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Data on how well 4,600 U.S. hospitals perform on common elective surgeries like knee replacements, and on treating chronic health conditions like congestive heart failure were released Wednesday on a new consumer tool from U.S. News and World Report. (Rice, 5/20)

In one of the bigger ironies of the Affordable Care Act era, when millions of people have gained access to insurance, many providers are reporting an increase in bad debt. The reason: More individuals and families are finding themselves in high-deductible plans as employers shift their benefit packages, and individuals and families buy plans on the federal or state-run exchanges, where the most popular options involve significant copays and deductibles. (Kutscher, 5/16)