The proportion of Medicare age patients who choose to be discharged from the hospital through an AMA—against medical advice—form is rising.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, has been treated at MedStar Washington Hospital Center since he was shot in June. The hospital has a less-than-stellar safety reputation, according to USA Today.

CMS has proposed requiring private accrediting organizations (AOs), like the Joint Commission, to publicly release what have been confidential survey reports of hospitals. Dozens of AOs and the facilities they inspect asked the agency to take that change out of the final Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule for 2018, arguing the reports shouldn’t be treated like healthcare quality data.

Coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges, where narrow network plans are dominant, is more likely to exclude doctors associated with National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Advance directives, like awarding power of attorney on health care decisions or completing a living will, haven’t been completed by most patients, including those with chronic illnesses, potentially complicating decisions by hospitals and physicians on end-of-life treatment.

CMS’ internal review of the reinsurance and risk adjustment programs for the Affordable Care Act exchanges found the initiatives were succeeding stabilizing risk on the marketplace, going against claims of ACA opponents that the market has entered a “death spiral.”

Addressing social determinants of health has been labeled a priority by many studies and healthcare organizations, but that data can also be used by health plans to assess a member’s future risk.

Two years ago, Judy Graves was “viciously” attacked by red-winged blackbirds while walking past Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Ill. Now she’s suing the hospital for $50,000, claiming it’s liable for her injuries because it didn’t block the walking path or post any warnings about the birds.