Paula Blankenship – The Hertel Report

Paula Blankenship

Communications professional with two decades of award-winning work in journalism, corporate communications, promotional video, public relations and higher education. Always seeking opportunities to serve the public good.

Author's Posts

Data Resources

2018 Medicare Advantage Data Edition

The latest available information on the Arizona Medicare Advantage market including our annual top 10 list, enrollment data by Arizona county, year-over-year growth rates and spotlight reports on DSNPs and CSNPs. We also review the latest MA rules from CMS and national MA data insights. SPONSORED BY HUMANA ...

National News

As Annual Employee Healthcare Costs Rise to $15K, GM Deals Directly With Henry Ford Health System & Skirts Insurers

Dealing directly with health systems and providers is expanding from 3 percent in 2018 to 11 percent in 2019, according to a survey of 170 large employers recently released by the National Business Group on Health. The GM deal gives employees coverage for everything from doctor visits to surgical procedures. Direct contracting between...

News

Medicare Lowers 1 in 11 Nursing Home's Star Ratings Due to Staffing Levels

According to data released July 25, almost 1,400 SNFs had inadequate staffing of RNs or didn't provide payroll data proving necessary nursing coverage. CMS used to rely on self reporting from nursing homes, but the ACA now allows for the collection of a SNFs staffing payroll records. The federal agency requires a nursing home to have...

National News

As Unemployment Falls, Employer-Covered Health Insurance Climbs

The number of employees in the private sector receiving health benefits from their jobs reached 69 percent in March, up from 67 percent in 2017 - the first rise since 2012. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in March these findings: 55 percent of private industry workers in small establishments (those with fewer than 100...

News

Health Insurers Mining for Lifestyle Data to Predict Costs

Your personal data, including your zip code, where you shop and what you buy could figure into what you pay for health insurance as the digging for personal details gets easier and goes mainstream. No HIPPA violations here; no laws restrict how insurers use the information. ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen and NPR wrote a series...

Arizona News

Ambulatory Surgical Centers Saved Medicare $6B in Costs Over Hospital Outpatient Departments

Savings were reported from 2008 to 2011 in the study by Advancing Surgical Care; authors determined ASCs have the potential to save the Medicare program and its beneficiaries up to $57.6 billion more over the next decade. This study examines ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which are technologically advanced medical facilities that...

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