The Latest
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Envision Healthcare names permanent CEO
Jason Owen took on the leadership role this week, months after the physician staffing firm emerged from bankruptcy restructuring.
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Change Healthcare cyberattack
Lawmakers raise healthcare consolidation concerns after Change cyberattack
Legislators also slammed UnitedHealth Group, which acquired Change Healthcare nearly two years ago, for not sending a representative to the House subcommittee hearing.
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Deep Dive
Steward bankruptcy likely as massive debt remains, with few options left
Steward Health Care’s forbearance period ends in less than 15 days. Analysts say this time, creditors are unlikely to extend the embattled company another lifeline.
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Over 20% of healthcare bankruptcies last year were linked to private equity: report
Another wave of private equity-backed bankruptcies is expected this year, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project.
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ACOs led by independent physicians save Medicare ‘substantially’ more money, CBO says
Independent practices have clearer financial incentives to lower medical spending than hospitals participating in accountable care organizations, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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Change Healthcare cyberattack
UnitedHealth expects up to $1.6B hit from Change cyberattack this year
Investors on Tuesday got a clearer picture of the cyberattack's financial fallout on the healthcare juggernaut. Some said it wasn't as bad as they'd feared.
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Cybersecurity takes center stage at AHA annual meeting
In the wake of the Change Healthcare attack, experts advised hospital leaders to increase their cyber defenses.
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Elevance partners with private equity firm on primary care
The payer has inked a deal with Clayton, Dubilier and Rice to join their primary care assets as Elevance looks to catch up with peers like UnitedHealth and CVS in care delivery.
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Telehealth company Cerebral to pay $7M fine over data sharing
The Federal Trade Commission alleged the digital mental healthcare company had provided sensitive data to third parties and maintained “sloppy” security practices.
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Florida issues Medicaid managed care awards booting out UnitedHealth, CVS and Molina
Meanwhile, Centene, Elevance and Humana held onto statewide contracts. The reprocurement was especially positive for Centene, which had been expected to lose market share, analysts said.
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VillageMD faces lawsuit over online tracking technologies
The class action alleges the Meta Pixel embedded on VillageMD’s website allowed the primary care provider to disclose protected health information to third parties, including Facebook and Google.
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VA plans to resume Oracle EHR rollout by end of FY 2025, secretary says
The agency needs a single electronic health record that’s more interoperable with the Department of Defense, VA Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers.
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Medical Properties Trust selling spree continues, Utah deal closes
The deal is expected to generate approximately $1.1 billion in in cash for the liquidity-strapped hospital landlord.
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Opinion
No appointments available: America’s escalating primary care shortage
Chronic disinvestment and inadequate training have created a shortage of primary care workers, according to leaders at the Milbank Memorial Fund, National Association of Community Health Centers and others.
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Medicaid redeterminations
More than 20M disenrolled amid Medicaid redeterminations
Nearly a quarter of adults removed from the safety-net program since early last year said they are uninsured, according to KFF.
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More than three-fourths of doctors are employed by corporations, report finds
Rampant consolidation continues to threaten the existence of independent physicians, according to a new report from Avalere and the Physicians Advocacy Institute.
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Steward buy could add 3,000 doctors to Optum’s physician network, regulator says
There’s a long way to go before the highly anticipated deal can close, as parties have yet to file the paperwork required to kick off Massachusetts' antitrust review process, a regulator said yesterday.
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US sues Regeneron, alleging false price reporting on Eylea
The Department of Justice accused Regeneron of defrauding Medicare by knowingly inflating the average sales price for its top-selling eye drug.
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Lawmakers mull telehealth quality, reimbursement as extension deadline looms
Legislators worked to hash out details about Medicare telehealth policy as a deadline to continue pandemic-era flexibilities draws closer.
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Medical Properties Trust offloads 5 hospitals to Prime Healthcare
One of the nation’s largest hospital landlords will pay down its debt load with the proceeds, executives said.
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CMS proposes 2.6% payment increase for inpatient hospitals next year
Regulators said payments to hospitals would increase $3.2 billion in 2025 under the proposed rule. However, the American Hospital Association called the hike “woefully inadequate.”
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Massachusetts lawmakers call on regulators to review Steward-UnitedHealth deal
Antitrust agencies could be sympathetic toward the deal, given Steward’s financial distress and important hospital portfolio. But sympathy won’t shield the deal from scrutiny, an expert told Healthcare Blog.
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VillageMD taps new COO amid clinic closures
Former Centene executive Jim Murray will lead operations at the Walgreens-backed primary care chain, which has shut down 140 clinics in recent months.
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Confusion about Medicaid skewing coverage estimates, study finds
The number of people enrolled in Medicaid soared over the pandemic, but many enrollees may not have known their coverage had continued, new research suggests.
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Banner Health names new CEO
Amy Perry, the current president, will take the reins from longtime chief executive Peter Fine beginning June 30.