Medicaid managers report millions in Iowa losses | DesMoines (Iowa) Register
Two of the three private companies managing Iowa's Medicaid program say they've lost tens of millions of dollars so far, new reports filed with the state show.
Allina nurses prep for more negotiations, possible strike | (Minneapolis) Star Tribune
Union officials met Saturday to continue conversations about another possible strike against five Allina Health hospitals, where as many as 4,800 nurses could walk out in a labor dispute over health benefits, workplace safety and staffing.
Health companies label thousands of patient deaths as 'injuries' | CNBC
When is a death not a death? In thousands of cases, medical device manufacturers have been allowed to classify patient fatalities as less serious injuries, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows companies to make their own determinations on causality.
Telemedicine helps VA cut wait times, increase specialist access | Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Veterans Affairs Department's Southern Nevada Healthcare System says local veterans are benefiting from increased use of telemedicine—technology that connects doctors and patients in distant locations—through reduced appointment wait times and increased access to medical specialists.
Healthfirst partners with Community Health Centers of Burlington | VTDigger.org
The largest community health center in the state is partnering with Vermont's independent practice association to improve patient health. Community Health Centers of Burlington announced Monday it will work with HealthFirst to bolster primary care, integrate mental health into primary care, and educate people to improve their health.
Big expansion in home visits possible at Banner | Arizona Daily Star
A small, fledgling program through Banner Health is bringing home medical visits to certain chronically ill patients in Tucson, Ariz. The program, which aims to prevent hospitalizations, long-term-care admissions and emergency room visits, also coordinates services like wound care at home.
For-profit firms invest in keeping elderly out of nursing homes | New York Times
Backed by private-equity money, InnovAge, Denver, has its sights set on expanding a little-known Medicare program that will pay even for-profit companies to run programs that provide comprehensive medical care and intensive social support to the elderly. The idea is to allow them to live longer in their own homes.
26 overdoses in just hours: Inside a community on the front lines of the opioid epidemic | Stat
On an average day, the Ohio River city of Huntington, W.Va., sees two or three overdoses. But on this particular day, the calls kept coming. Police suspect heroin was mixed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is many times more potent than heroin.
