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Amazon-JPM-Berkshire Hathaway troika has a name: Haven

Few concrete details emerged from the branding bid, but Haven's website and a letter from CEO Atul Gawande set lofty guiding principles for the venture.

Free-standing ERs costs 22 times more than doctor's office, UnitedHealth study says

There were at least 566 free-standing ERs in the country in 2016, which was a 42% increase from the previous year and a 155% increase from 2008, according to a UnitedHealth Group report.

Lyft teams up with blockchain platform as it preps for IPO

The partnership with the ride-hailing app will allow Solve.Care users to schedule rides to hospitals, doctor offices and pharmacies.

The CIO's role in M&A: CVS, Aetna undergo integration

While Aetna will operate as a standalone company under CVS Health, eliminating redundancies and merging best practices.

More than half of hospital leaders see supply chain improvement as path to higher margins

Despite being a high priority, many hospitals rely on outdated methods to manage inventory and related costs, according to a survey conducted by Sage Growth Partners for SCM vendor Syft.

Centene and its PBM partner promise disruption, but analysts are skeptical

The payer is parting ways with CVS, shifting its PBM business to a relatively new competitor in RxAdvance.

CMS wants to make selling out-of-state insurance easier

Selling insurance across state lines is a policy idea long-championed by conservatives, but hardly adopted in part as it comes with a bevy of consumer protection and antitrust hangups.

Why 2019 could be 'last easy year' for payers

Major U.S. insurers reported mostly positive quarterly and year-end financial results in the first months of this year, but political pressure and continued provider consolidation loom ahead.

Quarter of healthcare organizations had mobile-related security compromise in past year

More than half of industry organizations learned of a breach from a customer or partner, according to Verizon's Mobile Security Index.

Judge rules against UnitedHealth behavioral unit over claims denials

Plaintiffs alleged they were wrongfully denied care for mental health services. A judge said the company put financial motives above clinical decisions.

Moms who get surprise bill more likely to switch hospitals for second birth

Patients who chose a different facility had their chances of getting a surprise bill for the second delivery reduced by more than half, according to a Health Affairs report.

Deep Dive

Mixing medicine and money: Why the rise of health system VCs is raising ethical concerns

More dollars than ever are flowing from VCs affiliated with nonprofit health systems, spurring questions around conflicts of interest.

Rural areas hit hardest on unsubsidized ACA plans

In about one in five U.S. counties, a 40-year-old making $50,000 a year spends more than 10% of their income on the cheapest ACA plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to step down in a month

The exit comes as the agency revamps its medical device approval pathways.

UPDATED: March 5, 2019 at 4:36 p.m.

Paying patients to shop yields modest savings, Health Affairs study finds

Price reductions were mostly seen in imaging services, especially MRI and ultrasound.

Medicare for all (or some), buy in and other universal plans vary widely

Democratic presidential candidates like Sens. Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders support a single-payer system. Sen. Amy Klobuchar backs a more modest Medicaid buy-in proposal.

Amazon Web Services working with Beth Israel Deaconess in AI push

The Boston teaching hospital used AWS machine learning to optimize scheduling for 41 operating rooms and improve inpatient flow.

US kidney care getting revamp, HHS officials say

Stocks of multiple dialysis providers plummeted Monday as Trump administration health chiefs previewed changes to kidney care payment models and transplant procedures.

CVS to close retail audiology centers ahead of over-the-counter regulations

FDA has made clear it believes consumers should be able to take a more active role in managing hearing loss.

Beth Israel Lahey Health becomes official

The merger involving Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health creates the second-largest health system in Massachusetts.

Ascension hires first chief community impact officer

The nation's largest nonprofit hospital operator said it created the role to focus on improving the health of the communities it serves across the country.

Time's Up Healthcare takes aim at sexual harassment, gender inequity

The campaign's early supporters include Mayo Clinic, Yale and Brigham Health.

Feedback for lowering healthcare costs focuses on surprise billing, value-based care

The American Medical Group Association suggested methods for decreasing administrative burdens, promoting price transparency and encouraging patient engagement and accountability.

Livongo, Cedars-Sinai double down on voice tech

The product announcements come as voice tools are gaining traction and companies like Amazon and Google are looking for ways to expand their presence in healthcare.

CMS updates hospital star ratings for the first time since 2017

The American Hospital Association and America's Essential Hospitals both decried the quality ratings update, with the AHA calling the program "flawed from the outset."