Here's The Latest in Health Care:

• In a recent study by Cigna, researchers found that patients who are diagnosed with a behavioral health condition and receive outpatient treatment have fewer visits to the emergency department or readmissions to an inpatient facility. This results in a lower cost for care per person per year.  Read More

• Nearly one in 10 children in the U.S. that are eligible to be vaccinated have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Children who received their first shot this week and their second three weeks later will be fully vaccinated by the Christmas holiday.  Read More

• This year marks the fifth consecutive year that the rate for improper payment for Medicare fee-for-service has been below the 10 percent threshold. This represents considerable progress toward a goal to protect CMS programs for future generations.  Read More

• According to a recent report, one of several findings surrounding home health care includes the fact that only 34 percent of hospitalized patients are sent to formal post-acute care settings, such as skilled nursing facilities. The rest are either initially sent home or to a retirement or assisted living community, contributing to higher hospital re-admissions.  Read More

Every Friday, Signor Goat reports the latest from the week in health care. Check back next Friday for your dose of our little medical corner of health care news. Brought to you by pMD, innovators in charge capture, medical billing,  revenue cycle management, telehealth, secure messaging, clinical communication, and care navigation software.