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UnitedHealthcare eliminating out-of-pocket costs for insulin, other drugs
On the heels of a strong financial quarter in Q2, UnitedHealthcare has said it will eliminate out-of-pocket costs for insulin and other medications for eligible members, offering a zero cost share for five drugs in its fully insured group plans.
Pendin…
CMS releases Medicare OPPS and ASC proposed rule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing actions meant to advance health equity and improve access to care in rural communities by establishing policies for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) and providing for payment for certain behavi…
Megadeals push healthcare merger activity to $19.2 billion in Q2
Healthcare mergers and acquisitions had a banner quarter in the second quarter of this year, with a record high of $19.2 billion in total transacted revenue, driven by a couple of “megadeals” that led to double the transacted revenue posted in Q1.
Optum helps UnitedHealth Group post $5.1 billion in Q2 profit
UnitedHealth Group posted $5.1 billion in profits while raking in $80.3 billion in revenues in the second quarter of the year, showing 13% growth year-over-year, driven by double-digit growth at Optum and UnitedHealthcare, the company’s provider and in…
More than 1/5 of revenue cycle leaders outsource outpatient services
About 22% of revenue cycle leaders who manage their inpatient revenue cycle management already outsource some of their outpatient RCM, and 12% have ambitions to do so in the future, finds a new survey conducted by the Healthcare Financial Management As…
Blue Cross NC, Headway team on mental health for children and the underserved
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is joining forces with Headway, a mental health company that works with insurers to deliver behavioral healthcare, to address what it sees as a serious problem: A shortage of mental health professionals in t…
HHS guidance to pharmacies meant to ensure reproductive healthcare access
Just days after the Biden Administration advised providers that abortions are protected under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, the Department of Health and Human Services has released guidance saying that as recipients of federal …
Mayo Clinic Laboratories to begin monkeypox testing in CDC partnership
Beginning this week, Mayo Clinic Laboratories will begin testing for monkeypox using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s orthopoxvirus test, which detects most non-smallpox related orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox.
CDC Director Dr. Roc…
Optum, Red Ventures partner on consumer healthcare platform
UnitedHealth Group’s provider arm, Optum Health, has teamed up with Red Ventures on a new consumer health-focused joint venture, RVO Health, which among other things includes doctor ratings through Healthgrades.
Red Ventures is a portfolio of bands tha…
AMA says Medicare payment schedule rule threatens patient access
The American Medical Association has criticized the new Medicare payment schedule proposed rule released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, saying it fails to account for inflation in practice costs and “COVID-19-related chall…
