Here are seven updates:
UnitedHealth considers pulling out of ACA
UnitedHealth Group is potentially pulling out of the Affordable Care Act due to huge financial losses totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. In October, the payer said it planned to sell coverage through the ACA in 11 more states in 2017. However, UnitedHealth will record losses of $275 million in the fourth quarter, which the payer, in part, attributes to its ACA plans.
AMSA, Public Citizen demand an investigation into resident clinical trials
The American Medical Students Association and Public Citizen, a watchdog group, are calling for an investigation into "unethical" clinical trials, which require first-year medical residents to work up to 28 hours or more at a time. The groups sent a letter to the Office for Human Research Protections at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. In the letter, the groups claim the medical trainees and patients are exposed to a variety of risks, including exposure to blood-borne pathogens.
Medical Facilities Corporation updates quarterly dividend
Medical Facilities Corporation will post a Cdn$0.09375 per common share payment dividend. The dividend will be payable Dec. 15, 2015, and it will be payable to the holders of record of common shares at the close of business on Nov. 30, 2015.
AAOS says CMS bundled payment program still needs work
The CMS finalized a bundled payment initiative for hip and knee replacements, yet the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons has concerns that CMS has not addressed. Previously, AAOS voiced concerns regarding the proposed rule during the comment period, but those concerns were not addressed in the final rule. Their concerns include the lack of risk-adjustment in the program and the absence of designated physician leadership for episodes-of-care.
US nurses earn the most on the West Coast
The "Medscape Nurse Salary Report 2015" found full-time RN compensation in the West (California and Hawaii) make an average of $105,000. In the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont), RNs follow with an average compensation of $87,000.
Funds for public health continues to fall
In the United States, public health expenditures fell from $281 per capita in 2008 to $255 per capita in 2014. U.S. health expenditure shares for public health decreased to 2.65 percent in 2014.
Premiums to increase by 15% if consumers don't change plans
Kaiser Family Foundation found Americans who bought the cheapest insurance plan through HealthCare.gov will face premium increases of approximately 15 percent unless they switch to a different health plan. The analysis found premiums are rising for 2016 for nearly all of HealthCare.Gov's plans.
More healthcare news:
20 statistics on ASC staff hours per case
James Cote joins BayCare as SVP of ambulatory services: 5 things to know
The crux of healthcare — How the healthcare system benefits from bundling episodes of care