BY DAVID WENNER Of The Patriot-News Gov. Ed Rendell has given himself more time to persuade legislators to use a cigarette tax to help pay doctors’ medical malpractice insurance costs and also fund his proposal to provide health insurance for all Pennsylvanians. In a letter dated Friday, Rendell extended until March 31 the deadline for […]

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.post-gazette.com When confronted earlier this week about a tax trade-off needed to secure his hospital’s $100 million scholarship gift, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center general counsel Robert Cindrich reminded City Council members that “We are not obligated by law to give anything.” But the larger view of UPMC’s local obligation […]

By BARRY SHLACHTER Star-Telegram Staff Writer http://www.star-telegram.com Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas has ended an 11-year legal dispute with the Texas attorney general’s office by agreeing to a $4.5 million settlement that includes $500,000 payments for indigent care to three hospitals, including Children’s Medical Center Dallas and facilities in Austin and Corpus Christi. […]

http://www.kaisernetwork.org Summaries of recent developments related to medical malpractice in four states appear below. * Indiana: The rates that physicians pay to participate in the state Patient’s Compensation Fund will decrease by 19.1% next year, and the rates that hospitals pay will decrease by 1.3%, according to the Indiana Department of Insurance, the Indianapolis Star […]

by Steve Berberich | Staff Writer http://www.gazette.net Widespread shortages in many physician specialties can be expected by 2015 in Maryland, especially in rural counties, unless action is taken soon, said a committee of top medical experts in an unpublished report due to the state government next month. ‘‘I think this is just a small piece […]

By Christopher Lee washingtonpost.com www.msnbc.msn.com Hospital emergency departments across the United States, already struggling with overcrowding and growing patient loads, are increasingly unable to find specialists to help treat seriously injured and ill patients, according to medical experts. Crucial minutes, hours and even days can go by as patients suffering from trauma, strokes, broken bones […]

http://www.pennlive.com BY DAVID WENNER Of The Patriot-News A debate in Pennsylvania focuses on the future of a program that, since 2003, has spent nearly $1 billion to help keep doctors in the state. The Mcare abatement program pays part of doctors’ medical malpractice insurance expenses. Most of the money comes from a cigarette tax. Amid […]

By Nancy Feris http://www.govhealthit.com A new study finds that despite the widespread interest in regional health information exchanges in recent years, only 20 RHIOs in the United States are fully functional and a dozen are self-sustaining. Calling RHIOs’ survival in their current form “tenuous at best,” the study questions many of the prevailing assumptions about […]

Can Be Used For Anything From Deductibles To Surgery Reporting Kirstin Cole http://wcbstv.com We will be spending more than $26 billion on gift cards this year. And just when you thought there’s nothing new under the Christmas tree along comes one for “good health.” When it comes to Christmas presents, Stacey Smith was stumped over […]