Health News

A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.

The New York Times and Los Angeles Times report on specific hospitals that have been shown to be among the most expensive in the nation. Meanwhile, Modern Healthcare reports on interest from some senators in overhauling Medicare's hospital payment system.

A selection of health policy stories from Texas, Kansas, Georgia, Wisconsin and California.

Also in the news, developments on Medicaid expansion from Arizona, Ohio and Iowa.

Mathew Staver, the university's lawyer, told the judges Thursday in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Liberty would face millions of dollars in penalties if it refuses to provide employee health insurance that violates its religious beliefs.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., was among the members of Congress linking the IRS scandal to the repeal vote and even talk of impeachment.

This week's studies come from JAMA Surgery, the American Journal of Public Health, Academic Emergency Medicine, The Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Management Associates.

Take a look at KHN's lighter side, featuring today's cartoon and health policy haiku.

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the GOP vote to repeal the health law -- for the 37th time -- as well as how the current IRS scandal is being connected to the health law's implementation.

An Institute of Health Technology Transformation report finds that data analytics is critical to the success of population health management and accountable care organizations. The report lists several steps that are key to the effective use of health data analytics, such as building partnerships with health plans to obtain claims data. HIT Consultant, Clinical Innovation & Technology.

A report from HIMSS Analytics finds that bed management technologies represent one of the most promising market opportunities for vendors because of their low rate of market penetration. The report ranked 24 types of health care software applications. FierceHealthIT.

Concerns are being raised about the trend of pharmaceutical companies using databases of doctor and patient information to improve drug marketing strategies. Drug companies say they use the data to provide doctors with information tailored to their needs. New York Times.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office is reviewing a five-year, $8.9 million contract under which Truven Health Analytics would build the platform for a new health information exchange in the southeastern region of the state. Government Health IT, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Six health care organizations have selected VitalWare's claims auditing and ICD-10 financial risk assessment tool. TigerText, a health care messaging provider, has partnered with mobility management provider AirWatch to develop secure health care communications tools.

California's secretary of state has designated the state's health insurance exchange as a voter registration hub, making California the first state to do so. Some Republicans say targeting specific populations could create a partisan advantage. Sacramento Bee.

Five University of California medical centers are starting to postpone elective surgeries because of an expected strike. Meanwhile, the California Nurses Association-National Nurses United is planning a seven-day strike at Sutter Health facilities. Los Angeles Times et al.

On Thursday, the House approved legislation to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act. The legislation marks the 37th time that congressional Republicans have sought to repeal, defund or dismantle the ACA. The bill is not expected to pass in the Senate. Washington Post et al.

According to a study from the New England Journal of Medicine, most physicians agree that increasing the number of nurse practitioners would improve timeliness of care. However, few believe that doing so would improve safety and quality of care. Kaiser Health News' "Capsules."

Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo has participated in a nationwide March of Dimes study that has helped reduce the hospital's early elective delivery rates. San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital's new emergency department and intensive care unit building has begun accepting patients.

It's the only hospital near the top in every category in a Medicare report. But few patients pay the full amount.

When Medicare disclosed average charges from thousands of U.S. hospitals for 100 common procedures last week, only one hospital was near the top in every category: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.