The Latest

• 

  Postpartum people could lose coverage amid Medicaid redeterminations

  People in some states could lose postpartum coverage 60 days after giving birth, even though health risks from pregnancy can continue for months, according to a new report from KFF.

  Payer

• 

  Persistent expenses drove Ascension to $1.8B operating loss

  Improving volumes, especially outpatient surgeries and emergency room visits, failed to outpace growing expenses in the nine-month period.

  Hospitals

• 

  CVS could lose up to $1B next year from MA star ratings drop

  Just 21% of CVS’ MA members are currently in plans with a star rating of at least four, down from 87% at the end of 2021, the payer disclosed.

  Payer

• 

  Tracker // Overturning of Roe v. Wade

  Tracking state abortion bans in the US

  On Friday, a South Carolina judge halted the state’s abortion ban from taking effect until the state Supreme Court can review the law. The ban, which was enacted last week, prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

  Updated May 30, 2023

  Government

• 

  Walgreens laying off 10% of corporate workforce

  The cuts, affecting more than 500 employees, come as the pharmacy chain expands in consumer-focused care delivery.

  Finances

• 

  Medicaid redeterminations

  Two-thirds of Medicaid enrollees unaware of redeterminations, survey finds

  The KFF survey found many enrollees weren’t sure whether states are now allowed to remove people from the program, and 27% wouldn’t know where to look for coverage if they were ineligible for Medicaid.

  Payer

• 

  Opinion

  Securing mergers and acquisitions in healthcare

  Netskope’s Damian Chung outlines how healthcare organizations can avoid cyber risks when executing acquisitions or partnerships.

  Finances

• 

  EHR purchasing in 2022 led by small organizations, migrations, Klas says

  Epic continues to be the EHR market leader, covering 36% of acute care hospitals in the U.S. and 48% of beds, according to a new report.

  Health IT

• 

  Cleveland Clinic outpaced expense growth to return to profitability in Q1

  The health system noted that growing expenses are still a concern, with labor costs like overtime increasing.

  Hospitals

• 

  US projected to hit record-low uninsurance rate this year

  But as federal aid expires, lower-income Americans — who saw the largest insurance gains during the pandemic — will likely be affected the most, according to experts.

  Payer

• 

  AHIP chief executive to step down in October

  Matt Eyles will depart after serving nearly five years as CEO of AHIP. The organization is launching a nationwide search for his replacement.

  Payer

• 

  Digital health funding holds steady in Q1 after year of decline

  The sector defied trends seen in the larger venture capital market, where funding continues to fall. But investment is still at years-low levels.

  Health IT

• 

  Biden administration aims to increase Medicaid drug transparency

  The notice of proposed rulemaking recommends that the CMS and states get a drug price verification survey tool and negotiate for expensive drugs under Medicaid.

  Payer

• 

  Health tech startup Florence buys Zipnosis from Bright Health

  Bright Health, which is exiting the insurance business, purchased telehealth company Zipnosis in 2021.

  Payer

• 

  House lawmakers, PBM lobby spar over committee hearing

  At the latest congressional inquiry into pharmacy benefit managers, lawmakers argued the middlemen profit at the expense of patients and taxpayers.

  Payer

• 

  Intermountain posts $549M profit after revenue grew in Q1

  The health system’s expenses, though, climbed 44% to $3.7 billion, with a large portion coming from employee compensation and benefits.

  Hospitals

• 

  Pharma-backed report targets federal clinics for benefiting financially from 340B drug discounts

  Those grantees on average are reimbursed almost four times more for 340B prescription drugs than what they pay, and make billions in 340B drug margin, according to the report, which was funded by Gilead Sciences.

  Government

• 

  Providence narrowed losses as patient volumes increased

  The Renton, Washington-based health system said inflation, labor shortages, delayed reimbursement from payers and supply chain problems are still affecting its bottom line, but its financial outlook is improving.

  Hospitals

• 

  Amazon’s PillPack reports data breach affecting more than 19,000

  The online pharmacy said the attack exposed customer email addresses, prescription information and contact details for prescribing providers.

  Health IT

• 

  Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic share data on heart rhythm devices

  A series of recent innovations in pacemaker technology have opened up new markets and set the stage for increased competition.

  Health IT

• 

  Pennsylvania unions file antitrust complaint against UPMC

  The unions allege that UPMC, the largest private employer in the state, has used its market dominance to stamp out wage growth, “drastically increase” workload and keep workers from departing for other jobs.

  Hospitals

• 

  FTC moves to strengthen Health Breach Notification Rule’s applicability to digital health apps

  Regulators are increasingly leaning on the HBNR to crack down on the sharing of sensitive medical data, and the FTC is looking to strengthen its case.

  Health IT

• 

  Mayo Clinic grew profits in Q1, despite rising expenses

  The Rochester, Minnesota-based academic medical system reported increased admissions and revenue in the first quarter. Operating expenses also grew, largely due to salary and benefit costs.

  Hospitals

• 

  What 3 key congressional hearings last week mean for the industry

  Political will seems to be rising to address drivers of growing medical costs and poor access to care, according to lawmaker comments on the Hill.

  Hospitals

• 

  HCA to acquire 41 urgent care clinics in Texas

  The purchase, which includes clinics in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston and El Paso, will boost the for-profit health system’s urgent care footprint.

  Finances

More stories