Weekly Roundup: Health care news and notes

August 7, 2015 · NCQA

Every Friday NCQA gives a rundown of some of the health care news stories from the past week. Here are some of our picks for this week:

• Study: End-of-life chemotherapy does not improve, and can worsen, cancer patients’ quality of life. [JAMA]
• Employers are warming up to private insurance exchanges. [Modern Healthcare]
• Medicare is launching a pilot program that allows hospice and curative care together. [The New York Times]
• 50 years ago, Medicare helped desegregate hospitals. [NPR]
• Angioplasty costs range from under $11K to over $67K. [PR Newswire]
• As Medicare and Medicaid turn 50, the use of private health plans surges. [The New York Times]
• What happens when doctors turn into patients? [Washington Post]
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services pushes states to negotiate lower Affordable Care Act rates. [Kaiser Health News]
• The Medicare Trustees say Part A is solvent through 2030 but Part B premiums may rise by 52%. [Kaiser Health News]
• Primary care compensation is rising faster than specialists. [HealthLeaders Media]
• The Pentagon gets ready to award a big contract for electronic medical records. [The Washington Post]
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid managed-care rules face resistance. [Modern Healthcare]
• New Uber-like apps let people order physicians who make house calls. [The Associated Press]