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New Opioids Bill Addresses Patient Brokering
The comprehensive opioids bill passed by the Senate and Congress includes a provision to protect opioid use disorder patients from a predatory practice known as patient brokering, according to The Washington Post.
Survey: Surgical Patients Expect Opioids
Many people still want opioids to manage pain after surgery despite heightened media coverage surrounding addiction risk and the opioid epidemic, according to survey results presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists' annual meeting in San Francisco.
Healthcare Data Breaches Spike Significantly in Seven Years
Healthcare data breaches are on the rise, according to public data reported in a research letter and published in JAMA Network.
Physician Burnout an Ongoing Struggle
U.S. physicians continue to struggle with burnout and job satisfaction, according to a survey from the national, nonprofit Physicians Foundation.
Medicare Advantage Organizations Overturned 75% of Their Denials
A recent investigation by the U.S. Office of Inspector General found between 2014 and 2016, Medicare Advantage organizations overturned 75 percent of their preauthorization and payment denials upon appeal.
Health Insurance Plan Ratings for 2018: NCQA Releases Top 10 List
NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018-2019 compare the quality and services of more than 1,000 health plans in the United States and provide consumers with a practical and meaningful guide to understanding their health care options and choosing the best health plans for themselves and their families. National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is releasing its 2017 Health Insurance Plan Ratings. These ratings provide consumers with a more accurate picture of how health insurance plans perform in the key quality areas of consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment.
Fitbit Launches Wearables Coaching Service for Payers
Fitbit unveiled a connected wearables health platform on its new Fitbit Plus app Sept. 19, which integrates health coaching, activity tracking and virtual care services to help users manage chronic conditions.
Value-Based Payments Will Improve Care 18% of Physicians Say
Although 47 percent of physicians' compensation is tied to quality or value, only 18 percent of physicians say these payment will improve care or cut costs, a report from Merritt Hawkins found.
Drug Prices Soar After Shortages
Amid a shortage, drug prices increase at roughly twice their usual rate, suggesting that pharma companies may be exploiting drug shortages to increase profits, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Single-Payer Could Help Lower Healthcare Costs?
A new report from the New England Journal of Medicine-Catalysts about trends in payer-provider integration suggests that the industry is warming up to single-payer — with 61 percent of hospital leaders saying single-payer would boost the industry’s efforts to lower costs and provide better care.