Archive for February 24th, 2012
THE FRIDAY RUNDOWN: A Full Week on the Front
It was an exciting week on the health policy front. Doctors can breathe easier — at least until the end of the year — after President Obama signed a 10-month “doc fix.” Meanwhile, the Supreme Court was active in regard to health this week, both adding 30 minutes to the oral arguments in the case against the federal health reform law and sending a case that will determine whether beneficiaries and providers can sue to block Medicaid provider cuts back to a lower court.
That’s not all, though. Everything you need to know about health policy in the last week is after the jump.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Pinterest Gains Popularity Among Providers
- “Hospitals Show Interest in Pinterest Marketing,” Fierce Healthcare: Don’t worry… it doesn’t involve your doctor’s favorite decorating tips.
- “Five Myths About Medicare,” Washington Post: For people who Medicare about the truth. Read the rest of this entry »
AHL’s TOP STORY: Per-Person Cost of High-Risk Health Plan Twice as High as Estimates; 50K Now Enrolled
Health care costs for enrollees in the temporary high-risk insurance pools established by the federal health reform law are expected to be more than double initial predictions, according to a report released by the Obama administration, the Washington Post reports (Kliff, Washington Post, 2/23).
The report also found that between November 2010 and November 2011, enrollment in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan increased by about 400% — helped by about 8,000 new applicants monthly in the second half of 2011 — to about 50,000 U.S. residents. That figure is well short of initial estimates by the CMS actuary, who predicted that 375,000 U.S. residents would enroll by the end of 2010 (Pecquet, “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 2/23). Read the rest of this entry »
