The Latest
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HHS seeks ideas on HIPAA tweaks to boost care coordination
The aim is to reduce regulatory burden and facilitate care, with a focus on the opioid crisis.
Health IT -
Apple has at least 40 doctors across various teams, CNBC reports
The physician hires could help to sell providers on the clinical worth of the tech giant's health-related products.
Health IT -
Health coaching could boost value of wearables: HIMSS
HIMSS surveyed 101 healthcare IT and hospital administrators for the Fitbit-sponsored report, which found that half of hospitals and health systems planned to connect patients with a health coach or were already using health coaching.
Health IT -
DOJ takes up lawsuit accusing Sutter Health of cheating Medicare
The whistleblower lawsuit alleges the California health system and an affiliate manipulated diagnosis codes to inflate payments.
Payer -
Kaiser cancels some surgeries with 4K mental health therapists on strike
The workers are on the fourth day of their five-day strike. The health system is putting off some non-urgent surgeries after nurses began striking in sympathy.
Hospital Administration -
Ardent Health Services files for IPO
The Nashville-based hospital operator plans to use the proceeds to pay off debt.
Hospital Administration -
ACO trade group says Medicare program saved $859M in 2016
The program, which includes 561 accountable care organizations and 10.5 million patients, saved more than $660 million between 2013 and 2016 after bonuses paid to providers for meeting spending and quality targets.
Payer -
Investors still fired up about HIT despite valuation worries
Care management, home health and retail clinics are also on healthcare investors' minds, according to a KPMG-Leavitt Partners survey.
Health IT -
4.2M Americans eligible for free ACA coverage, KFF says
In Iowa, Nebraska, Delaware and Utah alone, roughly half of potential marketplace shoppers could get a 2019 bronze plan with a $0 premium, according to the analysis.
Payer -
PwC: 'New Health Economy' finding its feet, but challenges remain
Providers are embracing digital treatments, with 77% saying they have suggested an app or digital program to a patient, according to the industry trends report.
Health IT -
1 in 5 patients at high risk of socioeconomic health problem, survey finds
Patients who discuss their social determinant of health challenges with a clinician are more likely to accept help, according to the study. Younger patients, while twice as likely to discuss, are less receptive to assistance.
Payer -
Pear's digital treatment for opioid abuse gets FDA nod
The app is a medication-assisted treatment that provides cognitive behavioral therapy to increase care retention rates for adults with opioid use disorder.
Health IT -
Envision, UnitedHealthcare settle fierce nationwide contract squabble
If the two giant for-profit companies hadn't reached a deal, 27 million privately insured Americans could have been slammed with surprise emergency room bills as early as January.
Payer -
Lawmakers impatient for ONC interoperability rule
"It is hard to explain to people that Congress provided the tools necessary for doctors and patients to better coordinate their care through the sharing of patient data, but nothing has changed," Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said at a House health subcommittee hearing.
Health IT -
SponsoredWhat payers and providers need to know about reverification season
As plans renew and sponsors move into more restricted networks, the likelihood that several patients will have to switch to a different pharmacy is very real.
Payer -
Allscripts to sell stake in Netsmart for $525M
The EHR vendor said the sale will allow it to pay back long-term debt and invest in other areas.
Health IT -
Trinity Health's Illinois hospital purchase helps drive revenues
The health system also announced CEO Richard Gilfillan will step down in June. He'll be replaced by current COO Michael Slubowski.
Finance -
Payer, hospital groups trade blame on surprise billing
The problem of patients unexpectedly getting a bill for out-of-network services is common and growing, especially for people getting emergency room care.
Payer -
Partners HealthCare reports 489% jump in FY18 operating income
A drop in insurance revenue contributed to a 0.5% dip in operating revenue for the Boston-based nonprofit health system.
Finance -
Hospital beds from Hill-Rom get sensor tech
Sensors continually check patients' heart and respiratory rates and alert providers if their vital signs change.
Health IT -
Deep DiveHospital labor skirmishes — year in review
The year was marked by heated negotiations over staffing and wages. Here's a month-by-month breakdown of how it went down.
Hospital Administration -
VA invests in medical messaging system, brings services to Walmart
The country's second-largest government agency has also reportedly been in talks with Apple on a deal that would see the tech giant build software for veterans to access their EHRs via their mobile devices.
Health IT -
Middle-income Americans paying more for health insurance
Americans in the South are hardest hit — spending a bigger share of their income on healthcare than other parts of the country.
Finance -
Provider interest in RCM tools growing, survey shows
More than half of providers plan to adopt web payments technology in the coming year, Billing Tree reports.
Health IT -
No single telehealth vendor meeting all customer needs, KLAS says
Recent consolidations within the sector, however, could aid the effort to achieve all-purpose vendors, according to the report.
Health IT