WH

In a May 21, 2015 un-bylined editorial at PalmBeachPost.com, the author(s) state:

It's been a battle for the ages over Medicaid expansion between the Obama administration on one side and Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida House of Representatives on the other this year. Just days ahead of the budget special session, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has blinked first.

In a letter sent to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration today <5.21.15>, the U.S. Department of Health and Human services has tentatively agreed that $1 billion is how much hospitals and safety-net providers can expect to be made available for uncompensated care next year, through a program known as LIP, or the Low Income Pool.

What's the split? About 60 percent of that sum comes from the federal government, under their formula, while 40 percent comes from a state match. (If Florida had expanded Medicaid, 100 percent would come from the feds.)

WIM  

That pretty much of a win for Scott, at least for this year. That $1 billion is close to what the LIP has been for many years, with the exception of last year, and it's a lot better than zero, which was the concern raised in the closing days of the regular legislative session.

WH

According to a story by Steve Sternberg and Geoff Dougherty posted to US News and World Report on 5.18.15:

These large numbers of low-volume hospitals, the analysis found, continue to put patients at higher risk even after three decades of published research have demonstrated that patients are more likely to die or suffer complications when treated by doctors who only occasionally see similar patients rather than by experienced teams at hospitals with more patients and established protocols.

WIM 

Patients at thousands of hospitals face greater risks from common operations, simply because the surgical teams don't get enough practice. One of the benefits of consolidation in the healthcare industry may be in the area of patient safety.

WH

According to Emily Rappleye, in a May 18, 2015 Becker's Hospital Review post:

Whisperings of Aetna's possible acquisition of Cigna or Humana are producing a low hum in the financial blogosphere...the deal analysts are calling "imminent."

WIM

It's hard to imagine how consolidation in the payer space would benefit health consumers or providers. Is it plausible that efficiencies enjoyed by an Aetna-Cigna-Humana conglomerate would result in cost saving passed along to the consumers (in the form of lower premiums) or higher reimbursements for providers?