Morning Headlines 12/2/14

Could Congress delay ICD-10 again next week?

Congress will soon vote to extend a $157 billion HHS spending bill that is scheduled to expire on December 11. Advocates working to delay the looming ICD-10 deadline, including the National Physicians’ Council for Healthcare Policy and the Texas chapter of the American Medical Association, are lobbying for a last minute edit to the “must pass” spending bill to include language that would push out the ICD-10 deadline by two years.

Penn Medicine uses predictive analytics to reduce sepsis mortality

After two years of use, Penn Medicine measures the perceived effectiveness of an early warning system it implemented to identify sepsis in undiagnosed patients. 46 percent of Penn’s nurses said the system alerted them to new information, and 34 percent of its physicians said the system was helpful.

How Do Alternative Payment Models Fit In With State And National Reform Efforts?

Health Affairs profiles the state-wide Medicaid payment reform effort being attempted in Oregon.

Hackers phish for advance word on healthcare mergers

A new report suggests that hackers targeting healthcare organizations are not just looking for PHI. Hackers have started targeting senior-level email accounts, looking for information that they can use on the stock market, specifically as merger and acquisition intelligence.