The Latest
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Short-term plans, Medicaid waivers, MA benefits dominate AHIP conferences
A House panel is investigating short-term "junk plans" and payers look to take advantage of more flexible benefit options in Medicare Advantage. That (and more) from AHIP's dual conferences last week.
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Managing high-cost claims tops employer benefit plan concerns
Companies are also offering their workers more perks like telehealth, according to a new Mercer cost trends survey.
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Healthcare execs worried about business model disruption, survey shows
Risk aversion, integrating social determinants of health and rising consumerism are also catching the attention of C-suites in 2019, according to a new survey commissioned by Change Healthcare and the HealthCare Executive Group.
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Patients mostly accept EHRs but privacy worries remain
Younger adults are less worried about health record privacy than other age groups, with 42% feeling "very" or "somewhat" concerned about unauthorized access, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
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Apple heart study: early proof of concept or a bit of a gimmick?
Doctors at the American College of Cardiology conference said the Apple Watch's foray into health monitoring needs more data to prove its value.
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Medicare, Medicaid advisory commissions alarmed by DSH cuts
The latest reports to Congress from the payment advisory commissions call for a sweeping redesign of quality measurement programs and signal concern for the financial viability of critical access hospitals.
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Physician-led ACOs leaving Medicare program in greater numbers
The vast majority of ACOs have stayed with the Medicare Shared Savings Program, however, with only 13% of them dropping out last year.
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Direct enrollment for ACA plans may lead to higher costs, fewer protections
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned that direct enrollment through entities other than HealthCare.gov or state exchange websites stifles competition and can confuse and mislead consumers.
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Medicaid work requirements will hurt hospital finances
Meanwhile, this week Trump administration officials argued in defense of the work requirements in front a skeptical federal judge who already halted the regulation in Kentucky.
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Amazon-Berkshire-JPM's Haven hires clinical strategy leader
Sandhya Rao joins the splashy venture from Partners Population Health, where she was senior medical director.
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House panel to launch investigation into short-term 'junk' plans
The Committee on Energy and Commerce will probe companies offering the short-term coverage and "hold them accountable," said Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., including those run by UnitedHealth and Anthem.
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Cerner, Epic 'fall behind' upstarts in infection surveillance, KLAS says
A poll of about 50 provider groups found Epic's efforts on surveillance software don't match expectations and Cerner users cite concerns with issue resolution and report accuracy.
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Telehealth underused by federally qualified health centers, analysis finds
Centers use telehealth largely for behavioral health sessions with patients, though some store-and-forward activities and remote patient monitoring also occur, according to the report by RAND Corporation.
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Cleveland Clinic creating center for AI in healthcare
Projects underway include machine learning models to predict patient length of stay and readmission risk and improve cancer detection.
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Quality varies wildly among affiliates linked with US News top hospitals, JAMA study finds
The analysis looked at facilities associated with U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals and outcomes within and across networks.
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How HCA defies industry trends with 19 straight quarters of admission gains
Investing in complex service lines to target higher-acuity patients is one strategy fueling the hospital chain's streak.
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Quorum Health's losses top $200M in 2018
Net operating revenue of the Brentwood, Tennessee-based health system declined 9.3% to $1.88 billion for the year.
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State-run reinsurance programs helped lower ACA plan premiums by 20%
The seven states using reinsurance have saved the federal government almost $1 billion, according to a new report from Avalere.
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Hospital groups say public option would cut payments by 10%
The American Hospital Association and Federation of American Hospitals argue an opt-in government insurance plan would hit bottom lines and disrupt the insurance market.
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Cambia, BCBS of North Carolina link to form $16B insurer
The entity will remain under the Cambia name and be helmed by current Blue Cross North Carolina head Patrick Conway, who formerly led the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.
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HHS hints at cutting 'onerous' substance abuse record rules
Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan told attendees at AHIP's National Health Policy Conference to "watch this space very carefully" for changes to the law known as Part 2.
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AMA says prior authorizations increasing, interfering with care continuity
A new survey of 1,000 physicians found that more than two-thirds said it's difficult for them to determine whether a prescription or service needs prior authorization.
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Blues challenge UPMC, call Highmark contract dispute 'of its own making'
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association argued it's too late for UPMC to intervene in a years-long litigation challenging the way Blues plans operate.
UPDATED: March 15, 2019 at 11:07 a.m. -
Hill-Rom plans $180M Voalte takeover to boost connected care unit
The acquisition will give the hospital equipment maker a communications system to complement its portfolio of smart devices.
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Intermountain makes push for more homecare
The Salt Lake City health system is bringing the services and capabilities of a clinic into the homes of patients suffering from chronic and complex conditions.
