Health Headlines for Tuesday, April 3
U.S. govt sets 3.40 pct hike in 2019 payments to Medicare insurers
Reuters
The U.S. government on Monday said it would increase by 3.40 percent on average 2019 payments to the health insurers that manage Medicare Advantage insurance plans for more than 20 million people aged 65 and older or who are disabled.
Can Doctors Choose Between Saving Lives and Saving a Fortune?
New York Times Magazine
To understand something about the spiraling cost of health care in the United States, we might begin with a typical conundrum: Imagine a 60-something man — a nonsmoker, overweight, with diabetes — who has just survived a heart attack. Perhaps he had an angioplasty, with the placement of a stent, to open his arteries.
OIG: Medicaid Fraud Control Units Recovered $1.8B in 2017
HealthPayer Intelligence
Medicaid fraud control units (MFCUs) recovered $1.8 billion in 2017 through effective collaboration with state governments, according a new report released by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Legal marijuana tied to drop in opioid prescriptions
Reuters
Opioid prescriptions may decline when states legalize marijuana, two U.S. studies suggest.
Key Heart Risks Decline for Older Americans
US News
Older Americans dramatically reduced their risks for heart attack and stroke over a recent 20-year period, a new analysis finds.
GE Pushes Ahead on Revamp With $1.05 Billion Sale of Health IT
Bloomberg
John Flannery’s reshaping of General Electric Co. is getting underway.