Jen Kruse and Diane Lund-Muzikant

Bay Area, St. Charles Bend Hit Hardest in CMS Penalties; Adventist Shows Highest Gain

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These penalties and rewards are a result of a measure known as value-based purchasing which CMS introduced to encourage hospitals to improve inpatient care.

Oregon hospitals fared well under Medicare’s value-based purchasing program, based on federal data of more than 3,500 hospitals.

By: 
Jen Kruse and Diane Lund-Muzikant

Oregon Hospitals Outperform in Second Quarter

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With their finances looking stronger than ever, the hospitals may realize they need to boost their image, so their trade association has launched a public relations push that’s airing on OPB.

Oregon’s hospitals are healthier than ever – with much higher profit margins, and witnessed a stupendous drop in charity care while their net patient revenue soared, regardless of whether they actually billed for services or received capitated payments.

By: 
Jen Kruse and Diane Lund-Muzikant

Pharmaceutical Companies Gave Millions of Dollars to Oregon Physicians

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Research Centers Eli Lilly was the largest contributor followed by Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline with and Merck in this comprehensive analysis conducted by ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. The Lund Report extrapolated the Oregon data to present these latest findings.

Pharmaceutical companies handed out at least $40.7 million to Oregon physicians and healthcare institutions between 2009 and 2003.Undoubtedly, this figure does not represent all of the money, according to ProPublica because of the voluntary participation.

By: 
Jen Kruse and Diane Lund-Muzikant

Rural Oregonians Paying Much Higher Premiums under the Exchange

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In particular, Malheur, Umatilla, Wheeler, Morrow and Jefferson counties are the hardest hit, while those living in Washington and Clackamas counties have the biggest advantage.

As people scramble to make the Dec. 15 deadline to sign up for healthcare.gov so they can have coverage starting Jan. 1, it’s become quite apparent that those living in rural counties are having to pay substantially more for their insurance.

By: 
Jen Kruse and Diane Lund-Muzikant
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