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Rural hospitals in trouble if Congress doesn’t renew funding programs, AHA says
Between 2010 and 2021, 136 rural hospitals closed, according to the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center. Nineteen of these closures occurred in 2020, the most of any year in the past decade.
Envision suing UnitedHealthcare over denied claims; UHC countersuing
Physician firm Envision Healthcare has filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare over the insurer’s denied claims, sparking a countersuit from UHC, which claimed Envision fraudulently upcoded claims for services provided to UHC members.
Consumers willing to pay more for quality healthcare, survey finds
Quality can go a long way in determining if a consumer is willing to pay more for their healthcare, as indicated by new survey responses published by revenue cycle company AKASA.
Out of more than 2,000 respondents, the survey found that 57% would pay m…
Two nurses assaulted each hour on average, data shows
More than two nurses were assaulted every hour on average in the second quarter of this year, translating to roughly 57 assaults per day, 1,739 assaults per month and 5,217 assaults per quarter, according to new data released by Press Ganey.
The findin…
DHS replaces ‘public charge’ rule for noncitizen healthcare
The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a rule ensuring that noncitizens won’t have their legal status affected if they receive health benefits including Medicaid, reversing a previous Trump-era “public charge” regulation.
Urban Medicare beneficiaries more likely to use telehealth than rural patients, OIG finds
Medicare beneficiaries who live in urban areas, or who are young or female, were more likely to use telehealth than other patients during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services’ O…
Walmart teams with UnitedHealth Group, Optum on patient experience
Walmart and UnitedHealth Group, along with UHG subsidiary Optum, are beginning a 10-year collaboration the companies describe as “wide-ranging,” and intend to leverage their combined expertise to improve health outcomes and the patient experience.
CMS seeks public comment on promoting efficiency, advancing equity
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released a Request for Information seeking public input on accessing healthcare and related challenges, understanding provider experiences, advancing health equity, and assessing the impact of waivers …
Trinity Health completes acquisition of MercyOne Health System
Nonprofit Catholic health system Trinity Health has completed its acquisition of Iowa-based MercyOne, closing out a process that began in April when Trinity signed an agreement with CommonSpirit Health to acquire all of MercyOne’s facilities and assets…
In diabetes push, Evernorth expands continuous glucose monitor coverage
Evernorth, a subsidiary of Cigna, is expanding its diabetes program and will add devices and other technological resources to its traditional pharmaceutical approaches, the company said this week. The goal is to help patients better manage their diabet…
