HMOs' piggy banks get bigger (Page 74)

Minnesota’s HMOs continue to bank huge surpluses.  According to health care analyst Allan Baumgarten’s report, which was cited here by the Twin Cities Business Journal, health plans in the state collectively socked away $241 million in 2012.  That’s up from 2011 profits of $230 million.

HMOs surpluses
HMOs living high on the hog with huge surpluses

HMOs will disagree with the word profits, as they’re non-profits, but their revenues combined mean they’re now sitting on $1.9 billion in savings.  State law require them to save money to remain solvent, but the latest figures show the state’s health plans are now banking $1.3 billion more than regulations require.

HealthPartners alone generated nearly $128 million in operating income over the past two years, which earns it the title of most profitable HMO in the state.  That means employers and their employees are grossly overpaying HMOs for medical coverage.   A bill, however, that would require HMOs to only maintain a net worth limited to just 25 percent of their expenses never saw the light of day in the legislature last year.

The TCBiz Journal reports the HMOs have also applied to sell coverage on the MNSure Exchange next fall, and Baumgarten expects these insurers will be offering limited range of provider coverage on the network to keep costs down and profits up.

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In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Insurance

Minnesota’s HMOs continue to bank huge surpluses.  According to health care analyst Allan Baumgarten’s report, which was cited here by the Twin Cities Business Journal, health plans in the state collectively socked away $241 million in 2012.  That’s up from 2011 profits of $230 million.

HMOs will disagree with the word profits, as they’re non-profits, but their revenues combined mean they’re now sitting on $1.9 billion in savings.  State law require them to save money to remain solvent, but the latest figures show the state’s health plans are now banking $1.3 billion more than regulations require.

HealthPartners alone generated nearly $128 million in operating income over the past two years, which earns it the title of most profitable HMO in the state. 
… Read more about: HMOs’ piggy banks get bigger  »

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In: Hospitals, Nurses, Unsafe Staffing

When the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute on Nursing Research released a study on the effects of nurse staffing in NICUs, it was a unique look into how nurse workloads affect non-adult patient outcomes.  The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Ohio State University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Vermont.  Data was collected at 67 Vermont-Oxford Network hospitals on very-low-birthweight (VLBW) babies hospitalized between 2008 and 2009.  Surveys on nurse staffing levels and patient acuity levels were tracked daily.

The result was not surprising.  The researchers say that staffing below national guidelines by just .1 nurse-per-infant led to a shocking 40% increased risk of infection. 
… Read more about: Nurses not the only ones paying attention to staffing problems  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Politics

Minnesota lawmakers met at the Capitol on Tuesday to discuss ways to combat the spread of synthetic drug abuse that his hit Duluth, Hibbing, and other places spread wide across the state.  The newly-formed “Select Committee on Controlled Substances and Synthetic Drugs” created by House Speaker Paul Thissen and headed by Duluth State Representative Erik Simonson is charged with holding hearings across the state and reporting back to the legislature by February 25th with recommendations.

Unlike traditionally banned drugs, manufacturers of synthetic drugs, often referred to as “bath salts,” are continually creating different drug formulas in a response to the banning of chemicals used to make the synthetic substances, which effectively replaces banned chemicals with new ones. 
… Read more about: Synthetic Drug Committee Meets Again  »

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In: Activism, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, Readmissions, Standards of Care, Unsafe Staffing

HEALTH CARE NEWS

How the American Health Care System Killed My Father    Nor is he dead because of indifferent nursing—without exception, his nurses were dedicated and compassionate.

Hospital Exposes Patients to Needless Radiation For The Money   Cardiologists and the Infirmary Health System in Mobile, Ala., are accused of needlessly exposing patients to radiation in a nine-year-running kickback scheme tainting an estimated $522 million in Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare reimbursements since 2004.

2013 a Banner Year for Minnesota Children’s Mental Health    In-reach services were added so that care could be provided when a child leaves the hospital or emergency room to help reduce readmissions and ensure a smooth transition.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 10, 2013: Hospital scam puts patients at risk; ACA intensifies debate on patient safety standards  »

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In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

HEALTH CARE NEWS

How Consistent Hospital Error is Having a Deadly Effect on the Health Care System    “Medical harm is probably one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S., but the government doesn’t adequately track it as it does deaths from automobiles, plane crashes, and cancer. It’s appalling,” he told the magazine.

The 9 Things You MUST Check Before Choosing a Hospital    7. Check the Nurse-to-Patient Ratio – Ideally, a nurse should have only four to six patients under his or her care at a time (and less if it’s critical or intensive care).
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 8, 2013: Hospital error rate “appalling;” Is 68 the new 65?  »

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In: Affordable Care Act, Healthcare

Minnesota’s own UnitedHealth just made headlines by announcing that it is dropping out of the pool of private companies that would offer individual policies in California.  Aetna has also dropped out of the California market.  Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-unitedhealth-insure-calif-20130702,0,4370321.story

It’s not a tragedy for Californians.  Both of those companies only had a combined 58,000 customers who can now seek new coverage in one of 13 Covered California providers.  What’s apparent, however, is that private companies are dropping out of even lucrative markets such as California where they can’t create policies that keep their costs down and rates up.  It’s the equivalent of taking their ball and going home, which in UnitedHealth’s case is employer-offered plans.
… Read more about: If big insurers drop out, who steps in?  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Organizing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

More Cancer Specialist Nurses Improve Hospital Care   Patients of better staffed trusts were more likely to report that people treating and caring for them worked well together and they received enough emotional support during outpatient treatment.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Obamacare Postpones Employer Mandate for a Year    Employers who don’t provide health insurance will be spared penalties of up to $3,000 per worker until 2015, a one-year delay of a major component of President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

Kickstart Your Medical Bills   The Kennett family of Alexandria is one of thousands turning to the Internet to raise money for medical bills.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 3, 2013: Nurses, staffing, special skills combine to improve care for cancer patients  »

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In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety

NOTES ON NURSING

sisters-of-mercy-painting_420Union Army’s Top Nurses Were Nuns   This insight honors the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.    The Daughters of Charity at their provincial house in Emmitsburg, Md., could hear the cannons of Pickett’s Charge 10 miles off. They helped their chaplain pack a wagon with medical supplies and, when the cannons were silenced, a dozen sisters rode with him to tend to the wounded.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Hospitals Reward CEOs for Profit Over Quality    Across the nation, boards at nonprofit hospitals such as Valley are often paying bosses much more for boosting volume rather than delivering value, according to interviews with compensation consultants and an examination of CEOs’ employment contracts and bonus packages.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 1, 2013: Nuns as nurses in Civil War; How bogus are patient satisfaction scores  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurses, Organizing

By Linda HamiltonLinda-Hamilton_1

Nurses share a common theme:  they are totally committed to their co-workers, the communities they serve and to delivering safe patient care.  That’s what NNU Co-President Jean Ross, Board Director Mary Turner, and I saw in Ely, Virginia, International Falls, and Hibbing.

What a great road trip we had as nurses shared with us their stories of the joys and struggles of working in some of our Greater Minnesota hospitals.  Some of them bravely work in critical access hospitals such as, International Falls and Ely, and some are dedicated care-givers in larger facilities, such as Hibbing and Virginia.
… Read more about: Greater Minnesota nurses are committed to care  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nursing

NOTES ON NURSING

MNA at the 2013 Staff Nurse Assembly   Minnesota nurses made up one of the biggest collections of delegates at the annual National Nurses United conference in San Francisco.

Global Nurses United of Nurse, Healthcare Unions, Born   Leaders of the premiere nurses and health care workers unions in 14 nations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe have announced plans to form a new international organization to step up the fight against the harmful effects of austerity measures, privatization, and cuts in health care services that they say are putting people and communities at risk across the planet.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 26, 2013  »