States now have until Dec. 14 to decide if they plan to set up their own health insurance exchange, or allow the federal government to do it for them. The Health and Human Services department extended the deadline after many governors said they needed more information. So far, only 15 states and the District of Columbia have said they plan to run an exchange.
In a letter to Republican governors, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius extended the deadline for states to decide if they will run their own exchange.
Meanwhile, among physicians in 10 countries, U.S. doctors are the most negative about their health care system, according to a recent survey. One of the biggest concerns was lack of health coverage. Sixty percent of doctors said their patients can’t afford care. On the positive side, results also found that two-thirds of doctors are using electronic health records – a 50% increase over the last four years.
In other news, at its interim policy meeting in Hawaii, the American Medical Association approved new guidelines for physician employment, which focus on addressing conflicts of interest that arise from doctors who choose to work for hospitals and group practices.
For more on that and to hear about how the AMA is lobbying states to expand their Medicaid coverage, check out this week’s Policy & Practice Podcast.
-- Frances Correa