Medicaid Managed Care Plans Owned By Public Companies Have Higher Administrative Costs
A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that Medicaid managed care plans that are owned by publicly traded for-profit companies whose primary line of business is managing Medicaid enrollees spent an average of 14 percent of premiums on administrative costs, compared with an average of only 10 percent spent by non-publicly traded plans owned by groups of health care providers, health systems, community health centers, or clinics. Sampling health plans with at least 5, 000 enrollees resulted in an initial sample of 225 Medicaid managed care plans representing 23.
Families USA's Statement On Health Reform Lawsuit Hearing In Atlanta
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta today heard oral arguments in State of Florida v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a legal challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The following is the reaction of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of the national health organization Families USA, which is a signatory to a friend-of-the-court brief, to today's hearing: "Today's hearing should bolster implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Gender Disparity In Nuclear Stress Test Referrals
More women than men are unnecessarily referred for nuclear stress tests Researchers identify gender disparities in the appropriate use of nuclear stress tests More women than men are unnecessarily referred for nuclear stress tests Majority of inappropriate studies ordered by primary care physicians New research from cardiologists at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals suggests a possible gender disparity in how patients are referred for nuclear stress tests, an imaging technique that measures blood flow to the heart muscle both at rest and during periods of stress, such as exercise.