Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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Why payers are gobbling up PBMs
On Monday the Justice Department gave its blessing to a $67 billion acquisition of Express Scripts by Cigna.
Samantha Liss • Sept. 18, 2018 -
When ICE comes knocking, healthcare workers want to be prepared
Hospital staff are on the front lines in the fight against a growing threat to their patients' health: fear.
Tony Abraham • Sept. 14, 2018 -
Blockchain in healthcare: Huge promise, but largely unproven
"What blockchain has been able to do is create markets where a market didn't previously exist," says Noah Zimmerman, director of Mount Sinai's Center for Biomedical Blockchain Research.
Meg Bryant • Aug. 30, 2018 -
How Scott Gottlieb is upending FDA communication, 1 tweet at a time
The FDA commissioner has been relentless in pumping out tweets, statements and more. But how has that affected FDA communications and the agency overall?
Andrew Dunn • Aug. 28, 2018 -
Rural hospitals in dire need of regulatory relief
"Reducing some of the costly regulatory challenges we face would help staunch the bloodletting," said Leslie Marsh, CEO of Lexington Regional Health Center.
Meg Bryant • Aug. 17, 2018 -
Prior authorization moves to EHRs
Manual prior authorization can create administrative burdens for practices and hospitals, but case studies show some success in making the process electronic.
Les Masterson • Aug. 15, 2018 -
5 key takeaways from hospitals' Q2 results
Earnings were mixed for hospital operators in the second quarter, with winners and losers beginning to emerge amid industry uncertainty.
Tony Abraham and Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 15, 2018 -
5 takeaways from payer Q2 earnings reports
Health insurers found success in Medicare, Medicaid and even the ACA exchanges.
Les Masterson • Aug. 08, 2018 -
Industry balks at FDA's cybersecurity plans
"We already know that FDA will reject premarket submissions if they do not follow the cybersecurity guidance," says AdvaMed's Zach Rothstein.
Meg Bryant • Aug. 02, 2018 -
How providers are working to stem missed appointments
Millions of patients cancel, skip or reschedule appointments with their clinicians every year, creating vacant schedules and expenses that can cost the industry $150 billion annually.
Tony Abraham • July 27, 2018 -
Payers, doctors weigh AI's disruptive prescribing potential
The disruption won't happen overnight, though, as big tech firms try to not only develop healthcare AI tools, but also show they'll enhance, rather than upend, the doctor-patient relationship.
Jacob Bell • July 26, 2018 -
Pharma and AI? Let's try augmented intelligence first
Both collaborations and in-house capabilities will likely be needed for pharma to successfully use AI across drug development.
Lisa LaMotta • July 26, 2018 -
Some patients fight back against surprise medical bills
"People that come to us are often quite distraught," says Akshay Gupta, co-founder of CoPatient, a firm that helps patients resolve their medical bills.
Meg Bryant • July 25, 2018 -
How Mercy Health consolidated its supply chain
Facing rising costs and inconsistencies, health systems are strengthening efficiency by vertically integrating their supply chains.
Nicole Ault • July 25, 2018 -
Health systems increasingly think small. At the micro level.
"It's intended to be the 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' version," one hospital executive quipped about the micro-campus goal.
Les Masterson • July 23, 2018 -
The boons of — and barriers to — behavioral health integration
An increasing number of clinics are trying a collaborative care model, but reimbursement, structural and historical barriers remain an obstacle.
Les Masterson • July 05, 2018 -
Return of the house call
Big systems like Johns Hopkins and CMS itself are increasingly looking to home-based care.
Les Masterson • July 02, 2018 -
Telebehavioral health finding its niche
Providers are exploring new tech options, but there's still work to be done to integrate mental health services into the larger healthcare delivery system.
Meg Bryant • June 21, 2018 -
Hospital CEO pay rises steadily, but still lags many sectors
Median CEO pay at hospital and health systems is stable with very modest increases in the range of 2.5% to 3% year-over-year.
Les Masterson • June 20, 2018 -
Fight for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios heats up
Nurses point to research suggesting mandatory staffing ratios in California helped improve patient health outcomes. The hospital industry, however, remains resistant, citing staff shortages and other roadblocks.
Tony Abraham • June 15, 2018 -
New Medicare Advantage rules hold big potential for pop health
A CMS rule taking effect this week lets payers offer benefits like ride-hailing and nutrition support to boost health.
Meg Bryant • June 13, 2018 -
Days of information blocking look numbered
Government pressure and emerging business incentives are encouraging companies to share data.
Meg Bryant • May 31, 2018 -
More doctors become hospital employees, facing noncompetes
Legal experts say noncompete agreements are common practice for hospitals, and are usually enforceable. But physicians, and in some cases the courts, are pushing back.
Meg Bryant • May 23, 2018 -
US health companies not quite ready for EU GDPR privacy rule
The regulation going into effect May 25 carries stiff fines for non-compliance.
Tony Abraham • May 17, 2018 -
Pharma breathes easy as Trump's drug pricing plan fizzles
While Trump vowed to bring drug prices down, pharma and biotech stocks jumped higher after his speech delivered few immediate actions.
David Lim • May 11, 2018