The Latest

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  DOJ drops appeal against UnitedHealth’s acquisition of Change

  In a Monday filing with a federal appeals court, the DOJ-led group agreed to withdraw its suit against a ruling that had allowed the merger.

  Payer

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  Roche, Lilly team on test for early detection of Alzheimer’s

  The tool is intended to help gauge whether patients should receive further evaluation to confirm a diagnosis.

  Medical Groups

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  Surprise Billing

  Arbiters instructed to resume No Surprises Act determinations

  The CMS had previously paused and resumed earlier disputes between payers and providers after a Texas judge ruled against the federal government and vacated portions of the law that bans surprise billing.

  Hospitals

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  Microsoft’s Nuance integrates GPT-4 into medical scribe

  DAX Express will be Nuance’s first fully automated clinical documentation software. Historically, Nuance has sent the notes generated by its AI to a human for quality review before returning them to physicians.

  Health IT

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  IBM installs quantum computer on-site at Cleveland Clinic

  The IBM Quantum System One is the first quantum computer solely dedicated to healthcare research, and the first IBM-managed quantum computer in the U.S. outside of IBM’s own facilities.

  Hospitals

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  Overturning of Roe v. Wade

  Wyoming bans abortion pills

  It is the first state to specifically prohibit the pills, which make up half of all abortions in the U.S. The ban comes before an expected decision by a Texas judge that could force manufacturers to pull one pill from markets nationwide.

  Government

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  Record number of residency matches notched for 2023

  Interest in emergency medicine slots fell this year, however, with 554 positions left unfilled.

  Hospitals

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  Surprise Billing

  Provider directories remain inconsistent, despite No Surprises Act provisions

  In a new study, researchers analyzed health plan provider directories for over 40% of U.S. physicians, and found inconsistencies for 81% of doctors across five major insurers.

  Payer

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  Opinion

  The health of a community depends on fair health insurance practices

  Access to local and convenient care is critical for a community’s health. However, the current approach from payers puts this at risk, argues Antonio Rios, chief of population health at Northeast Georgia Health System.

  Hospitals

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  MedPAC recommends physician pay bump, but not enough for provider groups

  Updating base physician payment rates by 1.45% in 2024 as proposed by the group that advises Congress on Medicare policy is “grossly insufficient,” the Medical Group Management Association said.

  Hospitals

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  CMS lays out plans for negotiating drug prices

  The guidance fills in details for one of the central pharmaceutical provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, signaling how the agency will use its new authority.

  Payer

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  AI scribe shows potential in documentation for orthopedists but needs corrections, study finds

  Although the AI scribe understood most verbal commands and handled most medical documentation, it was at times unable to form a medical plan.

  Health IT

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  Majority of states plan to take their time with Medicaid redeterminations

  Some states are proposing to unwind Medicaid coverage more slowly, while others are moving more quickly to focus on reducing budgetary costs, according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

  Payer

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  US names first drugs to face price hike penalty

  Under the Inflation Reduction Act, pharma companies owe rebates to Medicare for price increases they take that exceed inflation. But they won’t need to pay until 2025.

  Government

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  FTC says health privacy key priority in 2024 budget request

  The agency cited its need to take on bigger and more complex cases in areas like health privacy in its request on Tuesday for a $160 million funding boost.

  Government

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  Oscar Health names current physician leader new CMO

  Sean Martin is stepping up as chief medical officer of the New York-based insurer, after Oscar’s old CMO left to become CMO of L.A. Care Health Plan in December.

  Payer

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  Healthcare companies may turn to big banks after SVB collapse

  The fall of SVB created a chasm in life sciences financing that could be filled by bigger banks, but might hamper access to quick, short-term cash for startups.

  Finances

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  Google plans to boost Medicaid information during redeterminations

  Google also shared an updated version of its medical artificial intelligence that can answer clinical questions at an “expert” level at an annual event Tuesday.

  Health IT

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  Fall of SVB hits healthcare sector as federal regulators step in

  The closure of the major healthcare and life sciences lender Friday was the culmination of a rapid four-day nosedive that left some healthcare companies temporarily locked out of funds.

  Health IT

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  Overturning of Roe v. Wade

  Democrat senators press major US pharmacies on mifepristone access

  The letters, sent to Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Walmart, Kroger and Costco, urge the chains to clarify their positions on dispensing the abortion pill.

  Government

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  VA to cover Leqembi for veterans with early Alzheimer’s

  The agency’s decision on Eisai and Biogen’s newly approved drug contrasts with a stringent Medicare policy that limits coverage to only patients in clinical trials.

  Government

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  Majority of adults with medical debt owe money to hospitals

  While medical debt remains a persistent financial burden in the U.S., a new analysis from the Urban Institute highlights how targeting hospital billing could ameliorate the problem.

  Hospitals

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  Physicians say prior authorization rules harm patients, AMA survey finds, as CMS works toward new policy

  Over a third of physicians said the requirements led to a serious adverse event for one of their patients, such as hospitalization, permanent impairment or death, the survey found.

  Hospitals

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  Deep Dive

  Hacking healthcare: With 385M patient records exposed, cybersecurity experts sound alarm on breach surge

  Healthcare companies must harden their defenses, but it may require regulators and lawmakers to raise the bar on security standards, experts say.

  Hospitals

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  Q&A

  Bon Secours’ outgoing chief nurse officer on the challenges ahead for nursing

  Andrea Mazzoccoli shares workforce trends she’s keeping an eye on and advice for future nursing leaders as she exits her role.

  Hospitals

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