Stakeholders Say ACO Final Rule Fails To Address Some Concerns

Some health care organizations might opt to leave the accountable care organization program because CMS did not address some of their concerns in its latest rules update, Modern Healthcare reports (Dickson, Modern Healthcare, 6/5). New Final Rule Details CMS on Thursday issued a final rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program that seeks to keep ...

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Blue Shield’s Proposed Acquisition of Care1st Faces Tough Scrutiny

A top California regulator vowed a “deep dive” into a $1.2-billion acquisition proposed by Blue Shield of California amid criticism that the nonprofit insurer is shortchanging the public. Shelley Rouillard, director of the state Department of Managed Health Care, signaled tough scrutiny ahead for Blue Shield’s proposed purchase of Medicaid insurer Care1st Health Plan at ...

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Three Major Systems Join San Diego Health Connect, Giving HIE Big Boost

With the addition of San Diego’s three largest health systems, more than one million patients soon will have the opportunity to participate in the region’s health information exchange, San Diego Health Connect. The community-wide HIE allows patient medical records to be shared among the region’s competing health care providers, large and small. Scripps Health, Sharp ...

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Covered California Website Fail Its Disabled Residents

California businesses have for years complained about lawsuits related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, where plaintiffs visit their stores or restaurants and then demand financial damages after finding oftentimes technical violations of the accessibility rules. At one point last year, 20-some businesses in thedowntown area of one northern California city were hit with such ...

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If Supreme Court Rules Against Obamacare, Few States Are Ready For The Fallout

Millions of Americans could soon lose health insurance when the Supreme Court decides the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act this month, but states have made few concrete plans to deal with the potential fallout, and they may get little help from Washington, President Obama warned Monday. “If somebody does something that doesn’t make ...

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Obama Is Optimistic Justices Will Let Health Care Law Stand

WASHINGTON — A decision by the Supreme Court to strike down health care subsidies in federally run marketplaces would be a “contorted reading” of the Affordable Care Act that would disrupt coverage for millions of people, President Obama said on Monday. But at a news conference at the end of a two-day trip to Germany, ...

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California Legislative Update – Big Day for Health Care Bill Passage

Floor sessions on Tuesday in the state Senate and Assembly were fast-paced affairs. The deadline to pass bills out of their house of origin is June 5 so the legislation queue on Tuesday was pretty long and resulted in a rapid-fire pace. The Senate passed a high-profile measure to expand coverage to some undocumented immigrants. A ...

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New Analysis Details Impact on Residents in Different States If the U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Challengers in King v....

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month in the King v. Burwell case that challenges whether low- and moderate-income Americans are eligible for subsidies to help pay for insurance if they live in states where the federal government, rather than the state, established its new insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act ...

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Patient Finds Shopping for Low-Priced CT Scan Doesn’t Pay Off

Douglas White knew high-deductible insurance is supposed to make patients feel the pain of medical prices and turn them into smart shoppers. So he shopped. He called around for price quotes on the CT scan his doctor ordered. After all, his plan’s $2,000 deductible meant paying the full cost out of pocket. Using information from ...

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Obamacare’s Big Overhead Costs to Top $270B

That sure is a lot of paper clips. Obamacare is set to add more than a quarter-of-a-trillion—that’s trillion—dollars in extra insurance administrative costs to the U.S. health-care system, according to a new report out Wednesday. (Tweet this) The $273.6 billion in additional insurance overhead represents an average of of $1,375 per newly insured person, per ...

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