Provider consolidation slammed in latest House affordability hearing

The head of the American Hospital Association attempted to defend consolidation. Members of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee were unmoved.

MedArrive acquires tech assets from shuttered Inbound Health

The assets will add AI-backed care navigation capabilities to MedArrive’s home care logistics platform, so health systems can determine which patients are ready to transfer from acute care.

Alignment Healthcare’s idiosyncratic take on Medicare Advantage

Other MA plans are downsizing, upset about coding changes and lobbying for higher rates. Alignment is growing and unbothered by the policy and payment fuss. CEO John Kao lays out how his company is breaking away from the pack.

Baxter CFO Joel Grade steps down

Grade is leaving after a two-year stint defined by changes to Baxter’s business, including the sale of its kidney care unit.

Sutter, Allina Health to form $26B nonprofit system

The acquisition, announced Tuesday, would expand Sutter outside its home state of California and into the Midwest. The nonprofits expect the deal to close by the end of the year.

Physicians still concerned about AI accuracy amid rapid adoption: survey

Nearly all physicians said they had already used AI in their practice or are interested in doing so, according to the survey by Doximity. But more than 70% said accuracy and reliability were a top barrier to adoption.

Stryker begins restoring ordering, shipping systems after cyberattack

The medtech company believes the cyberattack has been contained and is now bringing systems back online.

Balancing AI innovation and risk: 5 takeaways from HIMSS26

The healthcare sector will increasingly adopt autonomous agents this year, but it’ll have to consider how to adapt governance structures and manage cybersecurity risks as AI evolves, experts said in Las Vegas last week.

Cencora CFO announces retirement

James Cleary will step down from the post on June 30, but stay on as an adviser to the company through the end of the year. He’s the second finance chief of a drug distributor to announce their retirement this month.

Federal court blocks RFK Jr.’s moves to upend US vaccine policy

The ruling, related to a lawsuit from several major medical organizations, said that the HHS ignored established protocols when altering the childhood immunization schedule and overhauling a key CDC panel.

GuardDog Telehealth admits to improper record sharing in Epic court case

In an agreement between the two companies, GuardDog admitted it masqueraded as a healthcare provider in order to gain access to medical records.

CMS wants seniors to use AI for care navigation

The agency plans to introduce AI agents to help Medicare beneficiaries find doctors and health plans, a challenge given many enrollees don’t yet trust the tools, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said during the HIMSS conference.

Vanderbilt Health CEO to retire at the end of the year

The Nashville, Tennessee-based academic health system said its board of directors will begin a national search for its next president and CEO.

Genetic tests come under scrutiny in Trump administration’s fraud crackdown

As the CMS calls for public feedback on how to stop lab test fraud, experts say a tailored regulatory strategy will be key to avoid stifling innovation.

Microsoft launches dedicated health AI chatbot

The technology giant is the latest in a string of companies to roll out an AI tool specific to consumers’ health queries.

FDA to unify agency’s ‘fragmented’ safety surveillance system

Combining the disparate databases used to detect potential issues with drugs, vaccines and other products into a single dashboard will enhance their utility and cut costs, the agency said.

Developers stand to lose IT certification if found information blocking

Customers of IT developers who lose their certification would also forfeit some financial incentives, ASTP/ONC head Dr. Thomas Keane said at the HIMSS conference.

Safety-net providers tackle AI adoption as Medicaid cuts loom

Artificial intelligence tools could help safety-net organizations close gaps created by massive cuts to Medicaid signed into law last year, experts said at the HIMSS conference.

CVS to pay $118M to settle Medicare Advantage fraud allegations

The settlement announced by the Department of Justice on Wednesday comes after federal regulators accused Aetna of submitting inaccurate data to the CMS.

Amazon expands access to health-focused AI assistant

The assistant launched for members of the technology giant’s One Medical primary care chain in January. Now, the tool will be available to all U.S. customers.

FDA clears repurposed GSK drug for ultra-rare brain disease instead of autism

Months after promising help for “hundreds of thousands of kids,” the FDA approved the decades-old medicine for a disease documented in less than 50 people.

Overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans are costing seniors billions, Joint Economic Committee finds

Congressional investigators found Medicare Part B premiums rose by more than $200 per member, totaling $13.4 billion in additional spending, due to the alleged overpayments. Payers slammed the report as flawed.

Providence CFO to step down

Greg Hoffman will retire in June after almost a decade at the nonprofit Catholic health system. His retirement comes as Providence attempts to execute a financial turnaround plan.

ARPA-H launches program to develop biosensors that can track multiple signals

The research initiative is part of a broader focus on wearables at the HHS.

AI is moving at lightning speed. Can regulation keep up?

Artificial intelligence is swiftly evolving, forcing regulators to figure out how to oversee a technology that can act autonomously and potentially improve itself, experts said at the HIMSS conference in Las Vegas.