Susan Morse

Author's posts

Sutter Health expands into central California through integration of Sansum Clinic

Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, California is now part of Sutter Health.
The partnership of Sansum Clinic and its six care facilities into the Sutter Clinic system of 24 hospitals and over 200 clinics took effect on Monday. Sansum’s full integration wi…

Drug companies agree to participate in Medicare negotiations

All 10 drug companies whose drugs were selected for price negotiation with Medicare for the first cycle of the program have decided to participate in those negotiations, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 
The  drug companies …

Court denies injunction to prevent Medicare drug negotiations

A federal judge on Friday denied an attempt by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to stop the October 1 deadline for pharmaceutical companies to begin drug price negotiations in Medicare. 

Hospitals face a rocky recovery to financial health, AHA says

The American Hospital Association has released a blog on research it said confirms what hospitals and health systems have been saying: That 2022 was among the most financially challenging years the hospital field has experienced and that recovery remai…

HIMSSCast: Collecting out of pocket expenses a challenge for hospitals

PayMedix CEO Tom Policelli knows the challenges faced by hospitals in collecting payments from patients after the procedure or service has been performed. This is not from uninsured patients, but from consumers who have employer coverage, but who may s…

LCMC Health’s purchase of three HCA hospitals upheld by court

A federal judge has ruled in favor of Louisiana Children’s Medical Center’s purchase of three HCA hospitals.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana delays sale to Elevance Health

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has chosen to withdraw its plan of reorganization and Elevance Health’s acquisition application from the Louisiana Department of Insurance, according to the nonprofit health insurer.
Elevance Health, formerly kno…

10 leading health systems join Transcarent’s direct contracting ecosystem

Ten leading health systems have joined Transcarent’s first National Independent Provider Ecosystem, setting the foundation for increased direct contracting.
Direct contracting between employers and health systems has historically been a challenge to do…

HHS awards $131.7 million to support behavioral health

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced $131.7 million in grant programs for behavioral health services. 
The $131.7 million awarded this month include:

HIMSSCast: Medicaid disenrollments plague federal health officials

As of September 20, more than 7 million people had lost Medicaid coverage due to state redeterminations that haven’t always gone smoothly.