Watchdog: Proposed ballot measure could save money on pensions, but at what cost?

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/measure-678062-retirement-public.html

Money Down Arrow

In an Orange County Register article, columnist Teri Sforza writes that “a controversial reform measure headed for the 2016 ballot could cut public pension costs by giving taxpayers a say on retirement plans — but it could upend collective bargaining in the process.” Sforza cites several analyses that say the measure could threaten protections for pension and retiree health care benefits, while noting that backers maintain it will not “change benefits that public workers currently possess.”

Most Health Insurance Co-ops Are Losing Money, Federal Audit Finds

The co-ops were created by Congress in an effort to increase competition and keep costs down. According to Daniel Levinson, inspector general at the US Department of Health and Human Services, 22 of the 23 co-ops lost money last year; most had fewer enrollees than had been originally predicted.

Transitional care poised to increase impact on health insurance

http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/transitional-care-poised-to-increase-impact-on-health-insurance/403767/

Transitional care, a new Medicare billing category as of 2013, is about to see a new form of action thanks to California-based Global Transitional Care, the country’s first Medicare-approved, third-party transitional care provider dedicated exclusively to this service.

How Big Data is Driving the Consumerization of Health Care

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/08/14/how-big-data-is-driving-the-consumerization-of-health-care?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202015-08-17%20Healthcare%20Dive&utm_term=Healthcare%20Dive

Close-up of the Fitbit Force on a man's wrist.

Competing for kids: Children’s hospitals face challenge from emerging megasystems

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150815/MAGAZINE/308159979/competing-for-kids-childrens-hospitals-face-challenge-from-emerging?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue%3A+2015-08-17+Healthcare+Dive&utm_term=Healthcare+Dive

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is facing heightened competition in the pediatric-care market.

Patient Notification of Observation Status is Now Law

http://healthleadersmedia.com/content.cfm?topic=QUA&content_id=319548

digitalcaduceus

Under new federal law, Medicare patients who have been in the hospital for more than 24 hours will be required to be notified of their status within 36 hours of when they start receiving medical services as an outpatient.