Jeff Lagasse

Author's posts

Medicare Part D average premiums to increase nearly 5% in 2022, CMS says

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released its projections for average basic monthly premiums for standard Medicare Part D coverage in 2022, which the agency expects will be about $33 — a 4.9% increase from the $31.47 average premium …

Close to half of Medicare enrollees lacked dental coverage in 2019, new KFF data shows

Close to half of all Medicare beneficiaries, totaling around 24 million people, did not have dental coverage in 2019, and the same percentage did not have a dental visit within the past year, according to a new analysis published by the Kaiser Family F…

Humana’s net income, medical loss ratio beat industry expectations for Q2

Major health insurer Humana logged a net income of $588 million during the second quarter, the company announced this week. And while that’s considerably less than the $1.8 billion posted a year ago at this time, when patients were deferring care, it s…

University of Florida Health CEO Dr. Leon Haley dies unexpectedly

Dr. Leon Haley Jr., CEO of University of Florida Health Jacksonville and dean of the UF College of Medicine, died unexpectedly on Saturday, July 24, at the age of 56.
Action News Jax reported that Haley died after being ejected from a jet ski after los…

AMA adds voice to providers and others calling for vaccine mandates for healthcare workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired a lot of mandates over the past year and a half, with states and municipalities mandating mask- wearing, social distancing, limited indoor crowd capacities and more. Now the latest call in the healthcare industry is f…

White House investing more than $1.6 billion in COVID-19 testing in vulnerable communities

As part of the Biden Administration’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said this week it will invest more than $1.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan to support testing and mitigation measures in “…

Vaccine immune response linked to age, underscoring importance of mass vaccinations

Older people appear to have fewer antibodies against the novel coronavirus, a new laboratory study from Oregon Health & Science University suggests.

Health system CEOs, 1,300 caregivers ask Congress to support Biden gun violence plan

With deaths and injuries from shootings spiking nationwide, 18 of the nation’s most prominent health system CEOs, and more than 1,300 healthcare professionals, have sent a request to Congressional leaders asking them to support President Biden’s plan t…

Signify Health care coordination tech launches in more than 50 hospitals

Value-based care analytics and technology company Signify Health is launching a solution called Transition to Home in more than 50 hospitals to provide Medicare patients with clinical and social care support as they transition from the hospital to the …

HHS is dedicating $103 million from ARP to address workforce burnout

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, is earmarking roughly $103 million from the American Rescue Plan  over three years to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the healthc…