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Hospital finances break even in April, Kaufman Hall data shows
Hospital finances broke even in April amid a continuing trend of high expenses, plus the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to the latest National Hospital Flash Report from Kauf…
Commercial health plan member satisfaction declining in key areas
Despite an industry-wide transition to value-based payment models that incentivize preventive care and proactive communication between health plans and members, commercial health plans are missing the mark when it comes to patient engagement, according…
Retail clinics seeing utilization soar, popularity grow
Retailers are well-positioned to disrupt healthcare, with a new Definitive Healthcare report showing that retail clinics have seen a 200% increase in utilization over the past five years – higher than primary care, urgent care and hospital emergency ro…
OSHA: Ohio children’s hospital didn’t protect workers from violence
A Columbus children’s hospital failed to protect employees — including nurses and mental health professionals — from patients whose bites, kicks, punches and other assaults caused serious injuries, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.
New Optum Rx programs meant to support independent and rural pharmacies
New programs and partnerships between Optum Rx and community pharmacies are aimed at expanding care access, preventative services and medication adherence in underserved communities, the pharmacy benefit manager said this week.
Optum Rx is launching in…
Healthcare costs exceed $31K for family of four
Healthcare costs for a typical American family of four reached $31,065 this year, according to the new 2023 Milliman Medical Index, which measures healthcare costs for individuals and families receiving coverage from an employer-sponsored preferred pro…
Medicare Part D beneficiaries projected to pay lower out-of-pocket costs
Recent legislation establishing a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap in Medicare Part D has the potential to lower out-of-pocket costs for more than 125,000 Part D beneficiaries who use ultra-expensive drugs and are ineligible for low-income subsidies, according…
Top Stories: CMS seeks to lower Rx drug costs through price transparency
The federal government wants to drive down prescription drug costs. What’s the plan? We’ll answer that and other questions in this week’s Top Stories, including: How is Bright Heath faring? And what are providers doing with Epic software?
For more news…
FDA: Medical device shortages could worsen
Now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended, FDA officials are predicting a possible shortage of medical devices, saying in a new Health Affairs article that the supply chain may be threatened now that there will no longer be mandatory repo…
Percent of patients with ‘extreme’ illness on the rise in New Jersey
Data culled from New Jersey hospitals has found a steep rise in the percentage of patients presenting with “major” or “extreme” illnesses, which has put further pressure on already strained workforces in the state’s healthcare institutions. And for onc…
