News
Mark T. Bertolini, chairman, CEO and president of Aetna, delivered the opening keynote on Monday at the mHealth Summit. A former executive for Cigna, NYLCare Health Plans and SelectCare, he now oversees a global healthcare benefits company with some 33,000 employees in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Last week New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced a $3.1 million settlement with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield requiring the insurer to refund 12,000 plan members who overpaid their healthcare providers as a result of the company's improper accounting of deductibles.
Medicare Advantage (MA) HMO plans may be offering more efficient care than Medicare Part A and B plans, a study published in the journal Health Affairs has found. According to researchers, MA HMO enrollees have fewer hip and knee replacements and use fewer benefits for outpatient surgeries and procedures, inpatient stays and emergency department visits.
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Nurse Practitioners will consolidate effective Jan. 1. 2013, the two membership organizations announced last month.
Despite the economic downturn, the number of uninsured children eligible for Medicaid and CHIP programs fell to 4.4 million in 2010, a 10 percent decrease from the 4.9 million who were uninsured in 2008, according to an analysis of government data released recently by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The costs associated with treating morbidly obese patients continue to rise, according to a report released Monday by healthcare supply contracting firm Novation.
Research has shown that healthcare organizations with high employee engagement scores tend to have better patient outcomes overall, according to Murat Philippe, principal consultant at Avatar HR Solutions in Chicago.
A report issued Nov. 29 by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) calling for more oversight of the meaningful use program has been mostly well-received by stakeholders. Doctors, however, are concerned about the burden of pre-payment audits.
Hospitals and healthcare systems across the country will soon be facing large cuts in Medicare if the U.S. Congress cannot reach an agreement on an alternative deficit reduction plan in order to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, therefore it's a good idea for these organizations to start being proactive.
Missouri governor pushes for Medicaid expansion; Kansas still awaits word from feds on KanCare overhaul; and New Jersey bill would limit insurers' ability to make reimbursement cuts in this week's Medicaid Digest.