New Laws’ Demands on Doctors Have Many Seeking a Network, The New York Times, 3/3/14
Abby Goodnough reports that the Affordable Care Act is bringing new regulations and payment rates that squeeze self-employed doctors into hospital networks.
Daschle, Former Senators Form Alliance to Lobby For New Telehealth Rules, The Washington Post, 3/1/14
Mohana Ravindranath writes that until state and federal health-care laws evolve to address telehealth, former Senator Thomas Daschle’s vision of a national network of virtually accessible doctors is far off. So Daschle, with help from former senators Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and John Breaux (D-La.), created a coalition of companies at the intersection of health and technology to push for changing regulations governing telehealth
NC Attorney General Concerned Over New High Potency Painkiller, WSOC-TV, 2/28/14
Tennika Smith reports that a super powerful pain killer called Zohydro will hit the market in March. Due to its strength, some are worried people could easily abuse it, overdose and die.
Finding Consensus on Five Ways to Improve the ACA, USA Today, 2/27/14
Kelly Kennedy lists five ways to improve the ACA that are generally agreed upon by both fans and foes of the health care law.
Kaiser Poll: Americans Divided, Uninformed on Obamacare, Modern Health Care, 2/26/14
A Kaiser Health Foundation poll found that just over half of Americans would prefer to pay more for a health plan that covers a broad network of doctors and hospitals, while 37% would prefer a cheaper plan offering a narrower network.
Study Finds Limited Benefit to Some Medical Homes, The New York Times, 2/26/14
Ann Carrns reports that a study of one large, long-running pilot of the medical home approach has found that it resulted in limited quality improvement, and that it didn’t save money, over a three-year period.
CMS Recovery Audits on Hold as Contractors Wrestle Big Backlog, Modern HealthCare, 2/20/14
Beth Kutscher reports that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is winding down its recovery audit program with its current contractors, placing the program effectively on hold—perhaps for several months—while it awards new contracts. The pause could be tacit acknowledgment of the need to address issues with the program