Author's posts
HHS seeks to streamline marketplace coverage, health benefits
New policies for Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, announced by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, are intended to make it easier for low-income people to enroll in coverage, the agencies sai…
Medicare spending on Ozempic sees huge spikes
Spending on GLP-1 drugs under the Medicare Part D program has increased dramatically in recent years, and the annual cost of these drugs in the United States – upwards of $11,000 at recent list prices – has raised concerns about the fiscal impact of b…
UHG finance chief John Rex named president
John Rex, chief financial officer for UnitedHealthGroup, has been named the organization’s new president, and succeeded former president Dirk McMahon, effective Monday.
HHS releases new guidance on informed consent
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have released new guidance to reiterate, and provide clarity, regarding hospital requirements for informed consent from patients as it relates to medical pro…
Pelago secures $58M to expand virtual SUD clinic
Pelago, a digital clinical partner to U.S. businesses and health plans for substance use management, announced $58 million in new funding that now brings total funding to $151 million, which will be used to expand offerings for payers and employers.
Th…
Tenet Healthcare completes sale of six California hospitals
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corporation has completed the sale of six hospitals in California, the organization said this week.
ONC releases Health IT Strategic Plan
A new draft 2024–2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan has been released by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), which outlines federal health IT goals that …
Inpatient psychiatric facilities get proposed 2.7% increase
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year 2025, with CMS proposing to update the…
Of $236B in ‘improper payments,’ $100B was from Medicare, Medicaid
The federal government reported an estimated $236 billion in “improper payments” during fiscal year 2023, and of that amount, more than $100 billion came from Medicare and Medicaid, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Such payments …
Kaiser Permanente, Town Hall Ventures launch Habitat Health
Kaiser Permanente and Town Hall Ventures are launching an organization called Habitat Health, which is designed to help older adults overcome the challenges of aging at home.
Operating as a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Habitat Health …
