Healthcare Digest 5/22: Nevada Looks at Capping ER Charges

What if you knew, ahead of time, that a trip to the emergency room was only going to cost you x amount of dollars? It couldn’t ever be more than that, because there would be a cap on emergency room charges.

That might soon be the case — in Nevada, at least.

“Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, wants to amend the constitution to cap costs for anybody receiving treatment in a hospital emergency room.”

The story also adds: “Under the proposal, the Legislature would reserve the right to provide by law a different rate cap if necessary to preserve a ‘reasonable cost’ of emergency care. The Legislature would also be able to impose penalties on hospitals that don’t comply with the constitution.”

Wednesday’s Headlines

Best State to Strike In? California!: “Thousands of healthcare workers walked off the job at the University of California’s five medical centers on Tuesday, delaying emergency care, surgeries, diagnostic procedures and other medical treatment throughout the state.” [Reuters]

Healthcare is a Right: “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (shown) told the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday that ‘universal health coverage’ is a “right” and that it is the responsibility of “national governments” to achieve this goal.” In a country that thinks handgun ownership is an unalienable right, this seems to be a no-brainer, right? [The New American]

Even with Overregulation, Healthcare Execs are Poised to Make More Money Than a Lot of Us: “While they express opposition to regulation, 54 percent of execs reported revenue increases for their companies over the past 18 months. Additionally, 52 percent expect growth next year, 28 percent expect no change and 20 percent expect revenue to languish.” [HealthTech Zone]

Getting Closer To: Kathleen Sibelius: “Since taking her post as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2009, Power Woman Kathleen Sebelius has arguably one of the most difficult jobs in the nation. Just named by Forbes as the 25th Most Powerful Woman in the world, she’s not just at the center of one of the most controversial and immensely complicated pieces of legislation in this country – the Affordable Care Act – she’s tasked with turning it into a reality.” [Forbes]

The DSM-V: Harry Potter Dies at the End: “The most recent revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has arrived, and the latest changes have caused divisions among those in the psychiatric community.” [Fox]