Republicans started to complain about the size, shape, and cost of the emerging Democratic plans to remake the healthcare system, but Democratic leaders said they still intended to push a bill through the Senate this summer. And the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, and its senior Republican, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, expressed confidence that they could come together on a bill producing near-universal coverage.
After a round of cost cutting by a new management team, the parent corporation of Boca Raton (FL) Community Hospital has regained profitability. BRCH Corp. earned $8,434 on revenue of $96 million in its fiscal third quarter ending March 31, and improved from a $20.9 million loss on revenue of $92.5 million for the same period of 2008, according to the nonprofit's report to its bondholders.
In an attempt to remove itself from liability for a patient's death, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center claimed in a court filing that it doesn't run hospitals or employ any healthcare professionals. The family of Rose Lee Diggs, an 89-year-old Homewood woman who wandered from her room and died on the roof of UPMC Montefiore in December, sued the health system claiming its negligence caused the woman's death.
The possible closure of San Leandro (CA) Hospital's emergency room, where 27,000 patients a year are treated, has become a huge issue for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are set to vote on a plan by Sutter Health to build a $300 million hospital to replace Castro Valley's earthquake-vulnerable Eden Medical Center, a project that would lead to the closure of San Leandro Hospital's emergency room. Sutter Health also manages that hospital for the county, and starting next year would redirect patients to the Castro Valley hospital and other medical centers.
Stealing medical data has become more attractive to hackers and identity thieves as banks and individuals have become more sophisticated about protecting credit-building information. Patients may feel like they have little control over information, but there are ways to safeguard data. An increased vigilance when handling medical cards and bills is an essential tactic, for example.
Some seniors received letters unnecessarily from Kentucky-based Norton Healthcare warning about higher hospital costs if Norton and health insurer Anthem don't agree on a contract. People with Anthem's standard Medicare supplements can use any hospital or doctor that accepts traditional Medicare, regardless of whether Anthem and a hospital operator have a contract in force, said Mike Lorch, a vice president of Anthem's Kentucky operations.
Employees laid off by small companies will soon be eligible for COBRA health benefits under a bill given final approval by the Pennsylvania Senate. Currently, only those who worked for companies employing more than 20 people are eligible for COBRA, a federal benefit that extends health coverage under the employer's insurance plan for up to 18 months. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said he would sign the bill, making Pennsylvania the 41st state with a "mini-COBRA" program.
Senate Democrats and the White House are stepping up preparations to overhaul the nation's healthcare system without the ailing Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a move that could dramatically alter the course the legislative struggle. While battling a malignant brain tumor, the 77-year-old Kennedy spent months working on a sweeping bill that Democrats hope will help lay a foundation for the most ambitious health overhaul in generations. And lawmakers in both parties were counting on Kennedy's stature and deal-making skills to help craft the kind of bipartisan compromise that many believe will be necessary if a major health bill is to pass the House and Senate.
Amid the economic downturn and slow growth for retail and outpatient medical-care services, Walgreen Co. and CVS Caremark Corp. are rolling out specialized services at their in-store clinics, going beyond treatment of routine maladies. Launched over the last four years to care for simple ailments, retail clinic operators now are training nurses to do specialized injections for such chronic conditions as osteoporosis and asthma.
As members of Congress continue the healthcare reform debate, the Chicago Tribune turned to leaders in the Chicago area for their thoughts on how best to expand medical-care coverage to all Americans. Insurers, medical providers, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry weighed in.
