Millions of people will be able to see a doctor on their smartphones or laptops for everyday ailments once the nation’s largest drugstore chain and two major insurers expand a budding push into virtual health care. Walgreens said Wednesday that it will offer a smartphone application that links doctor and patients virtually in 25 states…
Determined to show that more competition will lead to better access to healthcare, a Florida House committee gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a plan to eliminate the controversial law that requires state approval for the building of new hospitals. The House Health Innovation Subcommittee voted 9-3 along party lines to eliminate the so-called “certificate of…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Yesterday, Governor Rick Scott released the following statement applauding the House Health Innovation Subcommittee’s move to eliminate hospital certificate of need regulations. Governor Rick Scott said, “Driving down healthcare costs is essential to expanding access to coverage and increasing quality. Texas has no certificate of need laws for hospitals and only about 1…
Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, June 4th, the Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding held its third meeting at the Florida state Capitol. The nine-member Commission was tasked by the Governor to review hospital finances in an effort to provide Florida’s families with greater transparency around the way that their taxpayer dollars are used at…
Today, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) sent a letter to Appropriations Committee Chairs Lee, Corcoran, Garcia and Hudson concerning the Agency’s proposal for the Low-Income Pool program and hospital reimbursement methodologies. For entire letter: .pdf| Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
Health insurers in Florida want rate increases up to 63 percent in 2016, according to federal information posted Monday. The state’s outliers top an eye-popping 51 percent increase for New Mexico insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield, one of the highest requests known nationally before this week. In Florida, Time Insurance Co. leads the way with…
Gov. Rick Scott has submitted a plan to the federal government that would shift federal money to treat uninsured patients from public, safety-net providers to for-profit hospitals. The plan has come under fire from the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, which did an analysis that showed the governor is shifting $302 million away from…
Teladoc service to millions of Texans continues uninterrupted DALLAS (May 29, 2015) – Millions of Texans will continue to benefit from telehealth, the increasingly popular health care delivery method, after a federal court today blocked a recent action by the Texas Medical Board. Issuing his injunction, Judge Robert Pitman, U.S. District Court for the Western…
Antibiotic prescriptions were as frequent among doctors providing care through a telemedicine appointment as physicians who saw patients face-to-face, a new study found, but the types of antibiotics prescribed via telemedicine were more expensive and could increase antimicrobial resistance. The study, conducted by the Rand Corp., and published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine, analyzed…
Date: May 27, 2015 From: Samara Lorenz, Acting Director, Oversight Group Title: Insurance Standards Bulletin Series—INFORMATION Subject: CCIIO Technical Guidance (CCIIO 2015—0001): Questions and Answers Regarding the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Reporting and Rebate Requirements I. Purpose The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidance regarding: the limited circumstances in which a health…