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HHS: Younger Americans seeing lower uninsured rates
Internal data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows that Americans made substantial gains in health insurance coverage between 2019 and 2021, including in some key demographics, such as adults aged 19 to 35, and those aged 35 to 49 – w…
Telehealth utilization declined almost 4% nationally last fall
In October 2022, after three months of relative stability, national telehealth utilization declined 3.7%, from 5.4% of medical claim lines in September to 5.2% in October, according to FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker.
Merger and acquisition revenues for health systems hit $45B in 2022
The fourth quarter of 2022 was a banner period in terms of healthcare merger and acquisition revenues, and the transactions that took place in the quarter pushed M&A revenues to $45 billion for 2022, according to a new Kaufman Hall analysis.
Suffering margins threaten credit ratings for nonprofit hospitals, finds Fitch
Credit ratings for the nation’s nonprofit hospitals will be under threat this year due to investment losses and rising expenses eating into margins, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings.
AHIP pushes education on Medicaid redeterminations
AHIP hosted a State of the Industry briefing Wednesday detailing the policies the group will be watching in 2023, as well as the challenges facing the healthcare industry. AHIP President and CEO Matt Eyles carved out time to talk about the resumption o…
Medicare Advantage tops traditional Medicare on diabetes
Medicare Advantage patients fare better on diabetes outcomes than their counterparts in traditional fee-for-service Medicare, according to new findings from Avalere Health and the Better Medicare Alliance.
Medicaid expansion resulted in decreased postpartum hospitalizations
Medicaid expansion appears to be a boon to the Biden administration’s push to improve maternal health, with a 17% decline in postpartum hospitalizations in states that elected to expand the federal program.
Medicare inpatient spending highly concentrated, finds Commonwealth Fund
As a result of the trend toward more consolidation in healthcare, Medicare inpatient spending was highly concentrated among just two health systems in most regions, according to a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.
To understand where Medicare be…
CMS awards new Medicare-funded residency slots to hospitals in underserved communities
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded the first 200 of 1,000 Medicare-funded physician residency slots meant to support the healthcare workforce and fund additional positions in hospitals serving underserved communities.
About thr…
BCBS companies form collective to tackle medication affordability
A group of Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated companies have founded a new medication contracting organization called Synergie Medication Collective, which is designed to serve both Blues and select independent health plans.
Synergie is focused on impro…
