Anthem cuts 2021 outlook, as Q4 profits fall 40% on care resurgence

The Latest

• 

  Moderna to study vaccine booster aimed at coronavirus variant

  Laboratory tests indicated the biotech's shot would still protect against virus variants detected in the U.K. and South Africa, although the latter appeared to result in a weaker immune response.

  Hospital Administration

• 

  Sponsored by AllianceRx Walgreens Prime

  Employing technology to drive better patient care and cost-savings

  AllianceRx Walgreens Prime explains how specialty pharmacies can facilitate meaningful patient outcomes. 

  Health IT

• 

  Pandemic worsens burnout of female physicians, critical care and infectious docs

  While women have consistently reported higher burnout rates than men in Medscape surveys, 2020's disparities were greater than usual. Several new specialties also reported higher rates of burnout last year than in the past.

  Practice Management

• 

  4 key trends for payers and providers in 2021

  The COVID-19 crisis has led some providers to inquire about partnering or acquiring insurance assets as the pandemic exposed the risk of relying on fee-for-service models.

  Payer

• 

  Biden faces many healthcare challenges as he takes the helm at an unprecedented time

  The former senator and vice president has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States while the country grapples with one of the biggest health crises in its history.

  Payer

• 

  Biden gives OSHA 2 weeks to issue new coronavirus guidance

  The president also asked the agency to reconsider its decision to skip emergency temporary standards.

  Health Law

• 

  Deep Dive

  Biden's most ambitious health policy: a public option plan

  "It could fundamentally change how healthcare is priced in the U.S.," said Cynthia Cox, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  KeyBank aims to launch digital bank for doctors in March

  "Think about a digital company that refinances student loans for doctors and dentists that are accredited, employed, have an average salary of about $200,000 per year," CEO Chris Gorman said. "These are great clients to get."

  Finance

• 

  Q&A

  ACLA seeks lab reimbursement changes as need for COVID-19 testing surges

  Julie Khani, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association, which includes Quest and LabCorp, called for eliminating testing coverage gaps and clarifications around what tests are paid for by insurers.

  Payer

• 

  Hims & Hers goes public in $1.6B SPAC deal

  The digital health startup received proceeds of almost $280 million as a result of the deal, which it plans to reinvest in driving geographic growth and new product lines.

  Health IT

• 

  Biden taps acting HHS, CMS heads, to launch COVID-19 testing board

  The president also promptly rejoined the World Health Organization and issued a mask mandate on federal property in his first hours on the job.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Healthcare funding shatters records in 2020, helped by COVID-19

  Global equity funding hit an all-time high last year at $80.6 billion as the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing trends opened new market opportunities for savvy investors, according to a CB Insights report.

  Health IT

• 

  UnitedHealth returns to normal care levels in Q4, posts $15B in profit for 2020

  The health behemoth beat Wall Street forecasts for both earnings and revenue in the fourth quarter as care consumption and prescriptions returned to more typical levels despite fears of renewed deferrals as COVID-19 cases surge.

  Payer

• 

  How Biden might shore up the Affordable Care Act

  After four years of peeling away by the Trump administration, some parts will be easier to put back together than others.

  Payer

• 

  CMS finalizes prior authorization rule payers slam as 'half-baked'

  Insurers face the biggest impact from the rule. America's Health Insurance Plans blasted it as "a series of empty promises" and "shabbily and hastily constructed."

  Health IT

• 

  Here's which Trump-era health policies Biden could roll back — without help from Congress

  The nearest-term 2021 actions will likely center on bolstering the ACA and Medicaid, after the Trump administration made significant efforts to weaken the landmark law and change the direction of the social safety net program.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Key members of the Biden healthcare team

  Many officials in the administration will be focused solely on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which Biden has named as his top priority.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  CMS rejects 1st colorectal cancer blood test, tweaks path for Exact, Guardant and others

  The agency has removed one of the criteria a test needs to meet to secure Medicare coverage but still shunned Epigenomics' Epi proColon diagnostic.

  Payer

• 

  Forging trust in AI, sustaining the virtual care boom and other CES takeaways

  Experts discussed the need for virtual care to be integrated with existing models. "If it's straight telehealth, we're not interested," said Lynne O'Keefe, managing partner of early stage venture capital firm Define Ventures.

  Health IT

• 

  Study links hospital ICU capacity to COVID-19 mortality rates

  COVID-19 patients were nearly twice as likely to die if they were in an ICU brimming with other patients than one that had fewer such cases, according to the findings in JAMA Network Open.

  Hospital Administration

• 

  Former FDA chief Kessler tapped as top Biden adviser for COVID-19 response

  David Kessler, who served in both the first Bush and Clinton administrations, will be joined by former acting Medicare head Andy Slavitt in a revamped effort from the new administration. 

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  'Really difficult nut to crack': MedPAC torn over telehealth regs post-COVID-19

  Members were wary of making any concrete near-term policy changes, suggesting instead industry be allowed to test drive new telehealth regulations after the pandemic without baking them in permanently. 

  Health IT

• 

  Hospital buy-ups of physician practices under fresh FTC scrutiny

  The agency sent orders to UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Aetna and Cigna, among others, seeking patient claims data in what several economists cheered as a major move to probe healthcare mergers.

  Hospital Administration

• 

  Google calls Fitbit acquisition complete despite ongoing DOJ review

  The search giant closed the deal because the department's 14-month investigation period expired without any objection. However, DOJ could still sue to unwind the buy.

  Health IT

• 

  Mayo, Epic and Cerner teaming to create digital COVID-19 vaccine passport

  The hope of the Vaccination Credential Initiative is to form a standard for credentials to be made in an interoperable and accessible format.

  Health IT

• 

  US pushes for wider use of 'underutilized' COVID-19 antibody drugs as pandemic worsens

  A $2.6 billion deal with Regeneron this week is part of a renewed effort by government officials to bolster uptake of the treatments, which haven't gained traction.

  Hospital Administration

More stories