December Healthcare Industry News

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A few December highlights from the healthcare industry:

Doctor convicted of 3 patients’ overdose deaths in landmark case
Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng was convicted of murder on Friday in a landmark case for killing three patients who overdosed on what a prosecutor called “crazy, outrageous amounts” of painkillers she prescribed. It’s rare to bring homicide charges against a physician, but the case came amid a prescription drug abuse epidemic that has led lawmakers to try to rein in so-called pill mills that dole out medications with little scrutiny.  Read More

Anthem, Blue Shield fined $600,000 for faulty doctor directories
The fines are based on statewide surveys in June 2014 that found more than 25 percent of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California’s online doctor listings were faulty, either because the physicians weren’t in the location listed or weren’t offering plans as cited. Read More

It’s 2015 — Why Haven’t Our Medical Records Entered The Digital Age?
In this digital age, we have devices that track our daily exercise and the quality of our sleep. Test results are sent from lab to physician in hours, and doctors can see patients over video conference. And yet, a patient sometimes can’t easily have her medical file sent from one doctor to another, even in the same building, and sometimes medical record software is so difficult to work with that a doctor can only search one page at a time. Read More

A Tale Of 2 Hospital Visits: How The Cost Of Care Can Vary Dramatically Depending On Where You’re Treated
Nancy says the care she received at both places was great. But a month later, when she received the bills and her insurance company’s explanation of benefits for both visits on the same day, she was stunned. The explanation of benefits show Blue Cross had paid Martha’s Vineyard Hospital almost seven times what it paid BIDMC’s urgent care center for the same CT scan — $3,888.76 vs. $574.97. Read More

 

Information provided by David Stott, MedBridge Senior Contracts Consultant.