Premiums rise when hospitals buy doctor practices, study finds

The study in Health Affairs also found prices were likely to rise for outpatient visits as private practices were acquired or vertically integrated with hospital systems.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 6, 2018

More patients sidestepping ED for low-acuity problems

Despite growing use of lower-cost care options, spending for low-acuity conditions rose 14% between 2008 and 2015, according to a report published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

By Meg Bryant • Sept. 6, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Payer/provider relationships

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

By Healthcare Dive staff

JAMA studies show upsides of CMS bundled payment models

The reports found reduced institutional post-acute discharges with the CJR program and no increase in patient volume for the BPCI model.

By Les Masterson • Sept. 6, 2018

PhRMA, hospital war over drug prices heats up

The drugmaker lobby issued a report contending hospitals upcharge meds by 500% as a hospital-led effort to develop cheaper generics took a step forward.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 6, 2018

WellCare's Meridian purchase boosts Medicaid market share

When Tampa, Florida-based WellCare announced the deal in May, it said the transaction would put it in the leading Medicaid market position for six states.

By Les Masterson • Sept. 5, 2018

Gottlieb: UnitedHealth, CareFirst sign onto FDA pilot aiming to speed device coverage

The FDA chief also outlined new programs including "QUiK Review" aimed at cutting review times for well-understood, low-risk 510(k) submissions "by as much as 30%."

By David Lim • Sept. 5, 2018

Amazon's stock valuation hits $1T

Outside of the strictly retail space, Amazon is rushing into healthcare headfirst with new hires and acquisitions as well as its joint venture with Berskhire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 5, 2018

Cigna names chief data and analytics officer

The appointment comes as the insurer attempts to swallow pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts.

By Susan Kelly • Sept. 5, 2018

Novartis CAR-T therapy snags UK coverage, cutting list price 23% from US

One of the fastest funding deals in the country's history leaves Novartis well ahead of rival Gilead in the battle to secure U.K. commercial returns.

By Andrew Dunn • Sept. 5, 2018

Amazon-Berkshire-JPM healthcare venture picks COO

Jack Stoddard, previously of Comcast and UnitedHealth, is CEO Atul Gawande's first publicized hire as the company works to fill the highly hyped effort's executive suite.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Sept. 5, 2018

Aetna to cover Abbott's non-opioid pain implant Proclaim

The decision opens up a potential market of 22 million people for the neurostimulation device.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Sept. 5, 2018

Medicare ACOs saved $1.1B in 2017, CMS data show

It comes after CMS officials predicted an overhaul of the Medicare Shared Savings Program would push ACOs to take on more financial risk in their first years of participation.

By Les Masterson • Sept. 4, 2018

CMMI director says agency won't force all providers to assume risk

Adam Boehler said, however, that CMS wants to "create that avenue" for any practices interested in taking on more risk.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 31, 2018

CMS looks to develop consumer comparative pricing portal

The agency has been pressing hospitals to be more transparent about the costs of procedures and services.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 30, 2018

Tennessee health system lawsuit alleges rigged Medicaid contracting by state

The filing is the latest breadcrumb in a trail of litigation reaching back to 2007.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 30, 2018

Uninsured rate stays stable in 2018

Use of high-deductible health plans continued an upward trend, with nearly half of people with private insurance saying they have such coverage, new federal statistics show.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 30, 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.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 30, 2018

Report offers framework for assessing EHR usability, safety

The voluntary roadmap includes criteria examples for developers and providers to use in testing EHR products at each lifecycle stage.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 29, 2018

Payers saw more upgrades in H1 2018, A.M. Best says

The credit rating agency attributed the wide swath of upgrades to improved performance in the ACA exchanges and heightened profitability for many insurers.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 29, 2018

Hundreds of groups raise concerns about E/M payment proposal

They support efforts to cut provider administrative burden in the 2019 Physician Payment Rule but question its consolidation of office billing codes.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 29, 2018

Health insurance tax return would increase out-of-pocket costs, report finds

Congress approved a one-year moratorium on the tax for 2019, but it is expected to return the following year.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 29, 2018

Humana announces new center for digital health, analytics

One focus of Humana Studio H in Boston will be developing new health experiences for seniors.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 28, 2018

Nixing discharges to long-term care hospitals could save Medicare $4.6B, study finds

Long-term care hospitals are reimbursed at substantially higher rates than other post-acute care arrangements.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 28, 2018

Critics say GOP pre-existing conditions bill flawed

The legislative effort comes as a Republican-backed court case may wipe out the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions. 

By Les Masterson • Aug. 28, 2018

Next-Gen ACOs saved $62M in first reporting year, CMS says

Half of the drop in spending and utilization stemmed from just four of the 18 NGACOs active in 2016, according to a report from the agency.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 28, 2018