Gyrodyne Company of America Inc., a New York-based real estate investment trust, has agreed to buy Fairfax (VA) Medical Center for $13.2 million. Fairfax Medical Center, which includes two four-story buildings on 3.5 acres, is home to 28 medical-related tenants, including imaging center specialists and opticians. Gyrdoyne was attracted to the medical property because of its closeness to an HCA Inc.-owned surgical center and Inova Health System's Fairfax and Fair Oaks hospitals.
When the UAW and the Detroit Three automakers agreed to create a healthcare trust in 2007, the move was heralded as a victory for the automakers, who would get to wipe billions of dollars in liabilities off their money-losing balance sheets at a huge discount. But now, just two years later, the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association has become a major sticking point for the union and automakers as they try to finalize a deal that would help the automakers become more competitive and satisfy the requirements of the federal government.
As a radiologist in Illinois, Imran Qureshi, MD, won't do procedures such as angiograms without the latest technology. But those medical standards seemed like luxuries when he spent a week in war-torn Gaza. Qureshi was part of a medical relief team made up of Muslim physicians and surgeons from across the U.S. who traveled to Gaza on the heels of a three-week Israeli offensive. Qureshi spent seven days in Gaza with 10 other U.S. doctors organized by the Lombard-based Islamic Medical Association of North America. "It was a broken-down medical care system," said Qureshi, who practices at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora. "Compared to what we have here, it was very primitive."
Obstetrics and Gynecology Services, P.A., a six-physician practice in Minnesota, is offering a free preventive visit for current patients who've been laid off and lost their health insurance. K. Anthony Shibley, MD, said he's seeing about two patients a day who've lost their jobs and are rushing to get an appointment before their insurance runs out. "We know that staying current with preventive care not only keeps patients healthy, but also cuts down on future healthcare costs," Shibley told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "None of us at the practice feel it's the right thing to do to just cut them loose."
Legislation that offers a tax break to offset the cost of healthcare has been approved by an Oklahoma House committee. The measure would grant Oklahomans an income tax deduction equal to the amount paid by an individual for health insurance coverage. If approved, the credit would be available starting in 2010.
At a time when more people are forced to buy their own health insurance because of job losses, costs for many individual policies are increasing. Advocates say the 17 million Americans who buy their own coverage can't negotiate lower rates the way employers or other large group plans can. More people are shopping for coverage: The Golden Rule Insurance Company says sales of individual policies are up 24% in the past two months. A website that links people with insurers, eHealthInsurance, says applications are up 18% in the fourth quarter, compared with a year ago.
WellCare Health Plans Inc., a managed care provider being investigated for possible fraud, was ordered to stop enrolling new customers in its Medicare-backed drug and medical plans. The sanction takes effect in March and won't be lifted until the company satisfies regulators that operations have improved.
In Connecticut's quest for universal healthcare, insurers are quietly floating a proposal that advocates a new insurance pool for individuals who can't find or afford insurance in the private market. The pool would accept consumers regardless of health problems, but to make the pool work, the state would have to require everyone to have insurance, the insurers said. The Connecticut Association of Health Plans and the chief executive of Farmington-based ConnectiCare have been talking to legislators and business groups about the proposal, but it's not a bill yet and few details are available.
Community Health Systems Inc., the largest publicly traded hospital operator in the United States, reported a fourth-quarter profit against a year-earlier loss that was hurt by hefty buyout charges.
The company earned $59.9 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with a loss of $88.3 million, or 94 cents per share, during the same period a year prior when it saw hefty charges for the buyout of Triad Hospitals Inc. Revenue also rose 11% to $2.76 billion from $2.49 billion.
Massachusetts General Hospital waited four days before alerting Boston health authorities that a wave of gastrointestinal illness was sweeping through patients and staff. The delay is an apparent violation of rules requiring prompt reporting of suspected infectious disease clusters. Anita Barry, MD, the city's director of communicable disease control, said that the hospital "dropped the ball" in failing to report the illnesses sooner. Her agency will have discussions with the hospital about preventing such episodes in the future, she said.
