Increased healthcare service utilization and higher program costs resulting from Medicaid expansion are likely temporary and won’t have a disastrous impact on state budgets, according to a study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. UCLA researchers examined claims data from 182,000 people who gained insurance through two of California’s public health insurance programs […]
Read MoreSince June, 65 lawsuits filed under the qui tam, or whistle-blower, provision of the False Claims Act have been unsealed, according to a National Law Review report. Here are five things to know about the unsealed cases. 1. The government declined to intervene in 34 cases, partially intervened in 10 cases and fully intervened in […]
Read More6 steps to transition your organization to a performance-based physician compensation model Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, healthcare reimbursement changes are rapidly evolving from primarily volume-based, fee-for-service reimbursement to value-based, risk-sharing accountable care contracts. As a result, physician compensation models that are primarily volume-based must quickly migrate […]
Read MoreWhen insurers implement bundled payment projects, they’re transforming care by focusing on quality and lowering costs, making it a strong gateway to propel payment reform, according to a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Institute. In fact, the “most attractive element” of a bundled payment pilot is often the opportunity to prepare for “future demands […]
Read MorePutting in place noneconomic damage caps appears to reduce payouts more than not having caps, but when caps increased to $500,000, the effect on payments was neutralized, new research shows. Specifically, any cap trimmed average payments by 15% ($42,980) compared with no cap, and a $250,000 cap reduced average payments by 20% ($59,331), researchers report […]
Read MoreIn a national study of hospital emergency department visits for opioid overdoses, 67.8% of the overdoses involved prescription opioids (including methadone), followed by heroin, other unspecified opioids, and multiple opioids, according to a study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. Michael A. Yokell, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, and colleagues analysed the 2010 […]
Read MorePre-operative pain and depressive symptoms in older adults place them at greater risk of delirium following surgery, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Both pain and depression are independent and interactive risk factors for delirium, suggesting a cumulative effect. “Understanding the impact of preoperative pain and depression on risk of delirium in […]
Read MoreFood and Drug Administration (US) AUDIENCE: Anesthesiology, Pulmonary, Biomedical Engineering, Risk Manager ISSUE: FDA notified health professionals and their medical care organizations of the Class 1 recall of the Puritan Bennett 980 Ventilator Systems with software versions below 2.8, with distribution dates March 3, 2014 through August 22, 2014 and serial numbers listed here. The […]
Read MoreI thought our readers would appreciate an update on Ebola. • As of 7 Nov., There have been 13,268 reported Ebola cases in 8 affected countries since the outbreak began, with 4,960 reported deaths. (WHO) • Spain: 83 contacts of health-care workers have completed 21-day follow up. • US: 124 of 177 contacts have completed […]
Read MoreYou’re human. You’re entitled to say some obnoxious things now and then. But keep in mind your employees absorb and weigh your words, and they’ll give you a pass on those annoying expressions for only so long. Spew these dozen phrases at your peril: 1. Hold that thought. OK. For how long? Later today? Tomorrow? […]
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