Headlines: Maternal Health Model Starts, US Health Spending Normalizes

CMS has announced a new maternal health model. Some US healthcare spending trends dropped to pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Additionally, Medicare opioid use disorder treatment falls behind and the US Supreme Court will review an abortion pill.

Headlines: No Cigna-Humana Merger, RPM Shows Strong ROI

Cigna and Humana have called off their planned merger in the wake of shareholder backlash. Remote patient monitoring offers a healthy return on investment, according to early estimates. Additionally, CVS Health introduces a new app to integrate healthcare tools for patients and external payer audits quadruple in 2023.

Headlines: Introducing the RPM Pill, Emotet Targets Healthcare

Researchers from multiple institutions collaborate to create an ingestible, wireless remote patient monitoring device. Healthcare is fourth highest on the list of targets for the world's most dangerous malware.

Headlines: AHA Takes Feds to Court, Medicare Pay Drops

The American Hospitals Association (AHA) is suing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a bulletin on hospital use of tracking technologies. Meanwhile, CMS cut Medicare reimbursement to physicians.

Headlines: Pharmacists Walk Out, Patients Support Wearables

Employees at CVS Health and Walgreens are going on strike over working conditions, and most patients want to send their wearable data to their doctors. Also, the White House released an executive order on artificial intelligence and a proposal to refine the independent dispute resolution process to reduce surprise billing. 

Headlines: Physician-Owned Hospitals Save, 2023 Employee Costs Soar

Today on Healthcare Strategies | Headlines: Physician-owned hospitals see huge savings compared to traditional hospitals. Average employee premiums and deductibles increased substantially in 2023. Meanwhile, eLearning for electronic health records training could reduce provider burnout, and one hospital is prescribing--and delivering--lower utility bills.

Headlines: Major Strike Ends, New Ransomware Emerges

Kaiser Permanente and striking unions reached a tentative deal after the country's largest healthcare strike. Also, the FDA will set up a Digital Health Advisory Committee, HC3 warned of a new ransomware targeting healthcare, and Medicare Advantage plans' 2024 star ratings dropped again.

Headlines: Historic Healthcare Strike Looms, Hospital Operating Margins Rise

Kaiser Permanente employees are preparing to strike as workforce shortages, clinician burnout, and low wages drive healthcare workers to extreme measures. Meanwhile, hospitals have seen six months of an upward trend in median operating margins, and NIH invests in AI research for kidney transplants.

Headlines: Biden’s Medical Debt Ban, Costco Breaks Into Virtual Care

On the federal level, the Biden administration is proposing banning medical debt from credit scores, CMS paused Medicaid redeterminations for 30 states, and the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on major anesthesiologists in Texas. Meanwhile, Costco is entering the virtual care space with a new partnership and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center will launch an institute dedicated to rural health and digital health.

Headlines: Oracle’s AI, Hospital Break Ups, Virtual Nursing, and More

In an ever-evolving healthcare system, some organizations are responding with new technology, such as Oracle’s new generative AI for EHRs and the rise of virtual nursing. Others have entered new partnerships, such as Dana-Farber’s decision to leave Brigham and Women’s and create a new cancer hospital with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Blue Shield of California’s partnership with Salesforce. But despite these efforts, barriers to positive patient outcomes are a constant, as recent data showed that coordinated care and SDOH interventions rely heavily on patient engagement.