Major healthcare-associated infections up to two months after cardiac surgery may tag an additional $38,000 to the cost of the index hospitalization, a finding that researchers propose may spur hospitals to invest in preventive measures.

Healthcare spending increased 3.6 percent in 2013, down from 2012’s 4.1 percent growth rate. Here’s a look at what contributed to the slowdown.

Drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer spent almost $8 million to promote the novel oral anticoagulant Eliquis to physicians, according to an analysis by ProPublica of the Open Payments database. Eliquis, or apixaban, was the second highest drug on the spending list, with AstraZeneca’s Brilinta (ticagrelor) placing third.

A U.S. study supports earlier findings that suggest that although CABG is more costly than PCI, patients can expect to live longer with the procedure. This was published in the Jan. 6 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Quality reporting in Hospital Compare put a brake on rising prices for CABG and PCI in states that previously had no reporting systems of their own, a study published in the January issue of Health Affairs found.

The global market for devices and technologies for the interventional cardiology community will top $22 billion by 2016, according to one industry analysis.

Half of  accountable care organization (ACO) providers hold contracts with private insurers, according to a study published in the December edition of the American Journal of Managed Care. The analysis is one of the first to shed light on the nature of ACO contracts with commercial payers.

Taiwan's reimbursement cuts may have slowed progress in reducing 30-day mortality rates for ischemic stroke, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.