The Latest

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  Artificial intelligence could save healthcare industry $360B a year

  Broader adoption of AI in healthcare is likely in the near future, and could come with a slew of benefits beyond financial gains, according to McKinsey and Harvard researchers.

  Health IT

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  Upcoming Medicaid redeterminations could hamper hospitals, payers

  Medicaid eligibility checks beginning in April will likely curb hospital revenue and enrollment growth for payers, Moody's Investors Service said in a report.

  Hospitals

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  Elevance reports $6B profit in 2022 on higher medical membership

  The results come days after the insurer said it plans to buy Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, a deal that would expand its reach to 15 states. 

  Payer

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  Amazon doubles down on generic drugs with new RxPass subscription

  RxPass will cost Prime customers $5 per month to fill prescriptions from a list of about 50 generic medications.

  Health IT

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  Record-breaking 16.3M people signed up for ACA coverage

  The 2023 enrollment numbers reflect a broader policy push from the Biden administration to increase insurance coverage, especially during the pandemic.

  Payer

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  More states propose nurse staffing, ratio laws

  Lawmakers in three states are considering legislation around healthcare worker staffing and nurse-to-patient ratios after the pandemic caused the industry to suffer major workforce challenges.

  Hospitals

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  CVS, Rush partner on new ACO for Chicago Medicare patients

  Rush University will be the only Chicago-area academic medical center participating in CVS’ first accountable care organization in ACO REACH.

  Hospitals

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  Elevance to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

  The deal will add 2 million members to Elevance’s rolls and push the insurer into its 15th state.

  Payer

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  Intermountain Healthcare launches rebrand, ditches ‘care’

  The new name reflects the system’s mission to keep people healthy beyond the traditional healthcare setting, Intermountain said.

  Hospitals

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  Dollar General latest player to enter retail clinic arena

  The pilot could expand to additional stores, depending on customer response, as Dollar General continues to grow its healthcare products and services targeted at rural communities.

  Medical Groups

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  Pandemic continues to affect healthcare jobs, tracker finds

  Healthcare job growth rates have yet to return to levels predicted before the pandemic, according the tracker from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Peterson Center on Healthcare.

  Hospitals

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  Nonprofit hospitals may evade noncompete ban enforcement, experts say

  Ambiguity remains over whether the ban would apply to nonprofit systems, which make up about half of all U.S hospitals.

  Hospitals

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  Commonspirit hit with another lawsuit in wake of ransomware attack

  The hospital operator is facing multiple lawsuits alleging it failed to protect the private information of more than 620,000 people.

  Hospitals

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  Study throws claims of telehealth savings into doubt

  However, Kaiser Family Foundation researchers did stress telehealth’s benefit in expanding access and convenience for consumers.

  Health IT

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  Healthcare worker pay satisfaction lowest across all industries, survey finds

  Just half of healthcare employees surveyed by management firm Qualtrics said they believe they’re paid fairly for the work they do, the lowest score across 27 industries analyzed.

  Hospitals

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  US to jack up fees for big mergers

  Filing fees are expected to soar this year and companies, including those in healthcare, will need to prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny of M&A deals.

  Government

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  Cigna-owned Express Scripts taps new president

  Previously, Adam Kautzner led pharmaceutical and retail network contracting and drug sourcing as vice president of supply chain for the PBM and Accredo Pharmacy.

  Payer

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  Cleveland Clinic expects $200M-plus operating loss in 2022

  The anticipated loss is a stark contrast to 2021, when Cleveland Clinic reported its strongest financial performance ever with $746 million in operating income.

  Hospitals

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  Problems with Philips’ recall put safety of home-use devices at top of danger list

  Patient safety group ECRI is challenging manufacturers to provide easy-to-follow device registration instructions and write simply worded recall notices.

  Health IT

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  More than quarter of ground ambulance transports could result in surprise bill

  Ground ambulances were left out of federal legislation banning surprise billing, but the sector may be ripe for similar regulation given the prevalence of out-of-network rides, according to research in Health Affairs.

  Hospitals

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  Tenet shakes up leadership, operations team

  The role changes come a year after the system’s previous COO, Suam Sutaria, was promoted to CEO following the retirement of Tenet chief executive Ron Rittenmeyer.

  Hospitals

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  The largest healthcare worker strikes waged — and avoided — in 2022

  At least 30,000 healthcare workers went on strike last year, and nearly twice as many others threatened to do so.

  Hospitals

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  Major government ACOs to cover 13.2M people this year

  Accountable care organizations and value-based care advocates cheered the news, with the National Association of ACOs calling 2023 a “turning point” for growth.

  Payer

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  After uptick last year, hospital M&A likely to continue to rise in 2023

  Kaufman Hall said M&A momentum is expected to continue this year following a lull after the onset of the pandemic, with deal volume predicted to eclipse 2022 numbers.

  Hospitals

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  Teladoc slashes 6% of workforce in cost-cutting effort

  The job cuts are part of a larger restructuring plan, with the telehealth company saying it’s eliminating redundant roles after prior mergers.

  Health IT

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