Morning Headlines 12/27/18

One Giant Step for a Chess-Playing Machine

The New York Times describes Alphabet-owned DeepMind’s AlphaZero machine learning algorithm that not only became unbeatable in chess, it also appears to have used psychology to actually learn the game rather than choosing from pre-programmed moves, which may lead to development of novel solutions in science and medicine.

Misconceptions About Health Costs When You’re Older

End-of-life spending is often declared wasteful after the fact, but predicting who is likely to die to save the cost of heroic intervention isn’t accurate.

Massachusetts Stroke Patient Receives ‘Outrageous’ $474,725 Medical Flight Bill

A woman whose doctor and insurer agreed that her stroke symptoms required emergency transportation via private air ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, an hour’s drive away, is shocked to learn that she’s on the hook to pay the nearly $500,000 portion of the bill that isn’t covered by insurance.

Humana Announces Inaugural Hospital Incentive Program Participants

Cleveland Clinic, Jackson Health System, TriHealth, and WellStar Health System will participate in Humana’s coordinated care program that emphasizes access to screening, avoiding health complications, using analytics to coordinate care, and paying doctors based on outcomes rather than volume.