Author's posts
Biden Administration to invest $7 billion from American Rescue Plan to hire, train public health workers
The Biden Administration on Thursday said it planned to invest $7.4 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to hire and train more public health workers with the goal of being better prepared for future pandemics.
Bipartisan bill looks to reform Medicare Advantage prior authorization
Congress is mulling changes to Medicare Advantage that would speed up the prior authorization process and mandate more transparency when health plans deny provider requests. The thinking behind the bill is that insurers sometimes use tactics that rein …
Patients less likely to take advice from AI doctors if they know their names
Artificial intelligence has long been seen as a means by which healthcare can become easier, more streamlined and more cost effective, but it turns out that patient trust of AI technology only goes so far.
CDC sees more blood clot cases linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 11 more cases of serious blood clots among Americans who have received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, according to a CDC official. This brings the total number of cases to 28 o…
Hospitals urge HHS to distribute billions that remain in the COVID-19 relief fund
Hospitals and provider groups, including the American Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals, are requesting that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services distribute billions of dollars that remain in a $178 billion COVID-19 rel…
HHS awards $40 million in ARP funding to support emergency home visiting assistance
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, has awarded about $40 million in emergency home visiting funds through the American Rescue Plan to states, territories and Washington D.C. to su…
Telehealth reimbursement parity spurs insurer concerns of overutilization
Cigna says it expects demand for virtual care, especially for behavioral health services, to remain high post-pandemic.
UnitedHealth launching post-discharge home program for group Medicare Advantage plans
UnitedHealthcare will soon be launching UnitedHealthcare Healthy at Home, the insurer said last week, an offering that’s designed to help retirees safely transition back home after being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility.
Cigna raises financial forecast for 2021 despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
Major health insurer Cigna beat financial expectations during the first quarter with a $1.2 billion profit, and has adjusted its 2021 outlook to reflect renewed optimism, despite the difficulties created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
AHA urges HHS to let providers use relief funds until COVID-19 ends
The American Hospital Association sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week asking the agency to allow providers to use their COVID-19 relief fund grants past the current deadline, which is set for June 30.
