Despite increased sales, most large insurers saw profits from offering health insurance plans shrink in the third quarter as pressure from government programs continued into the second half of the year. With Medicare Advantage, seniors still use more medical care than their insurance companies anticipated when pricing the plan. And in Medicaid, payers say states' payment rates remain well below the cost of caring for beneficiaries in safety-net programs. These forces have banded together to attack insurance companies, bashing some, particularly CVS-owned Aetna and Humana, and bashing others. Aetna was particularly affected, posting a significant decline in operating income year…
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Most registered nurses in Massachusetts don't think hospital administrators or lawmakers are listening to their concerns about patient safety. This is according to a survey conducted by Beacon Research. And nurses also feel that understaffing means they often deal with burnout, to the detriment of themselves and their patients.June Scott, a nurse at Faulkner Hospital for 24 years, said, “Staffing is a huge problem in health care, and we continue to be understaffed.''There are ugly illustrations of the fatigue faced by nurses. Last May, a fellow nurse at Faulkner University was seriously injured when he drove his car off the…
BBCFarrah (left) and Nicole have the same heart condition but are treated differently because they live in different trustsTwin sisters living with heart failure are calling for an end to the postcode lottery system for accessing services to treat heart failure.Nicole and Farrah live 52 miles from each other but are enrolled in different health trusts.Nicole has benefited from “life-changing” cardiac rehabilitation, but Farrah said she was discharged from the hospital eight months after her diagnosis without any rehabilitation provided.She told BBC News NI she was “jealous, angry, upset and scared” of not receiving the same treatment as her twin…
A smiling middle-aged female doctor listens as a female patient discusses her health.getty These are unprecedented times for women. Women are taking on more responsibilities at work, at home, and in every other area of life than in past generations. With limited time and opportunity costs, women set priorities based on what they have to do in a day. Due to time constraints, women are putting off their own medical needs. Skim's State of Women report found that women are often the 'chief worry officers' in the home, putting their own needs above the needs of others, to the detriment…
In a rapidly evolving healthcare environment, AI has the potential to transform the way consumers interact with healthcare services. Today, U.S. consumers struggle with everything from finding the right insurance to understanding when they need to see a doctor, how much it costs, and how to manage their health. I'm doing it. Many people spend hours researching, talking to friends and family, and calling their providers and payers to find answers to their questions. In fact, one in four consumers we surveyed say they can't get the care they need when they need it. Meaningful improvements in addressing complex healthcare…
This year has been a tumultuous year for the medical industry. Change Healthcare Disruptions like the ransomware attack and CrowdStrike IT outage highlight the vulnerabilities of healthcare organizations and how such events can have a devastating impact on healthcare operations and put patients at risk. I showed you. As we look to the future, we must come together as an industry to fix weaknesses and protect our organizations.An American Hospital Association study found that 94% of U.S. healthcare providers have been affected by the Change Healthcare ransomware attack. This grim statistic shows how cybercriminals can rapidly disrupt entire industries. While…
WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Waco Family Medicine held a grand opening of its newest facility. This centralizes the organization's services in one place and adds new opportunities for patients.The building began operations in June. Waco Family Medicine said the building was completed in November. They held a ribbon cutting on Saturday.The new facility brings new opportunities for patients.”We know that the structure of nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and social service agencies is essential to the overall prosperity of our communities,” said Dr. Jackson Griggs, CEO of Waco Family Medicine. ” “So when we built this building, we thought, 'Why not…
Hartford HealthCare hospitals report that they lead in patient safety and quality care. HARTFORD, Conn. — All seven of Hartford's health care hospitals have earned an “A” rating for safety for the second year in a row from Leapfrog Group, one of the nation's leading hospital monitoring organizations. This distinction demonstrates the hospital's continued commitment to providing the safest care possible throughout Connecticut. “This accomplishment is for our patients and the communities we serve,” said Jeffrey A. Flax, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare. “This confirms that patients can expect the safest care in the country right here in Connecticut.”…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Whether we're watching a movie to relax or listening to upbeat music to lift our spirits, art influences us in many ways. And now, an organization is trying to bridge the gap between art and us. mental and physical health.Saturday featured the LexArts Arts and Health Symposium, an event in partnership with the Central Kentucky Arts and Health Alliance.LexArts Vice President Nathan Zamaron said these events help explore what role art can play in healthcare.”How effective art is in not only addressing medical needs and actually creating a healing environment, but also getting people involved, taking…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Whether we're watching a movie to relax or listening to upbeat music to lift our spirits, art influences us in many ways. And now, an organization is trying to bridge the gap between art and us. mental and physical health.Saturday featured the LexArts Arts and Health Symposium, an event in partnership with the Central Kentucky Arts and Health Alliance.LexArts Vice President Nathan Zamaron said these events help explore what role art can play in healthcare.”How effective art is in not only addressing medical needs and actually creating a healing environment, but also getting people involved, taking…