Category: Healthcare Finance News

Proposed 3.2% hospital payment increase falls short of labor expenses, Premier says

A Premier study shows that proposed Medicare inpatient payment updates are not keeping pace with spikes in labor costs.
The PINC AI analysis shows that the proposed 3.2% hospital payment increase will not cover the more than 6.5% increase in labor rates.

Shareholders approve Anthem’s rebrand as Elevance Health

Anthem announced plans to rebrand as Elevance Health back in March, but one component still needed to be finalized: shareholder approval. The insurer received that approval this week, as shareholders gave the green light to the change at its annual mee…

Value-based care creating a new era of interoperability

Interoperability in healthcare, it would seem, is at an important inflection point.

PhRMA wins lawsuit challenging final rule on drug cost assistance

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has won its lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services challenging a portion of a final rule that required drug manufacturers to ensure that patient financial assistance is provi…

HHS announces $15 million in funding opportunities for behavioral health in nursing homes

The Department of Health and Human Services is announcing a funding opportunity of nearly $15 million for a three-year federal grant to establish a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program meant to strengthen behaviora…

Oscar shareholder claims insurer misled IPO investors 

Oscar Health shareholder Lorin Carpenter is suing Oscar Health CEO Mario Schlosser and others asking for class action status, claiming the insurer misled investors about the costs associated with COVID-19 when they bought Class A common stock in the co…

FDA expands eligibility for Pfizer COVID-19 booster to children 5-11

Under emergency use authorization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded eligibility for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccine to children 5 to 11 years old. People in that age group are now cleared for a single booster dose of the …

Employers, insurers paid hospitals more than double Medicare rates, finds RAND

Employers and health insurers paid hospitals about 224% above what Medicare would have paid in 2020, according to a new RAND report comparing private insurer payments to Medicare rates.

Public health emergency will continue beyond July, Bloomberg reports

The Department of Health and Human Services will extend the public health emergency beyond the current end date of July 15, Bloomberg has reported.

BCBS South Carolina partners with Solera on mental, musculoskeletal health

In a partnership with Solera Health, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is expanding its personalized health and wellness program to include mental and musculoskeletal health offerings. 
Solera Health is an independent company that built a customiz…