Steward executives cashed in prior to bankruptcy filing

Fourteen executives received over $1 million in total compensation the year before Steward entered Chapter 11 restructuring, bankruptcy documents show.

Judge dismisses Medicaid fraud suit against Centene’s board

A Pennsylvania pension fund had argued Centene board members failed in their oversight responsibilities and ignored red flags about a Medicaid overbilling scheme.

UHS names new senior VP of human resources

Maria Zangardi stepped into the role July 15.

UnitedHealth’s cyberattack response costs to surpass $2.3B this year

The healthcare giant’s new estimate is roughly $1 billion higher than previous forecasts as the cyberattack on subsidiary Change Healthcare continues to hamper its profit outlook.

Senators introduce bipartisan healthcare cybersecurity legislation

The bill would create a special liaison within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to help coordinate the government’s response during cyber incidents.

Steward further extends asset sale timeline. More delays could follow.

Steward has again delayed the sale timeline for several of its assets, including its physician group Stewardship Health.

Updated July 16, 2024

Chicago children’s hospital faces class action suits after cyberattack

Multiple lawsuits were filed last week after Lurie Children’s Hospital reported a cyberattack earlier this year may have exposed data of more than 775,000 people.

CMS’ first No Surprises audit targets Aetna, finds some noncompliance

The findings are a “big deal,” according to one expert, as CVS’ health insurer didn’t follow some “major requirements that are essential to ensuring that the IDR process runs smoothly.”

Private equity-backed providers represent less than 4% of US market: PitchBook

Despite the swell of political and media attention to private equity’s role in healthcare, PitchBook reports investment growth in providers has slowed.

House committee tells FDA to suspend lab developed test rule

Lawmakers said the final rule carries “the risk of greatly altering the United States’ laboratory testing infrastructure.”

Steward Health Care under federal investigation for fraud and corruption

The Department of Justice investigation follows a multi-year international probe into Steward's deal to improve three hospitals in Malta.

FDA’s lab developed test rule could be first check on agency’s power post-Chevron

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine would make it easier to challenge agency regulations, such as the LDT final rule.

Tracking healthcare data breaches

A cyberattack at Chicago-based Lurie Children’s Hospital may have exposed data from more than 775,000 people.

Updated July 12, 2024

CMS proposes 2.9% cut to physician pay for 2025

Regulators said Medicare’s budget neutrality requirement is to blame for the reduction, which was quickly decried by provider groups. However, it’s likely Congress will step in to mitigate the drop.

ONC proposed rule targets interoperability for public health, payers

The sweeping rule includes provisions to improve public health data sharing — a serious pain point during the COVID-19 pandemic —  as well as to boost security in health records and speed prior authorization.

Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic in talks to merge

The Midwestern health systems are not strangers to the bargaining table, having both pursued mergers in the past year. However, this time they hope to get a deal done.

Judge pauses CMS rule capping compensation for Medicare Advantage brokers

Texas Judge Reed O’Connor’s decision suggests he could overturn at least part of the rule, which is meant to curb predatory plan marketing to seniors.

Federal Trade Commission to sue three largest PBMs: WSJ

Antitrust regulators are poised to file suit against CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx over how they negotiate discounts for drugs, including insulin, according to the report.

Geisinger to spend $880M on medical center expansion

The project is the latest of several expansions for the Pennsylvania-based health system.

Medicare proposes 2.6% bump to hospital outpatient pay next year

The sweeping payment rule also solidifies continuous eligibility requirements for children in Medicaid and CHIP, and holds hospitals to higher obstetric care delivery standards in a bid to improve maternal mortality.

CMS revised Medicare Advantage star ratings. Here’s which payers benefited.

More than 60 Medicare Advantage health plans from 40 insurers have received a higher star rating for 2024, according to a Healthcare Dive analysis.

Digital health funding shows improvement in 2024: Rock Health

U.S. digital health startups have raised $5.7 billion across 266 deals so far this year, putting the sector on track to possibly exceed recent full-year funding totals.

FTC slams pharmacy benefit managers in first report from ongoing investigation

On Tuesday, regulators updated the public on their almost three-year-old inquiry into PBMs’ anticompetitive business practices. The report is not positive for the drug middlemen, which immediately criticized it as one-sided.

Federal judge blocks LGBTQ+ healthcare protections

The judge ruled the HHS overstepped in applying an employment law decision to healthcare, a decision experts say could occur more frequently now that the Chevron doctrine has been overturned.

Federal officials step down from health AI group’s board

HHS officials Micky Tripathi and Troy Tazbaz resigned from their roles as non-voting members of the Coalition for Health AI, an industry group working to create standards for artificial intelligence in healthcare.