New Mexico to cut Medicaid payments to medical providers | Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal
Faced with limited dollars and skyrocketing Medicaid enrollment, the New Mexico Human Services Department announced Tuesday it plans to generate as much as $33.5 million in savings by cutting provider rates for doctors, hospitals and dentists around the state.
Feds to pull Medicare funding from St. John River District Hospital | Detroit Free Press
The CMS have terminated a Medicare contract with St. John River District Hospital, East China, Mich., after the agency alleged the hospital didn’t follow proper procedure to prevent a patient’s suicide.
Blue Cross payment delays squeeze some N.C. doctors | (Charlotte, N.C.) News and Observer
Technology woes at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina have trickled down to some doctors who say it has been several months since they’ve been paid by the Chapel Hill-based insurance company.
ImmunoGen hires former Shire, Genzyme exec as new CEO | Boston Business Journal
One of the area’s largest developers of cancer drugs, ImmunoGen, has named a former Shire and Genzyme executive as its new CEO. As of May 16, Mark Enyedy, 52, will replace Daniel Junius, who announced plans to retire three weeks ago after 11 years with ImmunoGen and seven as its CEO.
Tennova Healthcare to stop prescribing opiates for long-term care | WBIR.com
Tennova Healthcare, Knoxville, Tenn., confirmed Tuesday that it will no longer prescribe opiates for long-term pain care. Supporters call it a step in the right direction but it raises concerns among some public health advocates who worry patients won't have insurance to cover other treatment options for pain.
Three health systems hope to spark a reduction in surgeries by inexperienced doctors | Bonner County (Idaho) Daily Bee
A trio of prominent health systems — Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the University of Michigan — pledged that they will require their surgeons and 20 affiliated hospitals to meet minimum annual thresholds for 10 high-risk procedures. The three systems have asked other hospital networks around the country to join them.
Pharma pushed by investment funds to pay for drug take-back programs | Stat
Nearly two dozen funds that focus on socially responsible investing want several large drug makers to develop policies for “taking back” unused or expired medications. And their effort is being led by a nonprofit advocacy group that has simultaneously proposed shareholder resolutions requiring three of those companies — Merck, Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie — to pay for the so-called take-back programs.
