Health Headlines for Tuesday, February 20
As Some Got Free Health Care, Gwen Got Squeezed: An Obamacare Dilemma
New York Times
Gwen Hurd got the letter just before her shift at the outlet mall. Her health insurance company informed her that coverage for her family of three, purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, would cost almost 60 percent more this year — $1,200 a month.
New Catholic Health CEO ready to face challenges of health care industry
Buffalo News
A 24-year veteran of Catholic Health will take over as the system’s CEO next month, an appointment that comes at a challenging time for health systems here and across the country.
Older New Yorkers skipping flu shots; see NY county vaccination rates
New York Upstate
As the flu batters New York, government statistics show less than half of state residents 65 and older on Medicare received flu shots as of Feb. 1.
City Officials See Progress in Effort to Curb Opioid Deaths
New York Times
Early into the final year of his first term in office, Mayor Bill de Blasio tacitly acknowledged what could no longer be ignored: New York City, like much of the country, had a worsening problem of drug overdoses from heroin and opioids, and the city’s response had been inadequate.
Michael Cropp: Joint health care venture is a wake-up call for the industry that could rapidly accelerate innovation, technology
Buffalo News
Some industry observers are calling the recently announced partnership between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase a potential “tipping point” in American health care delivery. We see it more as a wake-up call for a fragmented health care system that continues to underperform, yet accounts for 18 percent of the gross domestic product.
Local pharmacies participate in pharmaceutical take-back program
Wayne Post
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently announced 172 pharmacies, hospitals and long-term care facilities that are participating in the second group of the state’s $2 million Pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back program.
DOH: Island Hospitals Top Cardiac-Surgery Charts
Innovateli
Good news for regional patients facing the unfortunate reality of cardiac surgery: Some of the best outcomes in New York State for certain types of open-heart surgeries are happening on Long Island.