Author's posts
Percent of Texas hospitals at serious risk of closure has nearly doubled since 2020
Nearly one out of every 10 Texas hospitals is at serious risk of closure, and nearly half of all Texas hospitals are facing negative operating margins this year, according to a new report released this week from Kaufman Hall.
The culprit: COVID-19.
Optum Labs funds opening of digital health research center at Cornell
Optum Labs, the research and development arm of UnitedHealth Group, and Cornell Tech have created a collaborative research hub at Cornell University in New York, which will focus on precision behavioral health and advancing equity in healthcare.
The mo…
ACA-linked readmission rate improvements misleading
Hospital readmission rates began to improve upon implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, but a new JAMA Network Open analysis has found that the readmission gains due to the HRRP were smaller than originally…
Millions in Medicare Advantage overcharges revealed in audits
Federal audits released last week show widespread overcharges and other errors in payments to Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors, with some plans overbilling the government more than $1,000 per patient a year on average, according to Kaiser He…
Cost of burnout-related physician turnover totals $5 billion annually
Frenzied work conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to burnout among clinicians, but some of this hardship can be alleviated by letting healthcare professionals know they’re valued and appreciated, and not going through their ordeal alone…
Medicare Advantage bill introduced by senators to stem complaints
U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) have introduced the bipartisan Medicare & You Handbook Improvement Act, which is meant to ensure that when seniors assess their Medicare coverage options, they have the necessary inform…
House members urge changes to No Surprises Act final rule
Leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee have sent a letter to several federal agencies saying the final rule implementing the No Surprises Act favors insurers and should be changed to reflect provider concerns.
No Surprises Act prevented 9 million surprise bills
As many as 9 million surprise medical bills have been prevented since January due to the impact of the No Surprises Act, according to new data published by AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).
ACA open enrollment sign-ups are 40% higher than last year
The White House has announced that the number of new enrollees who have signed up for health insurance on HealthCare.Gov is up almost 40% compared to the same time last year. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra called …
UnitedHealth Group and Change merger is being appealed by the DOJ
The Department of Justice is angling for another chance to block UnitedHealth Group’s acquisition of Change Healthcare, filing an appeal on Friday to reverse a September district court decision that cleared the merger.
The states of New York and Minnes…
