CDC panel to discuss COVID, hepatitis B shots in September meeting

A federal register notice confirmed dates for the anticipated advisory meeting, which will follow an FDA decision to narrow COVID boosters' approval and comes as CDC leadership is in turmoil.

CVS agrees to pay Massachusetts $12M to settle Medicaid overbilling claims

The retail pharmacy giant has also agreed to annually review its practices to ensure the state’s Medicaid program is getting the lowest possible prices for prescription drugs.

Sycamore Partners closes Walgreens acquisition, splits retailer into 5 companies

The deal’s closure also comes with a raft of leadership changes. Mike Motz, the former CEO of Staples U.S. Retail, has been appointed as Walgreens CEO effective immediately.

AI has promise, but health executives struggle with safe adoption: survey

Only 13% of health system leaders agreed that their organization had a clear strategy for integrating AI, according to a survey from consultancy Sage Growth Partners.

Medicare Advantage plans frequently deny post-acute care for nursing homes, survey finds

The findings build on other research suggesting that MA insurers restrict care more than they should, especially post-acute services.

No Surprises dispute resolution is creating billions of dollars in extra costs, could raise premiums: analysis

Providers are turning to the law’s arbitration process in droves to settle out-of-network claims, one factor fueling spending that could cost consumers down the line.

Physicians say fewer qualified doctors apply for jobs: report

In a new report from Medscape, physicians say a lack of qualified applicants is hampering efforts to fill open positions. Many worry the situation could get worse over the next decade.

A $50B rural health fund was negotiated with hospitals in mind. Experts are split on whether it will help them at all.

The fund was created to help Republicans secure critical votes for their reconciliation bill. But experts aren't quite sure how it'll work, creating a $50 billion dollar question with major ramifications for rural hospitals.

AdvaMed urges Dr. Oz to speed Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices

The trade group wants the CMS to take “bold action” to cut the lag between FDA authorization of devices and Medicare coverage.

Blue Shield of California names interim CEO to permanent chief executive

Mike Stuart has been the California Blues giant’s interim CEO since March. Now, he’s officially stepping into the role.

Johns Hopkins goes out of network with UnitedHealthcare after failed contract negotiations

The Baltimore-based system and the major insurer failed to resolve their contract spat by Monday’s deadline, sending some 60,000 patients out of network. Both pledged to continue negotiations.

Supreme Court allows NIH to axe millions of research funds related to DEI

The Thursday ruling allows the National Institutes of Health to cut nearly $800 million of research funds for studies like HIV prevention.

ModivCare files for bankruptcy with over $1.4B in debt

The medical transportation firm blamed mounting headwinds for its financial challenges, including labor cost inflation and declining reimbursements from public payers.

Judge stays provisions of Trump administration rule overhauling ACA

A Maryland district judge has paused heightened standards for people verifying their eligibility for subsidies and other key elements of a controversial final rule from July.

Oracle Health’s market share declined ‘substantially’ after Cerner buy: report

The company has lost 57 unique acute care customers in the past three years, 12 of which are larger health systems, according to Klas Research.

Judge approves $2.8B Blues settlement with providers

The final settlement wraps up 12 years of litigation over Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans’ alleged collusion to lower reimbursement to U.S. providers.

White House data sharing plan boasts big ambitions, but has scant details

Improving health data exchange is a worthy goal, but the initiative has to overcome challenges like data security, under-resourced providers and slow technology uptake, experts say.

Ransomware attack on DaVita exposes data from 2.7M

The data breach is one of the largest healthcare incidents reported to federal regulators this year.

UnitedHealth forms new ‘public responsibility’ board committee

The committee will oversee areas where UnitedHealth has struggled or faced public scrutiny: underwriting and forecasting, regulatory relationships, reputational matters, and M&A.

Option Care Health taps new CFO

Meenal Sethna will replace Michael Shapiro as the infusion therapy provider’s chief financial executive in October.

CVS Caremark fined $290M for Medicare fraud

CVS tried and failed to convince the judge to decrease the penalty. The company plans to appeal the ruling.

Elevance loses Medicare Advantage star ratings suit

The Texas judge’s decision — which picked apart Elevance’s argument on mathematical grounds — is expected to cost Elevance $375 million, though the insurer could still appeal.

Judge overturns rule limiting broker payments in Medicare Advantage

Reed O’Connor’s ruling is a setback for smaller MA plans — and efforts to curb predatory marketing to seniors.

CMS initiative targets undocumented immigrants in Medicaid

CMS will provide states monthly reports of beneficiaries whose citizenship or immigration status cannot be confirmed. States are expected to take “appropriate actions” including limiting coverage, the agency said.

Medicare Advantage headwinds dinging member satisfaction: survey

Overall customer satisfaction with MA plans fell 29 points year over year, driven by declining member trust, according to J.D. Power.