasing these rates may be insufficient to increase physicians' participation unless accompanied by reductions in administrative burden, according to the study's authors.