HOUSTON (AP) Disgraced former health care executive Richard Scrushy has been released from federal custody after nearly six years.

Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke says the former multimillionaire HealthSouth Corp. founder and CEO was freed Wednesday from home confinement in Houston, the final step as he begins three years of supervised release.

Scrushy was acquitted on multiple criminal charges in an accounting scheme in 2005 but was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for a bribery conspiracy involving former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. The term later was trimmed to 70 months.

He served time in a federal prison in Beaumont, then was moved to a halfway house and to home confinement.

Scrushy still faces a $2.9 billion judgment from a separate Alabama civil suit related to the accounting scheme.

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Disgraced former health care chief Scrushy freed

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A recent checkup on the health of Prince Georges residents might affect the setup of health care delivery across the county.

A coalition of state and county leaders and health care professionals unveiled a report July 25 that outlines the health challenges faced by residents. Planners say the report will play a role in developing a comprehensive countywide health system.

Produced by the University of Marylands School of Public Health, the report largely echoes findings made in a 2009 study by the California-based Rand Corp., which found that compared to its neighboring counties, Prince Georges County appears to be in worse shape.

This new study highlights that diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, asthma and cancer are particularly strong chronic diseases in the county and those most likely to be fixed with a better health care system, according to the report.

County residents deal with those ailments at a rate higher than neighboring Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Howard counties, and in some cases at rates higher than the statewide averages, according to the study.

The trouble is particularly stark when it comes to deaths attributed to heart disease and cancer. About 224 county residents out 100,000 will die from a heart-disease-related illness, a number higher than that in Montgomery, Howard and Anne Arundel counties, as well as higher than the state baseline of about 194 deaths per 100,000 people. Cancer also claims Prince Georges residents at a high rate, as well. About 173 county residents out of 100,000 will die of cancer, a number that is lower than the 195.2 who will succumb to cancer in Anne Arundel County but higher than both Montgomery and Howard counties, and nearly as high as the states average of about 178.

The report findings open the doors for planners to work toward creating a new and effective model for delivering care within Prince Georges, said Joshua Sharfstein, secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Most of the time when we talk about the health system, we talk of turning the ship, and its a big ship, he said. This is an opportunity to think differently on health care in the county.

The report comes as July 21 marked the one-year anniversary of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Prince Georges government, the state and leaders from the University of Maryland Medical System and Dimensions Healthcare System to work to improve the health of residents and the quality of care they receive at hospitals.

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Gazette.Net: New report to help guide changes to county health system

NEW YORK (BankingMyWay) -- Ever hear of short-term health insurance? It's an increasingly hot topic as consumers and businesses weigh the impact of health care reform, and as the job market remains volatile. By and large, short-term insurance helps consumers in transition. For example, someone who is temporarily out of work, new employees waiting to get on their company's health care plan, and recent college graduates looking for their first career job all may need short-term health care. Policies aren't difficult to get. Most insurers provide them, with some policies offering health care consumers up to $5 million coverage. Typical short-term health care plans last from anywhere between one-and-six months, and they typically come with low -- in some cases, extremely low -- payment premiums. That's the consensus from a study by Mountain View, California-based eHealth, an online health care services provider. The report, entitled "Cost & Benefits of Short-term Health Insurance Plans," says that individual consumers paid, on average, $67 per month for short-term health insurance, with an average $1,821 deductible. Families paid more -- about $153 per month with a $1,877 deductible. What is really interesting from the eHealth study is the opposite directions in which short-term health care premiums and deductibles are headed. The study says that from October 2009 through October 2011, the average short-term policy premium decreased 4.2% for individuals and decreased 5% for families. The average deductible increased 19.6% for individuals and 20.4% for families, according to eHealth. Another unique finding of ther study involved gender and health insurance. Women pay more than men for short-term health care, at $69 per month versus $64 per month for men on an an individual policy. But deductibles didn't follow this gender trend either. The eHealth study says that in 2011, men paid $1,874 per month for short-term health care deductibles, an increase of 17% from 2009. Women, on the other hand, paid $1,792 in deductibles, an increase of 16% over the same time period. On average, eHealth says that the average duration of a short-term health care plan is 184 days, just about six months, although some plans go as high as one year in duration. Here are some other takeaways from the study: 3.3% of enrollees retained coverage under their short-term policy for 300 days or more. Younger consumers tend to use short-term plans the most. eHealth says that in October 2011, 59% of all active short-term health insurance policyholders were between the ages of 25 and 44. In October 2011, policyholders between the ages of 45 and 64 made up 25% of active policies. 16% of active policies covered people ages 24 or younger. The average coinsurance for a short-term health insurance policy was 22%. By definition, co-insurance is a policy provision where the consumer and the health insurance provider share the total cost of covered medical services after the deductible has been cleared. About two-thirds of all plans offer prescription drug coverage. eHealth says that 67% of all active short-term health insurance policies offered prescription drug coverage. One caveat on short-term health care plans. Don't assume you can just roll over your plan after the six-months are up. Most health care providers will ratchet up your premiums if you try to go back-to-back with consecutive short-term heath plans, or steer you into a full-blown health care plan, which typically cost more than short-term plans. But if you are in a life transition, short-term health care is a viable and affordable option. Since more and more providers offer them, these plans are now easier to get, as well. More on health insurance:

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