Randi Minetor

Merger mania has ended

The details of what will come when the Affordable Care Act is repealed are not yet finalized, however high on President Donald Trump's list on healthcare reform is the idea that patients should have the ability to compare prices before they decide on a doctor or facility for their healthcare.

Earlier this month, federal judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled against the proposed $54 billion merger between Anthem and Cigna, the second- and third-largest commercial health insurers in the country.

Most medical practices welcome the major federal holidays and the opportunity for the entire staff to take a day off. A day when the doors are locked, however, is also a day that generates no income for the practice. It begs the question: Should the practice pay its employees a day’s wages for the holiday?

Keeping primary care practices open for more hours, particularly on nights and weekends, reduces patient visits to emergency departments for non-life threatening issues, according to a recent study published in PLOS Medicine.