Health Net news and information

The spreading obesity epidemic, greater intensity of medical care and greater prevalence of chronic disease contributed the most to health spending growth during the better part of the last quarter century, according to new research released this week.
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Health insurance companies are expecting reduced Medicare Advantage payments to unfavorably impact revenue next year.
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Health First, a four-hospital system based in Rockledge, Fla., has hired Joseph Felkner as senior vice president and CFO.
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Hackensack University Health Network and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System will create joint information technology programs and coordinate quality and other clinical efforts under a strategic alliance.
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Three of the top six “most significant” data breaches of 2011 involved patient medical records, according to the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
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Despite headwinds brought by federal health reform, major insurers have reported strong earnings and raised 2011 forecasts in recent weeks.
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David Laird is set to become president and CEO of Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare, Louisville, Ky., on April 1. Laird, 64, has been the system's senior vice president of strategy and business development since 2008 and was chosen by the board to assume leadership from interim CEO Janice...
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MediSys Health Network named Bruce Flanz to succeed CEO David Rosen, who was fired by the system's board after federal prosecutors charged Rosen last week with bribing state lawmakers.
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Most major health insurers are expecting higher medical costs and new federal regulations to drive smaller profits this year than in 2010. Five of the top insurers said on year-end earnings calls in recent weeks that these factors will combine to create uncertainty in the coming year.
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(Editor's note: This item has been updated with a correction.)
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