The Latest

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  CVS hit with lawsuit from independent pharmacy over fees

  A small Iowa pharmacy is accusing CVS Caremark of forcing independent pharmacies to sign one-sided contracts in order to stay in its network and continue dispensing drugs for its millions of covered lives.

  Payer

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  Centene lays off 3% of workforce

  The insurer has been struggling with headwinds from Medicaid redeterminations and MA star ratings. The layoffs follow similar workforce reductions at CVS Health earlier this summer.

  Payer

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  Telehealth satisfaction higher among younger patients, survey finds

  Older generations may struggle to easily access and use telehealth providers’ digital interfaces, a JD Power survey suggests.

  Health IT

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  MA premiums increase slightly for 2024

  CVS, UnitedHealth and Humana expanded their MA footprints 13%, 4% and 2% respectively for next year, according to an analyst analysis of the CMS data.

  Payer

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  PE-owned HealthComp and Virgin Pulse to combine in $3B merger

  A group of investment firms — including JP Morgan’s health ventures arm — are joining forces for the transaction, which is meant to create an integrated platform for employer-sponsored health benefits.

  Health IT

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  Ohio lawmakers propose minimum nurse-to-patient ratios

  The state is the latest to propose “safe staffing” legislation in a push to address nurse recruitment and retention.

  Hospitals

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  Elevance, BCBSLA pause $2.5B merger amid regulatory scrutiny

  The health insurers originally expected their merger to close before the end of 2023, but have hit snags receiving the regulatory green light in Louisiana.

  Payer

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  Nuance rolls out automated clinical documentation tool DAX Copilot

  The application, previously called DAX Express, drafts summaries of patient conversations “in seconds,” according to Microsoft-owned Nuance.

  Health IT

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  Cano sells Texas, Nevada centers to Humana subsidiary for $67M

  The divestiture to Humana’s CenterWell Senior Primary Care business comes after Cano this summer said it was exploring a potential sale amid its worsening liquidity position.

  Payer

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  Hospices bought by PE, public companies had more dementia patients, study finds

  Hospices acquired by private equity firms and publicly traded companies shift their operational strategies toward maximizing profits, the new study in JAMA Network Open suggests.

  Finances

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  FDA staff hold ‘major concerns’ with Brainstorm ALS therapy, documents show

  Agency scientists flagged numerous issues with Brainstorm’s stem cell treatment ahead of a high-profile Wednesday meeting of expert FDA advisers.

  Government

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  CommonSpirit lays off 2K, reports $1.4B operating loss

  The Catholic health system reported another round of layoffs, this time affecting ancillary, support and overhead positions.

  Hospitals

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  CMS to get ‘tougher’ on Medicare Advantage, official promises

  Deputy Administrator Jon Blum signaled regulators could increasingly crack down on bad actors in the MA program, which now covers more than half of Medicare seniors.

  Payer

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  CMS requires 30 states to pause Medicaid disenrollments after systems error

  Nearly 500,000 people will regain Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage after being improperly removed from the rolls during redeterminations, according to the HHS.

  Payer

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  CommonSpirit launches value-based management platform for physicians

  The nonprofit giant is the latest healthcare organization trying to position itself as an attractive partner for independent physicians who want to transition to value-based payment arrangements.

  Hospitals

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  Kaiser unions issue unfair labor practice strike notice as bargaining further breaks down

  Leaders of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced on Friday that over 75,000 members will strike from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6 if labor and management cannot agree to new contract terms.

  Hospitals

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  Federal agencies propose increase to No Surprises Act administrative fees

  On Thursday, the HHS and other departments proposed a rule that would raise the independent dispute resolution process fees from $50 to $150. Last month, a federal court vacated a rate of $350.

  Hospitals

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  Biden administration seeks to erase medical debt from credit reports

  In kicking off a medical debt rulemaking process, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau aims to tackle what is a “serious pain point” for many families, Director Rohit Chopra said Thursday.

  Government

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  Opinion

  The one code Congress must support: G2211

  Presidents of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians argue for reforms in the national physician payment system.

  Hospitals

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  FTC sues US Anesthesia Partners, Welsh Carson over alleged price collusion in Texas

  The PE firm and its anesthesia network rolled up multiple physician practices over the past decade, creating a dominant provider and charging Texans “tens of millions of dollars” more each year for anesthesia services, regulators allege.

  Government

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  Teladoc appoints former Tenet executive to board of directors

  Eric Evans joins the board after previously serving as president of hospital operations at Tenet Healthcare.

  Health IT

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  Staffing firm American Physician Partners files for bankruptcy

  The company said the COVID-19 pandemic, rising labor costs and a “problematic” implementation of the No Surprises Act challenged its finances.

  Hospitals

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  PBMs, PhRMA trade blame over drug costs in House hearing

  Pharmacy benefit manager lobby PCMA and drugmaker lobby PhRMA pointed fingers over problems in the prescription supply chain during the House committee's second PBM hearing on Tuesday.

  Payer

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  Nearly 80,000 Kaiser workers authorize potential strike as final bargaining session begins

  Union and Kaiser Permanente representatives have one final negotiation left to work out contract terms. Otherwise, 80,000 workers will strike in what would be the largest work stoppage in the industry's history.

  Hospitals

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  Frustration over surprise billing implementation builds in House hearing

  Bipartisan lawmakers joined together to voice concerns about the implementation of the No Surprises Act, which critics say has created barriers to care.

  Payer

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