Health Headlines for Wednesday, March 28
Insurers pan state proposal to target excess reserves
Crain’s Health Pulse (subscription required)
New York Medicaid health plans said they would fight a Cuomo administraton proposal that would allow the state to claw back funding if their reserves exceed 150% of legal requirements.
Medicare Is Cracking Down on Opioids Doctors Fear Pain Patients Will Suffer.
New York Times
Medicare officials thought they had finally figured out how to do their part to fix the troubling problem of opioids being overprescribed to the old and disabled: In 2016, a staggering one in three of 43.6 million beneficiaries of the federal health insurance program had been prescribed the painkillers.
8 years after Obamacare, watch the states for universal health care pushes, implementer says
Coloradoan
The Affordable Care Act wasn’t a miracle cure for U.S. health care woes, one of its chief implementers concedes, but it might be a catalyst to universal coverage.
What Amazon & Co. should fix first in our health care system
Newsday
It’s been two months since Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan Chase announced a triple-threat partnership to improve health care for their collective 1.2 million employees, and ultimately a better program for all Americans.
Orthopedics in WNY reducing the number of painkiller they prescribe
WKBW
A group of 35 orthopedic surgeons in Western New York are teaming up to help end the opioid epidemic.
Oscar Health Raises $165M For Multi-City Obamacare Expansion
Forbes
Oscar Health said it has closed on a $165 million round of funding designed to “accelerate its expansion efforts” that will include moving into four to five new cities every year with an array of individual and small group health insurance products.
State board recommends approval of ENH-Kaleida Health relationship
Lockport Union Sun & Journal
State health officials voted last week to recommend the approval of a new relationship between Eastern Niagara Hospital and the Kaleida Health system.
Southern Tier hospital merger complete
Buffalo Business First
Say hello to Brooks-TLC Hospital System Inc., the new entity created through the now-completed merger between Brooks Memorial Hospital and TLC Health Network.