Should Highmark, Inc. and Independence Blue Cross merge, officials say the deal could create a $22.5 billion insurance giant. And top executives with each company could see salary increases of as much as $4.2 million.
A mental patient died after workers at a North Carolina hospital left him in a chair for 22 hours without feeding him or helping him use the bathroom, said federal officials. The officials have threatened to cut off Goldsboro-based Cherry Hospital funding. A state team has been sent to the facility to help draft new procedures to ensure patients receive proper care.
A recent case in Alamance County, NC, in which medical records were used against an illegal immigrant has instilled a fear in other immigrants to seek care. This has lead some to believe the use of the medical records in that case has breached the trust between patients and doctors.
The California Assembly has approved legislation that attempts to rein in spending on administration—one of the fastest-growing cost factors in healthcare. The measure would require that 85% of premiums and fees received by health insurers and health plans be spent on treatment and other benefits for patients. Administration, profits, broker commissions and other costs would be capped at 15%, starting in 2011.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has reversed a previous decision, which now paves the way for St. Joseph's Hospital to construct a 90-bed facility in Riverview. The new hospital is expected to improve access to emergency care and other services, and also reduce patients' travel time.
Orange County (CA) Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach sought to withhold nearly $54,000 in funding from the Orange County Medical Assn. because it recently filed a request seeking records from CalOptima, the county's version of the statewide MediCal program. Fellow supervisors balked at his request, saying it was antagonistic and amounted to retaliation. The funding measure ultimately passed with the doctors' funding intact. The money was part of the Medical Services Initiative, a $70-million program administered by Orange County that contracts with private medical service providers to care for the poor.
About four million uninsured adults in Florida could soon receive coverage under the governor's "Cover Florida," a proposal by nine companies to offer low-cost healthcare plans. The health plans, which would cover preventative, primary, and urgent care, would ultimately cost members $150 a month.
More physicians are apologizing for medical errors, thanks to a growing national patient safety movement. Although it was rare in the past, several groups are beginning to urge hospitals and doctors to say they're sorry when mistakes happen.
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonprofit Wyoming Valley Health Care System has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to sell to Franklin, TN-based Community Health Systems Inc. The Wyoming Valley Health Care System has 3,200 employees, and its properties include Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Deutsche Bank analyst Darren Lehrich recently raised eyebrows by mentioning the possibility that hospital operator HCA Inc. might expand its psychiatric care offerings soon. Lehrich said he had word that Nashville-based HCA was assembling a team to develop a larger portfolio in that niche. There are concerns, however, including that HCA's plans will increase competition for smaller acquisitions of behavioral health hospitals or for personnel, thus driving up costs for competitors.
