Four years ago, the hot new idea for reining in health costs was the health savings account, and the thinking was that such accounts would slow spiraling medical costs for both employers and consumers.
But today, only 5% of the 114 million Americans covered at work opting for such health plans. In Texas, regarded as the birthplace of the HSA, only 387,000 people have signed up out of the 12 million with employer-provided insurance.
New beds at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta have the brains of a computer and can communicate about 30 programmed questions and commands that help in the care of patients who don't speak English.
The 604 new beds will replace all the beds at Grady, and are Grady's first major purchase with the $50 million donated by the Robert Woodruff Foundation. Grady is paying $8.3 million for the new beds, which also can weigh a patient and set off an alarm if a person is near to falling off.
The Anne Arundel Medical Center Auxiliary has pledged $3 million to support the expansion of the Annapolis, MD, hospital campus, officials announced. The pledge will help fund the $400 million "Vision 2010" project at AAMC, which includes two new buildings, four parking facilities and two bridges. Part of the project is an eight-story tower with 50 private rooms and eight operating rooms. This new facility will expand the emergency room by 40%, and provide a pediatric care unit at the medical center.
The Democratic leader in the Pennsylvania Senate was appointed to a post on Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania's board of directors, and government watchdog groups questioned whether the appointment would cause potential conflicts of interest. Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow joined the Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania's board at the end of May. A pair of watchdog groups are questioning whether Mellow can balance constituents' interests with those of an insurance company that's a market leader in 13 eastern and central Pennsylvania counties.
Hartford, CT-based health insurer Aetna says its second-quarter profit rose 6.4% on membership growth and a hike in premium rates.
Aetna earned $480.5 million, or 97 cents per share, compared with profit of $451.3 million, or 85 cents per share, during the same period last year. Revenue also rose 15% to $7.83 billion from $6.79 billion.
Less than one percent of Tennessee doctors prescribe medication electronically, but some health experts believe that Medicare payment incentives slated to start next year will spur more Tennessee doctors to do so. The number of Tennessee doctors who e-prescribe is expected to double this year, due to one-time state grants of $3,500 that are available to doctors who e-prescribe for two years, according to representatives from the state's eHealth Council.
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance is investigating sales of Evercare private Medicare plans that have sparked complaints from seniors about sales representatives using misleading and abusive marketing. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also announced it has stepped up oversight of Evercare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc. Evercare has fired seven independent insurance agents as a result of the complaints and is investigating 15 others for potential marketing abuses, according to the CMS.
A Bush administration proposal aimed at protecting healthcare workers who object to abortion, and to birth-control methods they consider tantamount to abortion, has escalated to a debate over the balance between religious freedom and patients' rights. The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a draft regulation that would deny federal funding to any hospital, clinic, health plan, or other entity that does not accommodate employees who want to opt out of participating in care that runs counter to their personal convictions. The draft proposal has sparked criticism by family planning advocates, women's health activists, and members of Congress who say the regulation would create overwhelming obstacles for women seeking abortions and birth control.
Fitch Ratings has downgraded West Penn Allegheny Health Systems' bond rating and Standard & Poor's cited "negative implications" in light of the announcement that the health system had overestimated revenue by $73 million. Fitch Ratings has downgraded West Penn's $758 million in outstanding series 2007A bonds from BB to BB- and gave the hospital system a negative outlook. Standard & Poor's gave a BB rating to the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority bonds issued for West Penn Allegheny on Creditwatch "with negative implications pending a meeting with management in September," according to a release.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced a major healthcare rollout that he said puts Minnesota in the forefront of consumer-friendly medicine. Pawlenty said his goal is to give all Minnesotans access to online personal health portfolios by 2011. The plan would also establish health-reimbursement accounts for state employees that would allow them to load the money on a debit card; they could use it to tap pre-tax money put away for out-of-pocket expenses without collecting receipts and submitting claims.
