Texas attorney general investigates UnitedHealth over care denials

The Latest

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  Trump administration revamps insurer price transparency reporting

  On Monday, the HHS and Labor and Treasury Departments finalized a rule meant to strip out junk cluttering cost disclosures, among other reforms. Employers cheered the changes, which are a mixed bag for insurers.

  Payer

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  Sponsored by Infosys

  The real opportunity for agentic AI in health insurance

  The health insurance industry does not simply need another point solution. It needs the connective tissue that allows existing investments to collaborate.

  Health IT

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  Trump pledges to send $90 Medicare Part B rebates to seniors

  About 20.8 million beneficiaries will receive a direct deposit or check this month, the latest in a growing list of cash payments promised by the White House in advance of the November midterm elections.

  Payer

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  FDA to prioritize guidance on AI, surgical robots next year

  Over the coming year, the agency will look to finalize guidance for artificial intelligence-enabled devices and draft generative AI advice.

  Health IT

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  Governors ask HHS for more time to implement Medicaid work requirements

  The governors of Oregon, California, Maine, New York and Virginia don’t think it’s possible for states to meet the Jan. 1 deadline to stand up work requirements while protecting beneficiaries.

  Payer

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  Independence Blue Cross to pay $22.5M to resolve MA fraud allegations

  Independence Blue Cross will pay to settle allegations it defrauded Medicare by inflating diagnosis codes for MA beneficiaries. The payer cited “industry-wide challenges” in applying MA risk adjustment standards.

  Payer

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  HRSA discloses manufacturers approved for revised 340B rebate pilot

  Ten pharmaceutical companies will start paying after-the-fact rebates instead of upfront discounts on 21 drugs in 340B at the start of next year, more than in the Trump administration’s first attempt at a rebate program.

  Government

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  Insurers say their 2027 Medicare Advantage offerings preserve benefits. The data tells a different story

  A Leerink Partners analysis of Medicare Plan Finder shows how the largest MA carriers are cutting dental allowances and premium givebacks next year as they continue to prioritize margin recovery.

  Payer

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  Data privacy concerns could hold patients back from using AI

  Although artificial intelligence has quickly become integrated into Americans’ daily lives, patients say they’re becoming increasingly concerned about their health data, according to a new survey.

  Health IT

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  Cigna unveils $3B productivity initiative, including use of AI

  The company will focus on automating and modernizing processes, better managing suppliers, partners and vendors and making employees more efficient, executives said during a Wednesday investor day.

  Payer

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  Elevance cracks down on hospital billing for off-campus care

  The insurer said it’s trying to restrict hospitals from charging higher rates for services at off-campus outpatient departments. Hospital groups say the reimbursement cuts could threaten access to care.

  Updated Sept. 30, 2026

  Hospitals

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  GE HealthCare hires new global chief AI officer

  Rodolphe Katra has joined from Medtronic to lead GE HealthCare’s efforts to connect devices, software and data.

  Health IT

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  Essentia, HealthPartners seek to combine amid wave of Minnesota hospital mergers

  Three major health system mergers have been proposed in the state over the past six months, kicking off a rush of public hearings and regulatory reviews. Essentia and HealthPartners hope to close their deal early next year.

  Hospitals

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  Here’s how much insurers are cutting Medicare Advantage plans for 2027

  Newly released CMS data shows that insurers continue to adapt to pressure in the privatized Medicare program by culling plans. A press release stressing “stability” didn’t soften the blow.

  Payer

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  Tracker

  Tracking healthcare data breaches

  Washington, D.C.’s Medicaid agency experienced a data breach impacting nearly 400,000 beneficiaries.

  Updated Sept. 29, 2026

  Hospitals

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  Oura delays IPO

  Citing market uncertainty, the smart ring maker plans to delay a public offering that it had expected to raise up to $2.2 billion.

  Health IT

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  UnitedHealthcare names new president in latest leadership shuffle

  Robert Hunter will focus on UnitedHealthcare’s “modernization agenda” in the new role. It’s the latest in a slew of leadership changes at UnitedHealth as the company works to restore its image.

  Payer

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  Clinician shortage to double by 2040

  The U.S. is on the brink of a healthcare workforce crisis, according to a new report from healthcare education company Covista. But it’s not too late to try to mitigate the impact.

  Hospitals

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  Insurers say AI could add billions in health costs. Billing companies disagree

  Studies from insurers say AI-backed billing tools used by providers raise health costs. But the companies making those tools say the problem isn’t with AI — it’s with the healthcare billing system.

  Updated Sept. 29, 2026

  Hospitals

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  Healthcare workers battle persistent long COVID: study

  Long COVID represents another blow to a healthcare workforce already grappling with burnout and staffing shortages, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

  Hospitals

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  340B hospitals lag behind peers in charity care spending: report

  The findings add new fodder for critics who say 340B has ballooned out of control with no corresponding benefit to patients. One hospital group called the report “another in a long line of misleading studies.”

  Hospitals

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  Threat groups ramp up social-engineering attacks against healthcare sector

  Hackers linked to high-profile cybercrime groups have used voice-phishing tactics to trick workers into giving up their credentials.

  Health IT

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  FDA nominee Overton parries vaccine questions at Senate hearing

  Pressed by lawmakers on Thursday, Trump’s pick as the next FDA chief said she’d “follow the law” on key decisions and work to speed early drug research.

  Government

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  AI will inflate healthcare costs before lowering them, Oz says

  AI will “turbocharge” medical billing and drive up costs in the short term, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz warned. But he said the pain is worth it for long-term savings.

  Payer

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  Health execs want strong returns on IT investments

  Tools that target revenue cycle management are attracting attention — and investment dollars — from providers, while payers are buying tech focused on utilization management, according to a new survey.

  Health IT

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  MedPAC chair defends Medicare Advantage overpayment analysis at insurer lobby event

  Amid growing public debate over how best to analyze spending in MA versus traditional Medicare, Dr. Amol Navathe, the leader of the group behind the most-cited estimate, stepped into the lion’s den to support its work.

  Payer

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