North Carolina Health Link Weekly – March 20, 2015
The health care industry is one that begs discussion — it’s personal, it’s social, and it impacts us all. Every week we come across hundreds of articles, tweets, updates, and briefs. We thought you’d like to read some of what we’re seeing right now, and start a conversation. Tune in Fridays for your weekly dose of all things North Carolina health care news related.
Got a link to share? Tweet us at @bcbsnc with #NCHealthLinkWeekly, and we could feature your story in an upcoming Friday edition.
Innovation and Trends
- Patient demand fueling growth of urgent care centers (Asheville Citizen-Times, 03-19-15)
Western North Carolinians, like people everywhere, want convenient and timely health care. - Insurers move gradually toward wellness care (USA Today, 03-16-15)
Cigna insurance CEO David Cordani says the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services’ recent payment changes that emphasize quality over quantity in healthcare will shift the focus on “sick care to more well care.” - Leading Marketing Excellence With Analytics (All Analytics, 03-15-15)
In today’s world, leading your organization to faster, better decisions calls for skill, agility, and resourcefulness.
Healthcare Technology
- Biologics are revolutionizing care for some diseases, but they are very costly (Washington Post, 03-16-15)
Mariah Leach felt at the top of her game six years ago.
Health and Fitness
- How Nefertiti Lost Over 90 Pounds and Gained Her Best Self
A journey of weight loss turns into finding ones self. - Holy Grail: Pain Pills Without the High (Wall Street Journal, 03-17-15)
Last year, scientists enlisted 40 recreational drug users to test one of the hottest questions in pharmaceutical research: Is it possible to develop a strong painkiller that doesn’t make people high?
Industry News
- Premera, Anthem breaches probably espionage, expert says (Network World, 03-19-15)
Attackers who compromised personal data of about 11 million customers of healthcare provider Premera were likely after intelligence about groups or individuals, not cashing in on the information, even though it has enormous market value, experts say. - Data on Health Law Shows Largest Drop in Uninsured in 4 Decades, the U.S. Says (New York Times, 03-16-15)
The Obama administration said that 16.4 million uninsured people had gained health coverage, driving the largest reduction in the number of uninsured in about 40 years. - Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act could leave thousands in N.C. without insurance (Fayetteville Observer, 03-15-15)
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could threaten the ability for more than a half-million North Carolinians to afford their health insurance.
Video
Ryan Kalil – Workout tips – Watch this video
Panthers center Ryan Kalil and mascot Sir Purr show you the different ways having a workout partner makes gym time more fun. Visit www.LiveFearlessNC.com/Pledge to find other useful tips on nutrition, healthcare, wellness and fitness.