Morning round up: Shady hospital practices?

A blistering article by the Chicago Tribune today shows how some hospitals may be neglecting poor patients, causing them to turn to Stroger Hospital.

Indigent and under-insured patients are turning to Cook County's Stroger Hospital after not getting fully treated at non-profit hospitals, swamping the cash-strapped public facility while fueling the county's sky-high sales tax, a Tribune investigation found.

Some of these patients arrive at Stroger's emergency room bearing discharge slips, prescriptions, even Yahoo and Google maps from non-profit hospitals, according to documents obtained by the Tribune.

A swamped ER is what the blogger behind Ill and Uninsured in Illinois found.

The Trib follows up with a look at how hospitals try to get tax subsidies.

The Trib had a story a few weeks ago questioning the need for observational stays. One woman interviewed in the story thought she was required to stay for observation, and her insurance wouldn't cover the cost.

An L.A. hospital settles over allegations it dumped homeless patient.

No surprise here: Blacks and Hispanics in Illinois suffer health care treatment disparities.

An all-time low in Illinois TB cases. The Daily News covered Chicago's all-time low a few weeks ago.

The Illinois Hospital Association did a study that found the state's hospitals are being affected by the economy:

• The economic crisis is affecting their ability to meet day-to-day operations:
  • 32% of Illinois hospitals and health systems reported a moderate effect on day-to-day operations;
  • 17% reported a significant effect. (see first attached chart)
• Illinois hospitals and health systems are having problems gaining access to capital:
  • 26% report significant problems;
  • 24% report moderate problems;
  • 64% report increased costs for credit and bonds. (see second chart)
• Illinois hospitals and health systems are postponing or deferring capital spending for general maintenance, renovations and upgrades of facilities and technology:
  • 73% are deferring current plans for capital investments;
  • 79% are deferring plans for new capital investments. (see third chart)
  Patients in Illinois are being affected by the economic crisis:
• 75% of hospitals and health systems report an increase in the number of uninsured patients;
• 47% report increases in emergency department visits;
• 55% report decreases in admissions, particularly elective procedures.

Illinois hospitals are waiting longer to receive reimbursement from all payers:

• 78% report longer delays in Medicaid payments; the average Medicaid accounts receivable is 160 days, with some hospitals as high as 350 days;
• 20% report longer delays in Medicare payments;
• 30% report longer delays in commercial insurance payments. (see fourth chart)

Is there lead in your dishes?!?!?!

Medill takes a look at how the uncertainty of the mental health clinics in Chicago is messing with patients.

IDPH is worried about the rise in STDs in Illinois.

Anything we're not covering? Send us a note: alex (at) chitowndailynews (dot) org