MHA Press Room

Most Docs Surveyed Claim Less Control Over Healthcare Delivery

Nearly three out of four physicians say they have less control over the way they practice medicine than they did five years ago, according to a new Internet survey from Jackson Healthcare.

Hospital employment climbs 0.12% in October

Employment at the nation's hospitals rose 0.12% in October to a seasonally adjusted 4,741,200 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Nov. 6. That's 10,000 more people than in September and 59,300 more than a year ago.

Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of fluctuations due to seasonal events, hospitals employed 4,745,100 people in October, 16,900 more than in September and 58,500 more than a year ago. The nation's overall unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage point in October to 10.2%.

H1N1 death rate highest among patients over 50, CA study finds

In a study of 1,088 California patients with 2009 H1N1 flu reported in the Nov. 4 Journal of the American Medical Association, infants had the highest hospitalization rates and patients over 50 had the highest death rate. About 30% of patients were admitted to an intensive care unit.

The study by the California Department of Public Health examined H1N1 flu cases reported between April 23 and Aug. 11 involving patients who were hospitalized or died. Their median age was 27, and 32% were children. About 60% of children and 72% of adults had chronic health conditions associated with increased risk for severe flu.

Health Care Sector's Online Job Ads Falter

Adding weight to the belief that we are in a jobless recovery, a new report showed that online job listings decreased slightly across many employment sectors nationally, and that health care was one of the casualties.

The Conference Board's Help Wanted OnLine Data Series report, which tracks more than 1,000 online job boards across the United States, found that online advertised vacancies across all occupations fell by 83,200 listings in October, for a total of 3.2 million.

Kaiser Issues Updated Fact Sheets On Women’s Health Insurance Coverage

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released updated fact sheets on health insurance coverage of women, including state-by-state data.

Women’s Health Insurance Coverage provides new statistics on health coverage and describes the major sources of health insurance for non-elderly adult women ages 18-64, including employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, individually purchased insurance, and Medicare.

A related fact sheet provides state-by-state figures on the uninsured rate and rates of employer-sponsored insurance, individual insurance and Medicaid coverage among  all women ages 18 to 64 nationally, and among low-income women in that age group.

See more information about women’s health care and coverage in the Women’s Health Policy section of the Foundation’s Web site.  

Poll: Most Americans want medical liability reform

Seven in 10 Americans want medical liability reform included in federal health reform legislation, according to a new poll by the Health Coalition on Liability and Access. Roughly the same proportion of the public supports limiting non-economic damages and attorney fees in medical liability lawsuits, and nearly three-quarters are concerned that a lack of physicians could impact their access to quality care.

AHRQ: Health care spending increases for middle-aged Americans

Spending on health care for Americans aged 45-64 nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, to $370 billion, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Average annual spending for those who received health care increased by $1,606 over the 10-year period, to $5,455.

Spending for hospital inpatient care declined over the period, from 36% of total spending to 26%, while spending for prescription medicines rose, from 15% to 25%. The findings are from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

AHRQ: Falls send more than 2 million seniors to ED

Community hospital emergency departments treated more than 2 million seniors for injuries from falls in 2006, resulting in $6.8 billion in emergency and inpatient care, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Fractures were the most common injury (41%), more than half of which resulted in admission to the hospital.

About 41% of patients with fractures and 33% with internal organ injuries were transferred to a long-term care facility. The findings are from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Survey: States cut Medicaid payments as enrollment climbs

Thirty-three states cut or froze Medicaid payment rates for health care providers in Fiscal Year 2009, and at least 39 states are slated to do so in FY 2010, according to a survey released Sept. 30 by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. The number of people on Medicaid and state spending on the program are climbing sharply as a result of the recession, straining state budgets and pressuring officials to curb costs. Medicaid enrollment grew an average 5.4% in FY 2009, the highest rate in six years, and is expected to grow an average 6.6% in FY 2010, state officials said.

“The recession has shown the importance of Medicaid as a safety net for millions of Americans who have lost health coverage when they have lost their jobs,” said Diane Rowland, executive director of the commission. “But it has also shown the challenges for states of maintaining coverage when state revenues drop during times of economic crisis.”

AHRQ: Inpatient blood transfusions more than double since 1997

The number of hospital stays involving a blood transfusion increased by 140% between 1997 and 2007, to nearly 2.7 million a year, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports. Other inpatient procedures that increased significantly over the 10-year period include knee surgeries (86%), hemodialysis (66%), and respiratory intubation and mechanical ventilation (48%). The data are from the agency’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.