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FDA approves first-ever bladder cancer gene therapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Adstiladrin, which is being billed as the first gene therapy treating high-risk, non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
BCBS Massachusetts signs value-based contracts incorporating equity measures
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is touting itself as the first in the state, and one of the first in the country, to create a financial payment model rewarding health systems and physicians for eliminating racial and ethnic inequities in care.
Ethic, gender diversity increasing in medical schools
The number of Black, Hispanic and female applicants and enrollees continued to increase at U.S. medical schools in the 2022-23 academic year, according to new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
This year, the number of medical scho…
Top Stories: Two VR companies combine to tackle behavioral health; NIH to inform study participants of health risks
Two virtual reality companies are set to combine. What effect will this have on healthcare? We’ll examine that and other news developments in this week’s Top Stories, including the NIH’s push to inform study participants if they have increased risks fo…
Legislation seeks to preserve soon-to-expire APM bonus
Two U.S. Senators, Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island and John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, have introduced bipartisan legislation that seeks to create a two-year extension for a 5% bonus for doctors who participate in alternative payment models.
BCBS Michigan kick-starts full-risk reimbursement arrangements with providers
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and six physician organizations across the state are launching full-risk reimbursement arrangements for their Medicare Advantage PPO and Blue Care Network Medicare Advantage plans, the insurer announced this week.
Health benefits costs expected to rise 5.4% in 2023
Employers are expecting a large hike in health benefits costs next year after they rose 3.2% in 2022, according to a new Mercer poll.
Merger and acquisition deal volumes to continue increasing, PwC finds
Despite a shaky economy and fears of a recession, healthcare mergers and acquisitions are expected to continue, with ever-increasing transaction volumes, according to a new analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Lawmakers push CMS to prevent fraud, abuse in ACO REACH model
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) are spearheading an effort by lawmakers to compel the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to look at the ACO REACH model, with an eye toward preventing program …
Oscar Health puts brakes on new ACA signups in Florida
Health insurance company Oscar Health will temporarily stop accepting new members in the state of Florida beginning today, a move the company said was based on a strong Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment performance.
Current Oscar members in the state…
