Mistaken identity leads to big hospital bill mix-up : Shots

December 22, 2022 Vera

In 2013, Grace E. Elliott spent a night in a hospital in Florida for a kidney infection that was treated with antibiotics. Eight years later, she got a large bill from the health system that bought the hospital. This bill was for an unrelated surgical procedure she didn’t need and never received. It was a case of mistaken identity, she knew, but proving that wasn’t easy.

Shelby Knowles for KHN

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Shelby Knowles for KHN

Earlier this year, Grace Elizabeth Elliott got a mysterious hospital bill for medical care she had never received.

She soon discovered how far a clerical error can reach — even across a continent — and how frustrating it can be to fix.

During a college break in 2013, Elliott, then 22, began to feel faint and feverish while visiting her parents in Venice, Fla., which is about an hour south of Tampa. Her mother, a nurse, drove her to a facility that locals knew simply as Venice Hospital.

In the emergency department, Elliott was diagnosed with a kidney infection and held overnight before being discharged with a prescription for antibiotics, a common treatment for the illness.

“My hospital bill was about $100, which I remember because that was a lot of money for me as an undergrad,” said Elliott, now 31.

She recovered and eventually moved to California to teach preschool. Venice Regional Medical Center was bought by Community Health Systems, based in Franklin, Tenn., in 2014 and eventually renamed ShorePoint Health Venice.

The kidney infection and overnight stay in the E.R. would have been little more than a memory for Elliott.

Then another bill came.

The Patients: Grace E. Elliott, 31, a preschool teacher living with her husband in San Francisco, and Grace A. Elliott, 81, a retiree in Venice, Fla.

Medical Services: For Grace E., an emergency department visit and overnight stay, plus antibiotics to treat a kidney infection in 2013. For Grace A., a shoulder replacement and rehabilitation services

Joe Manchin claims Republicans in ‘normal times’ would be supporting electrical power, health care monthly bill

August 6, 2022 Vera

“I believe it can be a excellent piece of legislation and on usual moments, my Republican colleagues would be for a thing this sort of as this. We have mainly paid out down personal debt, (which) is what they want. We’ve accelerated allowing, which is what they want. And we’ve greater output of vitality, which is what they want. We’ve carried out factors that we should be doing collectively,” Manchin, who signifies West Virginia, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

“Nicely, we discovered that they had been improper. And individuals can be wrong, but how in the earth can it be inflammatory?” Manchin told Tapper. “How can it include flames to inflation fires ideal now if you happen to be paying out down credit card debt?”

He added: “We are undertaking every little thing we can to make confident we assault the difficulty. And these are alternatives to the difficulties we have. So I know the kinds actively playing politics with it.”

When Manchin and Schumer, a New York Democrat, introduced the offer previous 7 days, it represented a breakthrough following extra than a calendar year of negotiations that have collapsed time and once more.

Nevertheless several specifics have not been disclosed, the measure would commit $369 billion into energy and climate improve programs, with the purpose of lessening carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, in accordance to a 1-web page point sheet. It would also handle the permitting of power infrastructure, which could simplicity the route for a shale gas pipeline in West Virginia.

Manchin on Sunday was asked about receiving fellow moderate Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s assist for the laws.

“Sen. Sinema is my expensive good friend. We function very near with each other on so a lot of matters, and she has so considerably in this piece of legislation. She’s shaped fairly a little bit of and labored on it extremely tough. And with that, she’s brought down drug prices, she’s been extremely instrumental in allowing Medicare go forward and negotiate for reduce drug rates,” Manchin mentioned of the Arizona senator.

He added: “I think that mainly when she appears to be at the bill and sees the whole spectrum of what we’re doing … with any luck , she will be beneficial about it, but she’ll make her choice and I regard that.”

Manchin also defended a provision in the bill that would

Medicaid expansion, SAVE Act, CON in NC health care bill

June 18, 2022 Vera

NC Senate leader Phil Berger, left, and Gov. Roy Cooper, right, have disagreed for years over Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. But that may be changing as the Senate plans to vote on it on June 1, 2022.

Julia Wall / Travis Long

RALEIGH

Doctors and hospitals have spent years pushing for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. But now that Republican leaders have proposed a bill that would do just that, some are now either lukewarm on the bill or even actively opposed.

In large part, that’s because the bill also contains a number of other health care policy changes that threaten to upend other parts of the medical industry.

Chip Baggett is CEO of the North Carolina Medical Society, an influential lobbying group for doctors. He said they still support Medicaid expansion, but they oppose the way the legislature is currently proposing that it happen — namely, with so many unrelated policy changes tacked on.

“It’s all muddied up,” he said.

The opposition from some outside groups to parts of the bill hasn’t stopped the bill from quickly moving forward at the legislature, at least for now. The Senate backed the measure nearly unanimously Wednesday in the first of two votes.

If approved, the federal government might pay North Carolina $1.5 billion, similar to a signing bonus — plus 90% of the costs of covering uninsured North Carolinians, an estimated $8 billion per year.

Gov. Roy Cooper and other Democrats have long clamored for Medicaid expansion. Republicans in North Carolina have remained largely opposed to it even as GOP-led states elsewhere approved it in recent years. But that has now changed, at least in the N.C. Senate. And while powerful Republicans like Senate leader Phil Berger have changed their position to support Medicaid expansion, it’s also clear that they intend to use the bill to chip away at other rules and regulations in the health care industry.

What’s in the bill?

Industry groups including Baggett’s say some of the various rules and regulations that the bill targets are useful to improve safety in health care settings, or reduce costs.

But critics of those rules — who include, importantly, powerful Republicans who are now supporting Medicaid expansion tied to the other changes — dismiss those claims. They say the industry complaints are really just about special interests looking out for themselves.

“Nobody likes to be knocked off the top and

Procedural Ruling Kills Health care Cannabis Bill in SC Household | Health News

May 12, 2022 Vera

By JEFFREY COLLINS, Connected Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A seven-yr combat to pass a health care marijuana monthly bill may possibly have abruptly finished Wednesday in South Carolina when a Home leader dominated the proposal is made up of an unconstitutional tax boost and can’t be regarded additional.

The decision shocked leaders in the state Senate and may possibly have repercussions effectively past failing to make South Carolina 1 of about 40 states allowing individuals to use cannabis as drugs.

Senate leaders, shocked to see years of tough perform by highly regarded colleague Sen. Tom Davis solid apart with no discussion, stated their deteriorating connection with the Home will want to be repaired soon after the decision. The chambers are more than $1 billion apart on a budget and threatening every other over an early voting invoice.

The final decision “will probably have important consequences” involving the Senate and the Home and hopefully ”cooler heads can prevail,” Senate Bulk Chief Shane Massey stated as a shocked Davis walked all over speaking to his colleagues.

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Davis said he understood he had about 70 votes — roughly 10 additional than he needed to go the laws. The Republican mentioned he would commit Wednesday night on the lookout for some other invoice he could be ready to attach a professional medical marijuana system to that wouldn’t get caught up in this kind of a ruling. Backers are trying to get to get the laws through the General Assembly in the four times remaining in the session.

“We endured a setback procedurally in the Household today. I can not cry about it. I can not pout about it. I can not go again and lash out and harm other people’s expenses. Which is not effective,” Davis stated.

The Property appeared to be all set to discussion the invoice Wednesday. A person thousand amendments organized in binders had been rolled on a cart to the front of the chamber. Davis, who has fought for the invoice considering the fact that 2015 was in the back again of the Property.

But just before debate began, a single of the main opponents of the bill asked Speaker Professional Tem Tommy Pope to rule that a 6% payment on medical marijuana revenue to pay out for restrictions in the invoice makes a new tax — a power only allowed beneath the condition constitution by a

Holcomb finishes Indiana’s virus well being following monthly bill signing | Overall health and Exercise

March 9, 2022 Vera

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers gave closing acceptance Thursday to administrative steps Gov. Eric Holcomb mentioned had been vital to finish the statewide COVID-19 community wellbeing unexpected emergency even though nonetheless shielding increased federal funding.

The governor’s business stated Holcomb signed the bill into regulation shortly soon after Indiana Home members voted by a large margin in favor of the invoice, environment the phase for Holcomb to lift the unexpected emergency declaration immediately after virtually two yrs.

Holcomb later on Thursday signed an govt purchase ending the present-day general public overall health emergency. It was because of to expire Saturday.

Lawmakers authorized the measure even while the point out Senate had eradicated provisions sought by House Republicans that would have compelled enterprises to give requested spiritual exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

Holcomb initial issued a community wellbeing unexpected emergency on March 6, 2020, and had issued 23 regular monthly extensions, which drew the ire of a lot of conservatives even even though any mask mandates or business restrictions finished in spring 2021.

Holcomb and Senate Republican leaders experienced sided with key business enterprise teams in opposing wide restrictions on office vaccine needs sought by a lot of conservatives upset above President Joe Biden’s failed try to have to have huge businesses to have their staff be vaccinated or analyzed weekly for COVID-19.

Republican House Vast majority Chief Matt Lehman of Berne sponsored the bill and urged Property users to support it whilst admitted it did not go as considerably as he preferred in guarding employees.

“I consider this is a good step forward and I think we require to move forward,” Lehman explained.

The new regulation, which took impact with Holcomb’s signature, involves businesses to grant health-related vaccine exemptions accepted by medical practitioners for employees alongside with spiritual exemptions as required by federal regulation and mandate that businesses acknowledge as a vaccine exemption a worker’s healthcare check benefits exhibiting some level of “natural immunity” via a previous an infection. Employees could be needed to undertake COVID-19 exams up to two times a 7 days.

The monthly bill incorporates authorized modifications sought by Holcomb that would empower the condition to maintain receiving about $40 million every single month in improved federal funding for Medicaid and for about 200,000 homes to continue on getting an more $95 a thirty day period in federal food help. Yet

Senate sends Biden bill averting federal shutdown | Wellbeing and Exercise

February 21, 2022 Vera

By ALAN FRAM – Linked Push

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has presented ultimate approval to laws averting a weekend government shutdown, sending President Joe Biden a evaluate designed to give bipartisan bargainers far more time to access an overdue deal financing federal businesses until finally slide.

Closing passage Thursday was by a bipartisan 65-27 vote, five extra than the 60 votes wanted. The Home quickly permitted the legislation last 7 days. Just about every get together had concluded that an election-calendar year shutdown would be politically harmful, particularly through a pandemic and a confrontation with Russia around its doable invasion of Ukraine.

Nevertheless as with almost all will have to-pass expenditures, politics hitched a ride. Just before passage, conservatives forced votes on amendments which includes on just one of the year’s warm-button difficulties, COVID-19 vaccine mandates. They were being defeated generally alongside occasion traces.

One by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and various colleagues would have blocked current federal vaccine requirements for the military, federal government workforce and contractors and health care employees. A further by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would have halted federal money for faculty districts imposing their own vaccine specifications.

Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., proposed an additional demanding Congress’ non-binding federal budgets to equilibrium in 10 several years.

United Democrats can defeat GOP proposals in the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. But with Harris in Europe and some Democrats missing because of disease or ailing spouses, Democrats prevailed soon after numerous Republicans also remaining for vacation or to start out the chamber’s recess.

A separate GOP go to block federal paying out on pipes applied for crack pale absent immediately after the Biden administration stated it by no means prepared to do that and would not. The money is section of a program aimed at helping drug abusers prevent hurting on their own even further.

Amending the bill would have brought on problems due to the fact the Residence is also absent for recess but would have experienced to move the revamped model ahead of sending it to Biden.

Devoid of Senate passage of the equivalent Property invoice, companies would have experienced to halt performing over the weekend. The legislation will finance govt by March 11.

Both functions hope the small-expression measure will be the final one particular essential as negotiators craft compromise charges funding businesses via Sept. 30.

What’s in the bill?

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