Medical Groups

Rising Google searches for procedures suggest recovering demand, analysts say

Searches for surgeries like orthopaedics, general surgery and cardiovascular procedures are above pre-pandemic levels, providing another data point to indicate that demand is recovering, according to a Needham report.

By Nick Paul Taylor • May 11, 2022

'Very false and misleading' criticisms over direct contracting stoked model controversy, stakeholders say

Political ire around direct contracting that came to a head earlier this year was rooted in a "real lack of understanding," one CEO of a physician group said at NAACOS' spring conference.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 29, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Payer/Provider relationships

As M&A intensifies and companies are more likely to embrace more holistic and value-based care models, partnerships have become more closely intertwined.

By Healthcare Dive staff

HHS warns providers of 'exceptionally aggressive' ransomware group

The Hive group practices double extortion — demanding payment to free data it has encrypted while also threatening to release the unencrypted data publicly.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 21, 2022

Corporate employment of physicians surged during pandemic

A study by Avalere found that hospitals or other corporate entities are buying up independent physician groups at a rapid clip, raising concerns about increasing pressures on doctors.

By Susan Kelly • April 20, 2022

Healthcare worker training org aims to root out bias in care

The heightened racial unrest of 2020 revealed unmet needs and windows of opportunity to challenge structural racism.

By Carla Bell • April 20, 2022

Physician pay is climbing after early-pandemic slump

Doctors' financial compensation increased in the past year, resuming a longer-term trend though gender, racial and ethnic pay disparities persist.

By Susan Kelly • April 18, 2022

New York grants nurse practitioners full practice authority

It's the latest state that relaxed rules for nurse practitioners during the pandemic then decided to make those changes permanent. Half the states in the country now grant full practice authority to NPs.

By Hailey Mensik • April 13, 2022

Community health centers facing acute workforce loss

A majority of health centers reported they lost up to a fourth of their workforce in the past six months alone, according to a new survey from the National Association of Community Health Centers.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 13, 2022

'Where's the patient?': Experts question FDA's final recall guidance

While the guidance encouraged the use of electronic communications in recalls, a change experts have advocated for, some questioned why the agency did not address more problems with the system.

By Ricky Zipp • April 7, 2022

Nurses union fights in court for permanent COVID-19 protection rule

National Nurses United argued before a federal appeals court on Monday that an existing temporary emergency standard isn't enough to protect healthcare workers from the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

By Susan Kelly • April 5, 2022

Walmart opening 5 health 'superstores' in delayed Florida launch

The Florida locations will be the first Walmart Health centers to use a medical record built by health IT software giant Epic, as part of a partnership announced last year.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 5, 2022

Surprisingly, physician burnout could contribute to slightly better outcomes, new study suggests

But this doesn't indicate that physician burnout is beneficial or should be tolerated, researchers said, stressing that the relationship between burnout and outcomes is complex and needs further investigation.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 4, 2022

Hospital E/M visit charges continued to rise in 2020, Fair Health finds

Meanwhile, the percentage of claims for telehealth shot up from just 0.22% of all claims in 2019 to about 15% in 2020, as COVID-19 restrictions set in and patients worried of virus transmission.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 30, 2022

UnitedHealth to buy home health business LHC for $5.4B

A growing number of health insurers, private equity companies and hospitals are snapping up home health and hospice practices, with hopes for a substantial ROI.

By Rebecca Pifer • March 30, 2022

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic

Hospitals overhauled their operations in COVID-19's early days. Now, two years into the pandemic, they are looking ahead at the future of their business, including revenue diversification and workforce stability.

March 29, 2022

Medical groups say prior authorization burdens persisted during pandemic

A new survey of doctor practices from the Medical Group Management Association found 98% of respondents wrestled with an increased or steady level of prior authorization requirements over the past year.

By Susan Kelly • March 8, 2022

Primary care physician turnover costs payers almost $1B every year, study finds

Disruptions in care continuity when primary care providers leave their practices was a costly issue even before the pandemic, according to the American Medical Association.

By Hailey Mensik • March 3, 2022

Anesthesiology practices get paid more when backed by private equity, study finds

Staffing firms appeared to negotiate significantly higher prices for anesthesia services, the study authors concluded, raising concerns that such price inflation could lead to higher insurance premiums and patient cost-sharing.

By Susan Kelly • March 2, 2022

CMS redesigns controversial Medicare direct contracting model

The decision to retain the direct contracting model — albeit with numerous changes and a new name — was met with mixed reactions from stakeholders.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 28, 2022

A battle on two fronts: Fighting to end stigma and the obesity epidemic

It's not just about research. Battling misconceptions is key to advancing obesity care and improving the lives of people living with the disease.

Feb. 28, 2022

Texas judge throws out piece of surprise billing rule in win for providers

The ruling tosses out the part of the rule that instructs arbiters must begin with the presumption that the qualifying payment amount, or median in-network rate, is the appropriate out-of-network amount to be paid to providers.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 24, 2022

One Medical partnering with Connecticut health system, but stock drags on high MLR

CEO Amir Dan Rubin told analysts in a call Wednesday that COVID-19 headwinds continue, including staffing shortages, a lag in return to care and reduced revenue from testing.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 24, 2022

Walgreens, VillageMD on track to open 200 co-branded clinics this year

It's the latest sprint in an ongoing race among drugstore chains to build out nationwide medical clinics, as consumers increasingly look for low-cost, convenient care options close to the home after two years of the pandemic.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 17, 2022

Boosters and test demand — coupled with lower COVID-19 treatment costs — drove CVS profit up 33% in Q4

People flocked to get booster shots as the omicron variant drove a sharp increase in testing, boosting revenue for CVS' drugstore segment. Meanwhile, its payer arm reported lower-than-expected COVID-19 treatment costs.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 9, 2022

Amazon expands virtual care service nationwide as demand surges

Along with virtual health services now being available for employers across the U.S., Amazon Care is expanding its in-person benefit to 20 more cities this year, the e-commerce giant said Tuesday.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 9, 2022