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Medicare Advantage sees fewer avoidable hospitalizations than original Medicare
Medicare Advantage had fewer avoidable hospitalizations for ambulatory care−sensitive conditions (ACSCs) when compared to traditional Medicare, but were more likely to have observation stays and emergency department direct discharges for the same condi…
Optum to payers: Two new Azheimer’s drugs are in the pipeline
A new Optum report highlighting upcoming medications in the drug pipeline is meant as a heads-up for payers as they track developments with a couple of therapies for Alzheimer’s disease – lecanemab and donanemab.
Plastic surgeons top list of physicians ranked by happiness
How happy are physicians? It varies according to specialty, a new Medscape report has found, with plastic surgeons apparently the most content in and out of work.
American Hospital Association voices support for telehealth expansion bill
The American Hospital Association has come out in support of bipartisan legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives, that would require the Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and Medicaid and CHIP…
Interoperability improving, though rural hospitals still lagging
Interoperability continues to improve among hospitals, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information. As of 2021, 88% of hospitals engaged in electronically sending and obtaining patient health information, through either q…
NIH invests $4 million toward reproductive health access for those with disabilities
The National Institutes of Health will award $3,906,026 over five years to researchers from the Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH) at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) to test the effic…
Top Stories: Elevance finalizes BioPlus acquisition; Deidentifying wearable data not enough to protect privacy
Another insurer has finalized a large acquisition. Who’s the buyer, and what did they get? We’ll touch on that and other topics in this week’s Top Stories, including the privacy of data on wearable devices, and an opportunity for doctors to weigh in on…
Humana exiting employer group insurance business
Humana has said it will be exiting the Employer Group Commercial Medical Products business, which includes all fully insured, self-funded and Federal Employee Health Benefit medical plans, as well as associated wellness and rewards programs.
Court prevents former Cigna exec Bricker from joining CVS Health during lawsuit
Former Cigna executive Amy Bricker is being temporarily blocked from beginning her new job at CVS Health, pending the outcome of a lawsuit over Cigna’s noncompete agreement, according to a restraining order filed in a Missouri district court.
Surgeries cost more at in-network hospitals than at independent facilities
Surgical procedures at in-network hospitals carry a far higher cost than at independent hospitals, a trend that held true for 15 of 16 surgical procedures analyzed in a new study published in JAMA Network Open.
