Hospitals Accused of Putting Their Own Self-Interest Above Patients

The problem has become particularly acute for physical therapists and radiologists. Senate Bill 683 would require physicians employed by hospitals to disclose their organization’s financial interest in referrals and allow patients to seek care with an independent practitioner.
By: Christopher David Gray
May 20, 2013 — As major hospital systems like Providence and Legacy have bought up ancillary medical centers, added more physical therapists to their payroll and expanded their own supply of medical imaging equipment, independent physical therapists and radiologists say they have seen their referrals dry up and their businesses decline. Read More >>
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PTSD Marijuana Prescription Bill Moves to House Floor

May 20, 2013 — Rep. Jim Weidner of McMinnville is typically the most conservative Republican on the House Health Committee, but after an emotional debate on Friday he was moved to become the lone GOP representative to join with the Democrats to move to the floor Senate Bill 281 — which would expand the state’s medical marijuana program to allow prescriptions to alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Bates Pushes Bill to Snuff Out Sex Trafficking in Massage Parlors

April 21, 2013 -- The House Health Committee voted 8-1 to move a bill that Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford, says will both elevate the profession of massage therapy and rein in human sex trafficking and prostitution that uses the therapeutic practice as cover.
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Physician, First Do No Harm - To Yourself

OPINION – May 21, 2013 -- A psychiatrist in Seattle had picked out the bridge.  At 3 a.m. he would swerve across his lane and plunge into the water. Everyone would assume he fell asleep.
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Greenlick and Monnes Anderson Differ Over Health Insurance Rate Review Changes

May 17, 2013 — Rep. Mitch Greenlick, D-Portland, is moving to bolster Oregon’s rate review process, even as Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham, continues to support a Regence BlueCross BlueShield provision that removed requirements from Senate Bill 413 that insurers notify consumers when they request steep rate increases from the state's Insurance Division.
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House Passes Assessments for Hospitals and Nursing Facilities

May 15, 2013 — The House passed assessment taxes on hospitals and long-term care facilities by a wide 54-5 margin Tuesday, ensuring Oregon’s health and human service budgets will raise over a billion dollars from providers in coming years and leverage $1.4 billion from the federal government next biennium for Medicaid.
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Cost of Coverage – The Real Measure of Health Reform Impact

OPINION – May 20, 2013 -- Prior to actual plan pricing being available, everyone, including me, tried to predict how much the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would increase premiums. Estimates generally ranged from 25 percent to 38 percent, and I was on the high end. So we all knew premiums were most likely going to increase, we just weren’t sure how much. All these efforts to predict were generally done on a false assumption that similar plans to the new Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze plans were available already, and all we had to do was predict the added cost of the new 2014 ACA requirements. These included a change in rating methods, added preventive benefits and guaranteed issue with no health restrictions, in addition to added fees and taxes. None of these plans actually existed. We knew prices were going up but not actually how this would impact the people who buy health insurance and those who haven’t, but are now required to or pay a fine.
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