Iowa lawmakers are backing away from requiring that parents in the state enroll their children for health insurance, but still would like to set a goal that all children have insurance by 2011. The current version of healthcare legislation before the Iowa Legislature does set aside money to cover more children, and lawmakers would like to spend that money to increase state subsidies for coverage of children of moderate-income families under the Hawk-I and Medicaid programs.
Cincinnati-based Christ Hospital is firing back at federal authorities who accuse physicians at its acclaimed cardiac-care center of running an illegal kickback scheme. Hospital executives said they acted properly in assigning doctors to perform tests in its heart center. In a federal lawsuit, the Justice Department claimed those assignments were payments to favored doctors, which is a violation of the federal laws against making false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
North Carolina-based Novant Health earned $204 million in 2007, up from $201 million in 2006. The figures for the not-for-profit health system includes operating income of $80 million, compared with $79 million in 2006, and earned investment income of $86 million as well as $35 million from the sale of real estate and a Charlotte laboratory. Part of the income will be used to begin construction on three new mid-sized hospitals in North Carolina.
More than 5,000 uninsured Birmingham, AL, children will receive healthcare coverage under a partnership of the city, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and Children's Hospital. Under the plan, every child will be screened for major health problems. If they do not have insurance, they will either get help to qualify for existing programs or be enrolled in the alternative coverage provided by the Alabama Child Caring Foundation, said Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford.
Sen. Charles Grassley is questioning Amgen Inc. regarding allegations that some doctors received higher rebates on purchases of the company's anti-anemia drug Aranesp. In a statement, Grassley said there were concerns doctors were profiting by getting reimbursements from the government and private insurers that were higher than their actual cost for Aranesp. The drug is currently under scrutiny for safety concerns.
More adults covered by Pennsylvania's HMOs were hospitalized for diabetes and other illnesses in 2006, while more children spent time in the hospital for asthma treatment, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. The Council based its findings on an analysis of 2006 data for nine major for-profit health maintenance organizations, but it provided no national comparison of hospitalization rates and no explanation for why the numbers were increasing. "This shows areas where HMOs can focus their quality improvement efforts," council spokeswoman Stephanie Suran told the Associated Press.
The Connecticut Insurance Department's has started posting on its Web site the results of its "market conduct" reviews, which check to see how insurers are treating their customers. For example, the department reviews the way health insurers handle complaints and requests for approval of care, and how promptly claims are processed.
The Tennessee House has passed a bill that seeks to limit frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits. The bill requires defendants be given 60 days notice before a lawsuit is filed, and for attorneys to have an independent medical expert evaluate the merits of a case before filing suit. Representatives from the Tennessee Medical Association said the need for the legislation became apparent several years ago after a study found that roughly 80 percent of malpractice lawsuits in Tennessee end in no payouts to the plaintiffs.
Republican Presidential candidate John McCain says the United States must provide access to healthcare for all citizens, and that "we need to help people who need it." McCain, however, also wants to shrink government's role in healthcare and doesn't want to impose regulations on insurance companies. His aides are now struggling to come up with ways to satisfy those who want more coverage without violating what McCain's conservative principles on the issue.
Due to gains from investment portfolios and pricing power that came from years of mergers, many nonprofit hospitals have seen earnings increase. Statistics show the combined net income of the 50 largest nonprofit hospitals jumped nearly eight-fold to $4.27 billion between 2001 and 2006. As a result, the large tax breaks these hospitals receive are drawing fire.
