Author's posts
Walgreens partners with a new blood-testing firm
Sixteen months after Walgreens Boots Alliance concluded a disastrous relationship with Theranos, the now-defunct Silicon Valley blood-testing company, the pharmacy giant has linked up with LabCorp, one of the world’s largest clinical laboratory…
Detroit Medical Center facing surprise inspection from state, federal regulators
The inspection by CMS follows a Monday Crain’s article raising infection control and instrument cleaning issues at the DMC.
KKR completes Envision acquisition
Physician services provider Envision Healthcare Corp. is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the private equity firm KKR, the companies announced Thursday, just four months after they first announced the deal.
Federal Obamacare exchange premiums to drop 1.5% in 2019
For the first time ever, average monthly premiums for benchmark silver plans will drop on the federal Obamacare markets, after a nearly 40% spike last year.
Editorial: Medicaid expansion, dialysis, staffing ratios get grassroots push
Grassroots activism is behind both good and bad trends in policy. Consumer coalitions are behind Medicaid expansion ballot measures in several states, while other coalitions are pinpointing dialysis policy and staffing ratios.
Grassley asks FTC to review hospitals’ contracts with health plans
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee has asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into potentially anti-competitive contracts between hospital systems and insurers that limit plan coverage for enrollees.
Aetna CFO Shawn Guertin to step down next year
Aetna Chief Financial Officer Shawn Guertin, who was slated to become the CFO of CVS Health after the two companies’ merger was completed, will instead leave the company in June 2019.
Private Medicare insurers struggle with prescription drug plans
The average star-ratings performance of stand-alone Part D plans, which are managed by pharmacy benefit management companies and health insurers, has bobbled up and down for years. Part D plans fared worse in 2019 than they have in the last five…
CMS warns of patient safety risks at Texas hospital
The only hospital in Grand Prairie, Texas, has come under CMS scrutiny after several visits revealed that untrained personnel were caring for patients or patients were not receiving needed treatment.
Hurricane Michael hits Fla. providers at busy time for elective procedures
Hurricane Michael is hitting Florida health systems at a time of year when lots of patients tend to schedule elective procedures, but Leerink Partners doesn’t predict investor-owned hospital chains will feel much pain.
