It’s official: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finalized the apportionment of the nation's wireless spectrum to wearable medical sensors, reportedly becoming the first nation in the world to do so, according to a story by Eric Wicklund. The FCC in May first considered giving part of the spectrum away for free to hospitals and healthcare providers so they would have their very own frequency to send and receive signals. As of Oct. 11, wearable sensors will now be able to send and receive non-voice data without interference from Wi-Fi or other devices, though they'll still be considered secondary users.
How would you feel if an algorithm could rate your chances of an adverse health outcome and point you in the right direction for medication, and lifestyle changes to prevent it? Archimedes, Inc. has done just that, creating a clinically realistic, mathematical model of human physiology, the Archimedes Model, and now, a decision support tool called IndiGO. For use by healthcare providers, and now patients, the tool uses advanced algorithms to analyze “person-specific health information and predict the risks of adverse health outcomes and point out the benefits of adherence to medication and lifestyle changes,” according to Bernie Monegain.
Two new networks would be formed to allow physicians and hospitals an alternative to accountable care organizations (ACO), if talks between Tufts Medical Center, Vanguard Health Systems and a physician network in Massachusetts continue to go forward.
The organizations are in talks to develop a joint venture that would provide a flexible alternative to hospitals looking to join a larger health system, as per a story by Jaimy Lee. A definitive agreement will most likely be reached this year on the formation of the new health system, according to a spokesman for Nashville-based Vanguard.
The federal government could receive about $7 billion in collections from the approximately six million Americans who will pay a penalty tax because they are uninsured in 2016, according to new estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (PDF). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), upheld in June, mandated that most legal U.S. residents buy health insurance or pay a penalty if they don’t. According to the latest figures, about two million more uninsured individuals than originally planned will be penalized, and that includes uninsured dependents who will have others pay a penalty on their behalf. An additional $3 billion more in collections each year will flow in than what the CBO had initially projected in April 2010.
We all know obesity is getting more serious in today’s Americans. But along with harming our health, it’s also damaging our economy, as studies have shown that “bulging waistlines will rack up big healthcare expenditures within the next two decades,” according to Elizabeth Landau. Even more startling: a report has found that almost half of all Americans will be obese by 2030, Sara Gates revealed in a story at cnn.com. A report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, however, has projected that the health of the country – and the dollars spent on the healthcare system – would benefit from even a 5-percent reduction in the average body mass index.
That’s all for now, health readers! Stay tuned and see what next week will bring.
