A Bush administration plan to grant new protections to healthcare providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections. The proposed rule would prohibit recipients of federal money from discriminating against doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who refuse to perform or to assist in the performance of abortions or sterilization procedures because of their "religious beliefs or moral convictions." It would also prevent hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, and drugstores from requiring employees with religious or moral objections to "assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity" financed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Massachusetts General Hospital fared poorly in its last inspection by the Joint Commission, and is getting ready for the group's next visit that could come at any time within the next 13 months. The hospital recently hired consultants to perform a mock accreditation survey and is implementing new training and educational procedures. In a recent e-mail to staff, Mass. General's president said the survey showed some areas still need improvement and must be addressed "immediately."
Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has told reporters that he would advance a bill in early 2009 calling for universal healthcare. Kennedy made the announcement during his second appearance on Capitol Hill since he began treatment for a malignant brain tumor in June. Some Democrats, including members of President-elect Barack Obama's circle, have begun to view expanded health coverage as a longer-term goal.
According to data from the Boston Globe, Massachusetts health insurance companies pay a handful of hospitals far more for the same work even when there is no evidence that the higher-priced care produces healthier patients. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true: Massachusetts General Hospital, for example, earns 15% more than Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for treating heart-failure patients even though government figures show that Beth Israel has for years reported lower patient death rates, the investigation found.
It's the annual open enrollment season in corporate America, when employees choose their medical plans for the coming year. But this time, many workers are finding that the buffet of options has been trimmed to a very short menu. And typically the offerings now include a health plan with a high annual deductible that is likely to be $1,100 or more for an individual, and much higher for family coverage.
South Korea has joined Thailand, Singapore, India, and other Asian nations in the lucrative business of medical tourism. The number of foreigners coming to South Korea for medical care is still a fraction of those getting treatment in India, Thailand, and Singapore, industry officials said. But clinics and the South Korean government are trying hard to attract these tourists, who not only bring in money for cash-strapped hospitals but also help the economy by staying after their procedure is over. The South Korean government has revised immigration rules to allow foreign patients and their families to get long-term medical visas and altered laws to permit local hospitals to form joint ventures with foreign hospitals in some cases.