Category: Health Industry

California Bill Would Require State Review of Private Equity Deals in Health Care

Proposed legislation would require the state attorney general’s consent for a wide range of private equity acquisitions in health care. The hospital lobby negotiated an exemption for for-profit hospitals.

Violent Dementia Patients Leave Nursing Home Staffers and Residents ‘Scared to Death’

Clashes between residents — verbal, physical, and sexual — can be spontaneous and too unpredictable to prevent. But the chance of an altercation increases when memory care homes admit and retain residents they can’t manage, according to a KFF Health News examination of inspection and court records and interviews with researchers.

How Little Denmark Got Homegrown Giant Novo Nordisk To Lower Ozempic Prices

As Congress pushes for Medicare to cover payment for anti-obesity drugs, Denmark — Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk’s home — has limited coverage of the drug after cost overruns “emptied all the money boxes in the entire public health system.”

Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care

For rural patients, getting cancer treatment close to home has always been difficult. And now chemotherapy deserts are expanding across the United States as hospitals winnow services to save money, creating financial and logistical hurdles for people seeking lifesaving care.

Harris’ California Health Care Battles Signal Fights Ahead for Hospitals if She Wins

Kamala Harris fought health care consolidation during her tenure as California’s attorney general, and she could escalate the fight nationally if she wins in November. Still, the pace of mergers has accelerated.

Urgent Care or ER? With ‘One-Stop Shop,’ Hospitals Offer Both Under Same Roof

Hospitals in several states are partnering with a private equity-backed company to offer combined emergency and urgent care in a single building. But patients may not realize prices vary between the two services — often by a lot.

Why Many Nonprofit (Wink, Wink) Hospitals Are Rolling in Money

Legal maneuvering, industry lobbying, and lax IRS oversight leave lots of room for “operating surpluses.”

Montana Looks To Become Latest State To Boost Nonprofit Hospital Oversight

Montana’s proposal to increase oversight is part of a national trend by states to ensure nonprofit hospitals act as charitable organizations as they claim tax-exempt status. But the state has yet to set standards for how much the hospitals must do.

Louisiana Reclassifies Drugs Used in Abortions as Controlled Dangerous Substances

Louisiana lawmakers have added two drugs commonly used in pregnancy and reproductive health care to the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances, a move that has alarmed doctors in the state.

World-Famous Wall Drug Isn’t Immune From Challenges Facing Rural Pharmacies

Even as part of a popular South Dakota tourist attraction, an independent pharmacy serving locals, remote ranchers, and sightseers struggles with staffing and insurer payments.