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March 4th, 2020 Newsletter

CORONAVIRUS: Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Coronavirus in California: C.D.C. Confirms Possible Community Transmission Case

By Roni Caryn Rabin

A person in California who was not exposed to anyone known to be infected with the coronavirus, and had not traveled to countries in which the virus is circulating, has tested positive for the infection.

It may be the first case of community spread in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

“At this point, the patient’s exposure is unknown,” the C.D.C. statement said. “The case was detected through the U.S. public health system and picked up by astute clinicians.”

The case was announced shortly after President Trump concluded a news briefing in which he said that aggressive public health containment measures and travel entry restrictions had successfully limited the spread of coronavirus in the United States.

have been sickened by a coronavirus, mostly in China. This map is updated daily

Coronavirus: CDC didn’t immediately test COVID-19 case.

By Jiachuan Wu and Nigel Chiwaya

Health officials worldwide are working to contain cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus that originated in China. As of Feb. 26, COVID-19 cases were confirmed in China and more than 35 other countries.

More than 81,000 people have been sickened and at least 2,798 have died of the coronavirus since the start of January, according to NBC News reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) and figures from state government leaders and health officials.

The tally of countries with at least one confirmed case is long: China, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, the United States, France, Australia, Malaysia, Nepal, Germany, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Finland, India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Austria, Bahrain, Switzerland, Croatia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Brazil.

Coronavirus:  First confirmed U.S. case

By Elizabeth Chuck

Before the first confirmed U.S. case of the new coronavirus infection showed up at a hospital in late January, the patient did exactly what hospital officials in Washington state had hoped for: He gave them a heads-up he was coming.

“What we really want patients to do is call and click through virtual ways, so when they come in, we’re ready for them,” said Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Providence St. Joseph Health, the health care system that includes the hospital in Everett to which the patient went.

Preparation is key, she said, and if health care workers can activate so-called disaster readiness plans before patients arrive, the likelihood of containing and properly treating the illness goes up. It’s a lesson learned from previous outbreaks, such as Ebola, and other coronavirus epidemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.. But his scientists

Courtesy Healthcare News from the Desk of Kevin McPeak,  Global Sales Director, ISI.   kmcpeak@isiww.com  P: 609.716.0400

January 23, 2020 Newsletter

NEWSWire Healthcare Industry Headlines

January 23, 2020    INDUSTRY HEADLINES

The air medical membership debate 

Vertical Magazine
The issue of balance billing in the air medical industry continues to be a pressing issue. Patients who receive air transport in the event of a serious accident are subsequently left with thousands of dollars in surprise bills — paying the difference between the medical charges and what an insurance provider covers. Some air medical operators believe strongly in membership programs to eradicate surprise bills, and others are opposed to that method, looking to other programs that help patients through the post-air medical care process.

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Risks employees face when traveling outside the 4 walls of a workplace 

Insurance Business Magazine
Work-related travel can open up employees to a myriad of risks, whether they’re attending a conference outside of the office, traveling to another state for work, or crossing borders to contribute to a long-term project. The top risk to traveling employees comes up when they get behind the wheel and take their eyes off the road to text, take a call, or have another bite of their breakfast sandwich. “The number one trend that I see is distracted driving,” said Matt Zender, AmTrust Financial Services’ senior vice president of workers’ compensation strategy.

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The Medicare Part D drug plan donut hole is closed, what does that mean? 

Forbes
Just about every Medicare beneficiary has heard about the donut hole in a Medicare Part D drug plan. Many will admit they don’t understand it but they all know it means drugs will cost more. Now, they’ve heard that the donut hole closed on January 1, 2020. They are ecstatic because they believe their drugs will be free. And, once again, it’s likely they don’t understand what’s happening.

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Trump poised to kick off election-year fight over Medicaid 

The Hill
The Trump administration is poised to kick off a major partisan feud over Medicaid in 2020, as officials are reportedly planning to soon introduce a way for states to block grant Medicaid money. The guidance, which The Wall Street Journal said could be released as early as this month, will test the Trump administration’s ability to allow states the flexibility to make drastic changes to Medicaid.

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Courtesy Healthcare News from the Desk of Kevin McPeak, Global Sales Director, ISI.   kmcpeak@isiww.com  P: 609.716.0400             

January 5, 2020 Newsletter

INDUSTRY HEADLINES: January 5th, 2020


Democrats and Republicans promised to lower drug prices. Instead they’ve gone up again

CNN
Drug makers hiked prices on hundreds of medications for 2020, just weeks after the Trump administration advanced efforts to curb rising drug costs by importing medicine from abroad but legislation stalled in Congress. Manufacturers jacked up the list prices on 457 brand name drugs by an average of 5.1%, as of Friday, according to GoodRx, a website that provides cost comparisons and consumer discounts.

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Health coverage changes include mandate to hold medical insurance in 2020

Chico Enterprise-Record
The new year brings sweeping change to several state health coverage laws, from a health insurance mandate to new coverage opportunities for undocumented young adults. According to a new tax mandate by California, residents without health insurance this year will pay a penalty on 2021 tax returns. The mandate is the Managed Care Organization provider tax, part of Assembly Bill 115. The penalty fine for not having health insurance for a full year is whichever is higher: Either $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, per household, or, if higher, 2.5% of the annual household income above the state tax filing threshold.

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Beyond the ACA: Healthcare legal fights to watch in 2020

Healthcare Dive
All eyes were on the legal drama over the Affordable Care Act as 2019 drew to a close — and while that case remains a focus for this year — a lot more is also at stake. Payers and providers are fiercely contesting a price transparency push from the Trump administration that would force privately negotiated rates out into the open. The administration is also being challenged over regulations regarding risk corridor payments to payers and the expansion of association health plans.

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Courtesy Healthcare News from the Desk of Kevin McPeak,

Global Sales Director, ISI.  kmcpeak@isiww.com  P: 610.716.0400

December 20, 2019 Newsletter

INDUSTRY HEADLINES December 2019


Trump administration to deny visas to immigrants who can’t prove they can pay for healthcare

CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-to-deny-visas-to-immigrants-who-cant-prove-they-can-pay-for-health-care/
In its latest crackdown on legal immigration, the Trump administration announced Friday it is planning to reject visa applications from immigrants the government determines will not be able to pay for health insurance or cover health care costs in the U.S. The new requirement is set to go into effect November 3. In a late-night proclamation signed by President Trump, the White House said the government will only accept immigrant visa petitions made abroad if the applicants demonstrate that they will have the ability to secure health insurance within a month of their arrival in the U.S. If that’s not possible, then petitioners would need to prove they have the financial resources to pay “reasonably foreseeable medical costs” — a standard not defined in the order.

Trump’s new order for Medicare packs potential rise in patients’ costs

Kaiser Health News
https://khn.org/news/trump-executive-order-medicare-surprise-billing/
Vowing to protect Medicare with “every ounce of strength,” President Donald Trump last week spoke to a cheering crowd in Florida. But his executive order released shortly afterward includes provisions that could significantly alter key pillars of the program by making it easier for beneficiaries and doctors to opt out. The bottom line: The proposed changes might make it a bit simpler to find a doctor who takes new Medicare patients, but it could lead to higher costs for seniors and potentially expose some to surprise medical bills, a problem from which Medicare has traditionally protected consumers.

Wasteful spending in U.S. healthcare estimated at $760 billion to $935 billion

Health Leaders Media
https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/wasteful-spending-us-healthcare-estimated-760-billion-935-billion
Waste accounts for about 25% of U.S. healthcare spending, new research indicates. No other country spends more on healthcare than the United States, with the gross domestic product share of healthcare spending estimated at nearly 18% and rising. Earlier research on U.S. healthcare spending has estimated that waste accounts for about 30% of the spending total.

Courtesy Healthcare News from the Desk of Kevin McPeak,

Global Sales Director, ISI.  kmcpeak@isiww.com  P: 610.716.0400