1. 2,000 physicians get behind Bernie Sanders’ single payer health plan
A 39-physician panel Thursday unveiled a proposal for single-payer healthcare reform, endorsed by 2,231 physicians, that promises to remove all financial barriers to medical care with no increase in current spending.
2. Humana considers dropping out of state ACA exchanges
Louisville, Ky.-based Humana might be following in the footsteps of other top insurers as it considers exiting the Affordable Care Act exchanges in some states in 2017, according to Reuters.
3. Medical errors are No. 3 cause of death in the US, study unveils
The CDC lists chronic respiratory diseases as the No. 3 cause of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer, but researchers from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins beg to differ. They analyzed data from an eight-year period and found medical errors are the true third leading cause of death in the U.S.
4. Congress members call on CMS to abandon Medicare drug pilot
More than 240 Congress members penned a letter May 2 to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt outlining six chief concerns with the agency’s Medicare “Part B Drug Payment Model” proposed rule.
5. These 10 hospitals have the biggest surpluses — and they’re mostly nonprofit
A small percentage of U.S. hospitals earned large profits from patient care services in 2013, and seven of the 10 most profitable were nonprofit hospitals, according to research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Washington and Lee University.
6. CDC: Hepatitis C most deadly infectious disease in America
Hepatitis C-associated deaths peaked in 2014 with 19,659 infected individuals dying, according to data released by the CDC on Wednesday.
7. Looking into missing drugs, hospital surveillance footage accidentally filmed patient surgeries
After realizing someone was taking drugs from surgery carts, SharpGrossmontHospital in La Mesa, Calif., mounted small cameras inside computer monitors attached to mobile anesthesia machines in operating rooms, according to inewsource. Upon reviewing the tape, the hospital found they had accidentally filmed women undergoing surgery without their permission. The filming, which took place between February 2013 and June 2013, caught one physician in the act of pocketing a vial of anesthetics.
8. Harvard study finds consumer price shopping doesn’t lower healthcare costs
A recent study published in JAMA suggests consumers don’t exercise savvier healthcare shopping practices when they have access to increased price information.
9. Capella, RegionalCare merge into $1.7B company
Brentwood, Tenn.-based RegionalCare Hospital Partners and Franklin, Tenn.-based Capella Healthcare merged to create a combined company with 18 hospital campuses in 12 states.
10. CHS completes 38-hospital spinoff
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems completed its previously announced spinoff of Quorum Health Corp., which includes 38 hospitals across 16 states as well as CHS’ hospital management and consulting business.
11. How CHS, Tenet, UHS, LifePoint and HCA fared in Q1
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems reported revenues increased 1.8 percent year-over-year to nearly $5 billion in the first quarter of 2016.
Tenet Healthcare recorded revenue of $5 billion in the first quarter of 2016, up 14 percent from $4.4 billion in the same period the year prior.
King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services recorded revenue of $2.5 billion in the first quarter 2016, up 10.1 percent from the year prior.
Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health saw revenue increase to nearly $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2016, up 25.1 percent from revenue of $1.3 billion in the same period of 2015.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Holdings saw revenue increase to $10.2 billion in the first quarter of 2016, up 6 percent from $9.7 billion in the same period of 2015.
12. Number of 5-star hospitals up slightly in new Hospital Compare update
CMS updated its Hospital Compare database May 4 with new HCAHPS survey results, and the number of hospitals that received a five-star summary rating for patient experience is up slightly from the December update. The improvement reverses a two-quarter slide in the number of hospitals that received the highest rating.
13. Obama administration grants Texas 15-month Medicaid waiver extension
Federal officials gave Texas an extension of a special flow of Medicaid dollars to help hospitals treat uninsured patients, according to a Dallas Morning News report. President Barack Obama’s administration granted the 15-month Medicaid waiver extension Monday.
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