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CMS directing $20M in ARP funding to improve access to state-based marketplace coverage
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is directing $20 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support state-based marketplaces in a bid to improve affordable access to health coverage.
States can apply for funding to help modernize or upda…
Healthcare would benefit from a patient-centered digital ecosystem, says Blue Shield CEO
Right now, the digital health ecosystem in healthcare is a complex tangle of often incompatible technology and sets of data.
COVID-19 caused increased enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP, CMS says
According to a new enrollment trends snapshot released this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more than 80 million people have signed up for health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a record high.
Five Blues plans launch Evio, a for-profit company focused on lowering drug prices
Five nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have stepped forward to create a new independent, for-profit pharmacy solutions startup called Evio, the plans announced today.
LifePoint Health enters into agreement to acquire Kindred Healthcare
Lifepoint Health entered into an agreement to acquire specialty hospital company Kindred Healthcare this week, signaling the creation of a healthcare delivery network that allows Lifepoint to tap into Kindred’s specialty hospital and rehabilitative exp…
Fewer MA plan members actively managed their health during the COVID-19 pandemic
In a year when it seemed like everyone was focused on healthcare, fewer Medicare Advantage plan members actively managed their care.
According to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study, although overall customer satisfaction with Medicare A…
COVID-19 recovery is hampered by mounting physician shortages, AAMC finds
Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was never going to be an easy proposition for the healthcare industry, but efforts to bounce back are complicated by an ongoing shortage of physicians, which is poised to worsen over the next decade-plus.
More than 30% of hospitals are near the “danger zone” of denial rates
Hospital claim denial rates have hit new highs, with a 20% increase in those rates over the past five years, suggesting that better claims denial management processes are necessary, finds a new survey from research firm Harmony Healthcare.
Biden Administration invests $3 billion from ARP as part of COVID-19 antiviral development strategy
Drawing from the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden’s administration is setting aside more than $3 billion to accelerate the discovery, development and manufacturing of antiviral medicines. The move is part of what the Biden Administration is ca…
Judge dismisses HHS challenge of AstraZeneca’s 340B contract pharmacies lawsuit
A federal court this week denied a request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to nix a lawsuit from drugmaker AstraZeneca over the 340B drug discount program. The court said HHS’ position that the 340B statute requires drug manufactu…
