Should patients be allowed to access their lab results directly?Los Angeles Times: when an ER visit won’t be paid for by a health insurer

Dr. David John says that it is very common for a patient to enter to the Emergency Room with signs of a very serious medical condition, only to leave with something diagnosed to be something else but not urgent. Health plans are required by law to make payments for any visits made to the emergency room for various medical situations that could make the average person believe that his or her life or health is under a serious threat. According to John, this is called the prudent layperson standard. Your ultimate diagnosis can’t influence if the insurer pays for the emergency room visit. John says that the layperson will quickly visit the Emergency Room for some checkups and diagnosis even where the condition they could be suffering from is not serious. They are just prudent enough to ensure that their health wellness is well taken care of and will leave nothing to chances.

Kaiser Health News: should patients be allowed to access their lab results?

Word has it that federal officials are considering a rule which could make it possible for patients to access their lab results directly. However, the medical professionals have been raising concerns on the issue. If the officials manage to have the law comes into effect, it would now be possible for patients to have the results of their lab tests sent directly to them or they can go for them personally at the facility. But the medical fraternity feels that this might not be a smart move as such and we just need to wait for the outcome.

Kaiser Health News: regardless of law, the health care hiring room is projected to continue

Generally, there is a projection that health care employment is going to experience a much faster growth rate than employment. The number of jobs created in ambulatory settings like home care is projected to increase by over 40% by 2020, according to the findings of a new study. The labor department released new figures that showed a hiring shift away from the hospitals as the system continues to emphasize more on reduced admission and preventive care. Well, regardless of how you might want to look at it, this is definitely very good news as more jobs mean a growing economy. This was the information given by Jean Moore, who is the director of Center for Health Workforce Studies at Albany at the New York State University.

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