The Latest
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20 state AGs urge Trump admin to nix proposed tax breaks for health sharing ministries
Saying it would undermine the Affordable Care Act and encourage fraud, the attorneys general called a draft rule arbitrary and particularly dangerous amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New CMS value-based payment model aimed at rural hospitals, ACOs
The program will include upfront and capitated payments for providers as well as some regulatory flexibilities. It will require facilities to partner with state Medicaid agencies in an attempt to improve care coordination.
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Buoyed by bailout funds, all major for-profit hospital chains reported increased profits in Q2
The second quarter was expected to be devastating for hospitals as the pandemic forced many to stop business as usual. The results raise questions about whether federal bailout funds were meant to pad the bottom line.
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Sanitized N95s acceptable alternatives to new masks, JAMA study finds
One of the biggest problems health systems have faced during the COVID-19 crisis is securing enough personal protective equipment to keep providers safe. The problem has sparked labor unrest and lawsuits.
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Kaiser Permanente reports $4.5B in net income, joining other operators in large Q2 increases
The California-based integrated health system's operating margin improved substantially, hitting 9.4% compared with 5.2% a year ago.
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OIG says hospitals overbilled Medicare $267M by improperly coding post-discharge services
The watchdog recommended CMS direct its recovery audit contractors to recoup overpayments made within the past four years.
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Fotolia
Healthcare gains jobs in July, but still down 800K from February
The latest report shows ambulatory, outpatient and medical and diagnostic lab service jobs are creeping closer to last year's levels following the COVID-19 downturn. Hospitals added 27,000 jobs last month.
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Brian Tucker/Healthcare Dive
Teladoc-Livongo: Is the first digital health megadeal 'outrageous' or a starter gun for virtual care M&A?
Despite investor skepticism sending Teladoc and Livongo shares down more than 19% and 11%, respectively, at Wednesday's close, some experts say the tie-up could usher in bigger deals for the virtual care space.
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Pixabay
Payers saw massive Q2 profits as COVID-19 deferred care
Anthem, UnitedHealth and Centene reported at least doubling profits for the quarter. Meanwhile, CVS-owned Aetna and Humana raised their 2020 earnings outlooks.
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Telehealth claims dipped in May, but still up 5,680% from year ago: Fair Health
The latest insurance data found private claims for virtual care fell 33% from April, but are still wildly up amid lockdowns and the ongoing pandemic.
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Getty Images
Trump tries to revamp drug supply chain with latest order
A directive announced by the president Thursday would require government agencies to buy certain "essential" drugs from factories in the U.S. How easily such an order would be implemented isn't clear.
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Retrieved from Pixabay.
Virginia first state to fully deploy COVID-19 exposure notification app based on Apple-Google tech
A series of barriers could reduce efficacy of the app, including consumer uptake, human error and worries about government and Silicon Valley spying.
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Alpha Stock
DOJ moves to block Geisinger Health's tie-up with Evangelical Community Hospital
The lawsuit alleges that in exchange for 30% ownership, Geisinger would invest $100 million in Evangelical. But the money is "not without strings," according to DOJ, which argues it ends any competition.
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Fotolia
Fresh off Medicaid win in Missouri, Fairness Project calls for health industry to step up
"We need to see health insurers and private hospitals step up and make massive investments in these campaigns," Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of the D.C.-based advocacy group, told Healthcare Dive.
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Humana
Humana joins peers in reporting depressed usage, larger income in Q2
The payer increased its outlook for earnings and individual Medicare Advantage membership as it saw revenue jump about 17% in the quarter.
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DOJ sues Cigna, alleging $1.4B in Medicare Advantage fraud
The payer used a medical assessment program to find health conditions that could raise risk scores of plan members, offering incentives to physicians who gave the exam, according to the lawsuit.
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Teladoc to buy Livongo in $18.5B deal
An explosion in use of virtual care may have sped up the timeline for the deal. Investors were not on board, driving down shares in both companies.
UPDATED: Aug. 5, 2020 at 11:10 a.m. -
CVS profit soars to $3B on lower medical utilization
The performance of CVS' health benefits arm, which includes major commercial payer Aetna, more than offset a sharp earnings drop in its retail segment as COVID-19 slashed foot traffic to its brick-and-mortar locations.
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iRhythm stock leaps 33% after CMS pitches new reimbursement codes
Permanent codes validate the digital health company's wearable heart monitoring technology and could drive more widespread adoption for detection of atrial fibrillation and other abnormal rhythms, CEO Kevin King said.
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Missouri voters usher in Medicaid expansion
It's the latest red state to take the issue of expanded access to government-sponsored health coverage to its voters, ringing in a victory via an amendment to the state's constitution.
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Tenet's profit more than triples in Q2 thanks to COVID-19 relief funds, cost cuts
Tenet and its peer for-profit hospital operators have seen profits buoyed by federal relief funds, sparking widespread criticism.
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The White House/Healthcare Dive, data from WhiteHouse.gov
CMS expands telehealth coverage in physician fee rule following Trump executive order
The agency is proposing making permanent almost two dozen new telehealth codes. A notable exception is Medicare's temporary reimbursement for audio-only visits, though the agency did ask for public input on the omission.
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Brian Tucker / Healthcare Dive
CMS proposes eliminating inpatient-only list
The agency said the COVID-19 pandemic has "highlighted the need for more healthcare access points throughout the country," including ambulatory surgical centers.
UPDATED: Aug. 4, 2020 at 3:39 p.m. -
Photo by Adhy Savala on Unsplash
For-profits, church-run health systems dominated M&A growth from 2016 to 2018: Health Affairs
The share of physicians affiliated with vertically integrated health systems rose 11 percentage points, from 40% to 51%, the survey of 50 deals found.
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COVID-19 caused hospital ED visits to dive more than 40%
Researchers in JAMA examined trends at major providers such as Mount Sinai Health, Baystate Health and Yale-New Haven, also finding emergency patients were more likely to be admitted.
