Forbes reports that “The venture capital arm of five Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans has partnered with global primary care provider Sanitas USA to open medical centers in Texas as a precursor to a U.S. multi-state rollout.”  That expansion is bound to happen in view of the experience of UnitedHealthcare.

The Associated Press informs us of a new study finding that “Children received prescriptions for antibiotics more than half the time during telemedicine visits, compared with 42% at urgent care clinics and 31% at doctors’ offices.”  It’s not surprising that the providers who best know their patients provide the best care. As pediatric offices begin to offer telemedicine service to their patients, this trend should work itself out. In the meantime, parents should be aware of it.

Healthcare Dive discusses a new government study finding that emergency room use increased in 2016 while emergency room misuse dropped.

The American College of Emergency Physicians celebrated the report’s numbers. EDs play a critical role in healthcare, as nearly two-thirds of emergency visits happen after doctors’ offices are closed, Vidor Friedman, president of the organization, said in a statement.

“Emergency care is growing more complex and some of the larger trends that will impact emergency department planning and resource discussions include the rising number of elderly patients, preventing and treating opioid abuse and the role of the emergency department in treating and managing patients with mental illness,” Friedman said.

The U.S. Justice Department reports that “A federal jury found a South Florida health care facility owner [ Philip Esformes] guilty today for his role in the largest health care fraud scheme ever charged by the Justice Department, involving over $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not provided, were not medically necessary or were procured through the payment of kickbacks.”  That’s a lot of boxes of ziti (Sopranos reference).