The Latest

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  Top healthcare conferences in 2024

  From digital health events to payer and provider summits, here are upcoming healthcare conferences for the organized executive to keep in mind.

  Updated 3 hours ago

  Hospitals

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  Sponsored by Pegasystems

  Enhanced human potential: How customer service technology increases empathy

  Elevance Health’s Geeta Wilson talks about improving operational efficiencies while enhancing member and associate satisfaction.

  Payer

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  North Carolina Medicaid expansion kicks in

  About 600,000 more people in the state now have access to the safety-net insurance coverage.

  Payer

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  Tracker

  Tracking healthcare data breaches

  Washington-based provider Proliance Surgeons and the state of Maine recently reported breaches that exposed the data of almost 900,000 people.

  Updated Dec. 1, 2023

  Hospitals

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  Lawmakers stress data privacy in health AI oversight

  Members of Congress hammered privacy concerns in a hearing on Wednesday as interest in artificial intelligence — which relies on patient information to train models — heats up.

  Health IT

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  Tracker

  Tracking healthcare worker strikes

  Approximately 2,000 nurses at Ascension hospitals in Texas and Kansas will head to the picket line next week. It's the second one-day strike held by the union this year after contract negotiations stalled.

  Updated Nov. 30, 2023

  Hospitals

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  Medicare Advantage rate change bedevils UnitedHealth’s 2024 outlook

  UnitedHealth’s MA growth could be depressed next year thanks to a rate notice from the CMS that’s deeply unpopular with insurers, management said during an investor day.

  Payer

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  Cigna, Humana in talks to merge: WSJ

  The merger would have major effects on the makeup of the U.S. health insurance industry, and would almost certainly face a regulatory challenge.

  Payer

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  Highmark Health’s insurance business boosts earnings

  The insurance arm pushed the healthcare parent company to positive results during the first nine months of 2023 after its provider arm, Allegheny Health, reported an operating loss.

  Hospitals

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  Providence, struggling to rebound, posts more losses in Q3

  The Washington-based nonprofit battled rising expenses despite having targeted recovery plans in place.

  Hospitals

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  Majority of Medicaid enrollees satisfied with plans, despite flaws, survey finds

  Medicaid enrollees are more likely to understand and be satisfied with their plans, despite reporting poorer health outcomes, according to a new report from KFF. 

  Payer

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  Global medical costs to dip in 2024 — but respite may not last long, research finds

  Medical costs will continue to rise over the next few years, according to WTW. Surveyed insurers blamed expensive medical technologies and an overuse of health services.

  Payer

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  Hospitals continue post-COVID recovery: Kaufman Hall

  Margins and volumes are still stabilizing above pandemic levels, according to a new report from the consultancy.

  Hospitals

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  Democrat senators accuse PE-backed US Anesthesia Partners of anticompetitive business practices

  Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to USAP on Sunday alleging the company leverages its monopoly power to inflate prices. USAP is currently facing a federal suit over the allegations.

  Government

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  NextGen to lay off nearly 250 workers

  The job cuts come just after the electronic health record vendor was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $1.8 billion.

  Health IT

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  Ransomware attack at Ardent Health Services disrupts operations in multiple states

  The hospital operator rescheduled some non-emergent procedures and asked ambulances to divert patients as it restored its IT systems.

  Hospitals

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  Cleveland Clinic, Canon to establish medical imaging research center

  Joint research projects will focus on pre-clinical imaging, human imaging and image analysis in cardiology, neurology and musculoskeletal medicine.

  Hospitals

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  340B drug discount program yields mixed evidence on how hospitals use funds

  Researchers reviewed almost 300 pieces of literature on 340B and found some studies suggested hospitals were using savings from the program for purposes “seemingly unrelated” to patient care.

  Hospitals

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  Average per-worker cost of health benefits rose by 5.2% in 2023: survey

  Inflation is a contributor to the increase, but rising prescription drug costs are likely to have a longer-term impact, according to a Mercer report.

  Payer

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  Healthcare bankruptcies are rising. Here are five major filings so far in 2023.

  Bankruptcies have spiked this year as federal COVID-19 funding lapsed and heightened interest rates, regulatory changes and labor shortages squeezed the sector.

  Health IT

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  Advocate Health slows growth in Q3

  The nonprofit remained in the black for the first nine months of 2023, but performance dipped slightly in the third quarter.

  Hospitals

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  Intermountain Health financials are in the black, but down from 2022

  The Salt Lake City-based operator posted $912 million in net income for the first nine months of 2023, down from the $2.2 billion reported last year.

  Hospitals

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  Mount Sinai Health System names new CEO

  The health system's head of emergency medicine, Brendan Carr, will replace the long-standing CEO early next year.

  Hospitals

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  Insurers’ financial outlook stable despite higher MA utilization: Moody’s

  Publicly traded health insurers’ financial results held steady in the third quarter, boosted by strong investment income and membership growth, according to the credit ratings agency.

  Payer

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  PeaceHealth will pay up to $13.4M to settle charity care probe

  The Washington-based nonprofit said their policies center care, "not maximizing collections." The state's attorney general said the hospital failed to notify patients about financial assistance options.

  Hospitals

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  Deep Dive

  Where are all the nurses? Hospitals, advocates disagree on crisis

  Hospitals and nursing unions clash on what’s driving sluggish application rates for open registered nurse positions — a lack of qualified candidates or a lack of interest.

  Hospitals

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