Oregon hospitals help estimate health services costs | (Salem, Ore.) Statesman Journal
Consumers price shop for cars, houses and toasters, and now, thanks to a newly implemented program, they can now compares costs for bariatric surgery or a hip replacement at hospitals across Oregon. Every Oregon hospital can provide a cost estimate for hospital services for a scheduled visit within three business days, according to the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
California governor signs bill that could help immigrants get access to health insurance | Los Angeles Times
Under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown, California will become the first state to ask federal officials to allow immigrants here illegally to buy insurance through its state health exchange.
UnitedHealthcare will cover travel costs for kidney donors | Minneapolis Star Tribune
UnitedHealthcare says it will start reimbursing kidney donors for their travel expenses in hopes of boosting donation rates that otherwise have been falling off.
States, economists and doctors tell court: Don't allow Hershey Medical Center-PinnacleHealth merger | Lancaster (Pa.) Online
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office have secured some high-powered allies in their battle to block the planned merger between Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Harrisburg-based PinnacleHealth System. This week, a coalition of 12 states, a group of 37 top health care economists and the Association of Independent Doctors, an organization that represents almost 1,000 physicians in 14 states, filed three separate “friend of the court” briefs urging the U.S. Third Circuit to overturn a lower court decision allowing the deal to proceed.
State approves Boston Children's Hospital expansion | Boston Business Journal
People protesting the planned $1 billion expansion at Boston Children's Hospital received some bad news when the Commonwealth gave the go-ahead for 445,000 more square feet of hospital to replace a memorial garden on the site. Those opposing it have appealed to the Department of Public Health.
