Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.
1. Number of uninsured in US hits record low in 2015
The number of uninsured people in the U.S. fell below 10 percent in 2015 for the first time. About 9.1 percent of Americans, or about 28.6 million, were uninsured last year, according to federal statistics, The Wall Street Journal reported.
2. NJ governor wants to strip $25M from hospitals to close revenue gap
Facing a revenue shortfall of $843 million through fiscal year 2017, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's administration wants to reduce state aid to hospitals for underinsured patients by $25 million, according to Reuters.
3. UnitedHealth's exit from New Jersey exchange marks 27th state dropped
With its recently announced departure from New Jersey's Affordable Care Act marketplace, UnitedHealth has officially dropped from the exchanges in 27 states, according to Bloomberg.
4. Theranos recalls tens of thousands of tests
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Theranos, a $9 billion startup known for its micro-sample blood tests, is retracting two years of test results performed on its proprietary "Edison" devices and is issuing corrections, The Wall Street Journal reported.
5. Psychiatrist indicted for murder, over-prescription of opioids
The Georgia psychiatrist known as "Dr. Death" was indicted May 18 for the deaths of three former patients and for nearly five dozen counts of unauthorized prescriptions for pain medications, according to AJC.com.
6. Sharp Hospital apologizes for inadvertently filming C-sections, giving recordings to lawyer
A drug diversion investigation gone wrong at Sharp Grossmont Hospital resulted in filming patient procedures in the operating room without those patients' permission. The hospital then provided some of those video clips to an attorney, which is considered a breach of medical privacy. It is now apologizing for its actions, reports KPBS.
7. DeKalb Health suffers ransomware attack, diverts patients to other hospitals
Auburn, Ind.-based DeKalb Health is investigating a ransomware attack that temporarily disrupted the health system's administrative computer system, reports WANE.
8. State report: 7,300 California hospital patients at risk of infection from contaminated meds
Issues at the Paradise Valley Hospital compounding pharmacy lab in National City, Calif., may have put 7,301 patients at risk of infection from contaminated medication, according to a Kaiser Health News report citing state records.
9. Medical device maker to pay up to $7.8M for selling dirty needles
B. Braun Medical, a German device maker with U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, Pa., will pay up to $7.8 million to resolve its criminal liability for selling contaminated pre-filled saline flush syringes in 2007, which allegedly led to infections and at least five deaths, the Department of Justice announced May 18.
10. Highmark sues feds over $223M in ACA payments
Highmark, the insurance arm of Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health, is suing the federal government, claiming the U.S. failed to pay the insurer nearly $223 million in payments owed under the ACA's risk corridor program.
11. Ex-hospital guards indicted for death of MedStar patient
Two former security guards at MedStar Washington Hospital Center were indicted May 17 on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 74-year-old patient James E. McBride, according to The Washington Post.
12. Cerner faces another overtime lawsuit
Another class-action lawsuit alleges Cerner failed to pay employees overtime wages, bringing the total lawsuits against the health IT company regarding overtime pay to four, reports KCUR.
13. HHS finalizes antibias protections to transgender people
Under the ACA, health insurers cannot deny transgender Americans coverage and services based on gender identity, federal officials said May 13, The Washington Post reports.