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Shifting payer mix puts 340B hospitals at risk of losing eligibility

AHA wants HHS to waive certain eligibility requirements to allow continued access to the program during the public health emergency, the group wrote in a letter to Secretary Xavier Becerra.

How hospital operators fared financially in 2020

"For the most part providers were dependent on that CARES funding. I think they would have been in the red or break even without it," Suzie Desai, a senior director at S&P Global Ratings, said.

One-third of small businesses say health insurance is a top concern during COVID-19: survey

The new poll from the Small Business Majority and Families USA also found that pain is particularly acute among Black-, Asian American- and Latino-owned businesses, which tend to have fewer resources than their White counterparts.

IBM, Cleveland Clinic launch 10-year quantum computing deal

The joint venture will also investigate approaches to public health crises for proactive ways to head off the next viral emergency, averting another COVID-19 catastrophe.

A year into the pandemic, advanced cancer diagnoses are rising

Research from radiation oncologists and molecular pathologists add to evidence showing that many people skipped getting cancer screenings in 2020 as they avoided going to the doctor to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Senate passes bill extending Medicare sequester cut pause

CMS instructed Medicare administrative contractors to hold all claims on or after April 1, when the pause on cuts is scheduled to end. The House is expected to take up the Senate-passed bill when it returns the week of April 13.

UPDATED: March 31, 2021 at 8:23 a.m.

FTC challenges Illumina-Grail deal, putting $7B merger in jeopardy

The commission said the union will "harm competition in the U.S. market for life-saving multi-cancer early detection tests." Illumina is opposing the action, but Wall Street analysts see no “easy fixes."

DOJ to investigate UnitedHealth's $13B Change buy

"The parties have been working cooperatively with the DOJ and will continue to do so," Change Health said in a Friday filing with the SEC.

Medical liability insurance premiums rising after stable decade, AMA report finds

While providers grapple with the pandemic's toll on finances, some can face liability premiums of $200,000 a year, according to the analysis sponsored by the doctors' lobby.

FDA approves first CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma

Approval of Bristol Myers Squibb and Bluebird bio's Abecma expands use of CAR-T treatment beyond leukemia and lymphoma.

Stryker, Zimmer make data and analytics top priority as robotic procedures ramp up

Through partnerships with big tech or developments of smart implants, the orthopaedic companies say tapping troves of patient data is the next logical strategic step.

Hospital margins hit hard by pandemic, but CARES Act provided huge relief, Moody's finds

Although the fiscal situation for the sector has improved, Moody's did not provide a long-term outlook for hospitals in 2021 and beyond.

Striking Tenet nurses, hospital CEO trade jabs with no end in sight for standoff

"Until the cost becomes too great to one or the other sides, they're going to continue down this road," said Paul Clark, professor and director of Penn State's school of labor and employment relations.

Payer lobbies cheer new bipartisan bill allowing audio-only telehealth in MA

"Lawmakers have recognized the importance of telehealth, and this important legislation recognizes that for many seniors, a phone call is their only option for health care at home," AHIP CEO Matt Eyles said Wednesday.

Hospitals flailed amid COVID-19 crisis, are unsure of future, OIG says

Executives said they were worried about their workers experiencing trauma and concerned a shrinking recruitment pool for nurses could exacerbate staffing shortages.

Uber Health expands prescription delivery to 37 states with ScriptDrop deal

The move suggests the ride-hailing giant is betting that consumer demand for at-home drug delivery remains a lasting trend beyond COVID-19.

Reality check: Amazon Care may not be that big of a deal

Currently, the effort is a more direct threat to employer-facing point solutions, instead of the more comprehensive offerings from entrenched vendors.

AstraZeneca, under fire, tries to repair image with new vaccine data

Updated results show the vaccine is only slightly less effective than AstraZeneca originally reported. But the drugmaker's unusual break with a study committee may have damaged perception of the shot.

As Medicare sequester cut extension deadline looms, AHA urges Senate to act

Without action, the 2% payment cuts to providers are slated to go back into effect April 1. The hospital lobby expects a vote this week.

Humana CFO to depart

Susan Diamond, president of the health insurer's home business, will assume the role of interim CFO on June 1 while Humana completes an external search for Brian Kane's replacement.

Advocate Aurora bounced back to black in 2020 after rough first 6 months

The large Midwest health system was able to post both positive operating and net income even though patient visits dropped significantly year over year.

Cancer screenings bounced back after steep pandemic declines, Rand report shows

"These are the first findings to show that, despite real fears about the consequences of drop-off in cancer screens, health facilities figured out how to pick this back up after the initial pandemic restrictions," a researcher said.

AstraZeneca may have used 'outdated' data to describe vaccine's efficacy, NIH says

The British drugmaker said it will release updated data from the large U.S. trial within 48 hours, but the puzzling episode is another communication misstep for the company.

ASCs gave medtechs alternate care sites amid pandemic hospital elective shutdown

After surgeries moved to ambulatory surgery centers during the pandemic's upending of non-emergency care, experts and industry believe some procedures may never go back.

House passes bill that would extend Medicare sequester cuts until December

The cuts will go back into effect March 31 and the bill now awaits action from the Senate. The hospital industry has been pushing hard for a delay.