The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) recently announced that it has saved more than $5 million in costs in 2009 due to its system-wide Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This is the second consecutive year that the DMC has experienced cost-savings due to the EMR system. The system, which started to be…
Physicians Health Plan will be the insurer to offer subsidized health coverage for chronically-ill Michigan residents. The insurer, based in Lansing, will offer health coverage through the health insurance pool that was created to provide an avenue for the uninsured chronically ill to buy coverage until state exchanges are active…
The Detroit Free Press reported that a Michigan doctor was sentenced to 14 years in prison for Medicare fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, the doctor will owe $9.4 million in restitution payments and is eligible for a three-year supervised release after his prison sentence. According to the Department…
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), i.e., health care reform, states received more than $46 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Michigan has received $1 million of grants from HHS to go towards…
Michigan’s Attorney General Mike Cox announced a community forum to be held next week regarding the proposed sale of the Detroit Medical Center to Vanguard Health Systems, Inc. Earlier this year, DMC signed a purchase agreement that would require Vanguard to make $850 million in capital improvements over the next…
The Detroit Free Press reported that an effort to give Michiganians a constitutional right to opt-out of participation in the Federal healthcare program failed to obtain enough signatures to place the proposal on the November ballot. The group, Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom, estimated that it turned in between 145,000-170,000…
Last week, Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm announced that Michigan could have a $560 million budget gap if Congress does not provide the funding promised in last year’s stimulus package. The Detroit News reported that Governor Granholm was concerned that without the mandated Medicaid funding programs and services would have to…
Michigan’s budget may be threatened by U.S. Congressional action. Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Congress’ concern over the nation’s deficit may affect its willingness to pay for an estimated $24 billion in Medicaid assistance to states and other financial assistance, leading to the removal of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance…
The Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation released details about a new high-risk pool that will offer insurance to the uninsured. To qualify the individuals must have been uninsured for at least six months, have been rejected by an insurer, and first spend $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs. The purpose…
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are beginning to populate Michigan’s healthcare sector. ACOs are integrated groups of hospitals, physicians, long-term care facilities and home health agencies. A provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) authorized provider organizations to create ACOs so long as they agree to manage care…