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1. Developing Physician Communication Skills For Patient-Centered Care Growing enthusiasm about patient-centered medical homes, fueled by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s emphasis on improved primary care, has intensified interest in how to deliver patient-centered care. Essential to the delivery of such care are patient-centered communication skills. These skills have a positive impact on patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, and self-management. They can […]...
2. Public Reporting On Hospital Process Improvements Is Linked To Better Patient Outcomes The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services publicly reports so-called process performance at all U.S. hospitals, such as whether certain recommended treatments are given to specific types of patients. We examined whether hospital performance on key process indicators improved during the three years since this reporting began. We also studied whether or not these changes […]...
3. Calif., R.I., Move To Strengthen Review Of Health Insurance Rates; Ind. Weighs Changes In State Employee Health Plans The Los Angeles Times’ Blog: “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved Wednesday to implement a major element of the new national healthcare overhaul, seeking a $1-million federal grant to strengthen the state’s review of health insurance rates. Much of the money would pay for actuaries to evaluate premium hikes sought by insurers. …...
4. Share of Cost, UnitedHealth Ups Ante On Health IT With Purchase Of Picis, Expecting Stimulus Windfall Share of Cost, UnitedHealth Ups Ante On Health IT With Purchase Of Picis, Expecting Stimulus Windfall — Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal: UnitedHealth Group’s technology consulting subsidiary Ingenix, of Eden Prairie, Minn., has purchased Massachusetts tech firm Picis, a maker of emergency room and intensive care software. “Both companies are deeply involved in the area where […]...
5. Employers Still Excluding Large Groups of People from Jobs Based on Race, Sex, Age & Disability Experts testified at a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) meeting that employers nationwide continue to discriminate against job seekers based on their race, sex, age, national origin, disability or other prohibited bases. An EEOC trial attorney described the case of two deaf applicants who were denied employment by Walmart because they were deaf. The public can submit written comments by mail […]...
6. Medi-Cal Claims: A frequent cause of claim denials by Medi-Cal is due to incorrect recipient admission A frequent cause of claim denials by Medi-Cal is due to incorrect recipient admission and discharge dates and/or incorrect patient status codes submitted by providers. Erroneous “from-through” dates or patient status billed by one provider and paid by Medi-Cal can result in the denial of correct claims billed by another provider. This often occurs between […]...
7. Share of Cost, Two Talks With Teens Leads To Less Marijuana Use For At Least A Year Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug used by teenagers and adults around the world. Nearly a third of high school students in the United States report smoking it, and most high schoolers say they have access to the drug. To many people, smoking pot is no big deal. They cite reasons such as: “it […]...
8. The Political Challenges That May Undermine Health Reform [Politics Of Reform] As with all major social legislation, years of decisions and disputes over implementation lie ahead for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Opponents at the state and national levels may seek the law’s judicial overturn or repeal. However, a far more serious effort to undermine the law will come about through challenges to various […]...
9. Share of Cost Health Care Reform – What’s Ahead in 2011? Share of Cost Health Care Reform - What's Ahead in 2011?...
10. Implications For Safety As 1 In 20 Australian Workers Confess To Drinking At Work A national survey has found that more than one in twenty Australian workers report using alcohol while at work or just before work, and more than one in fifty report taking drugs during or just before work. These findings, published online in the journal Addiction, have implications for workplace safety....
11. Share of Cost, Mass. Docs Will Soon Track Patients Who Abuse Prescription Drugs; Wis. Catholic Church Employees Now Eligible For Birth Control The Boston Globe: “With a few computer keystrokes, Massachusetts physicians will soon be able to identify patients who travel from clinic to clinic in pursuit of potent prescription drugs that feed lethal addictions....
12. Nudging small business to provide health care, share of cost Much of the landmark Affordable Care Act won’t kick in until 2014, but one big component starts this year: federal tax credits for small businesses that provide their employees health care.  Mike Colias of Crain’s Chicago Business relays a report by the D.C-based Families USA that 159,900 companies in Illinois are eligible for a federal […]...