The Latest
-
Data breach at Geisinger may have exposed data from 1.2M patients
A former employee at vendor Nuance Communications accessed patient data two days after being terminated, according to the health system. The employee is facing federal charges.
-
Cano Health exits bankruptcy as private company
The primary care chain is now focused on its Florida market, which includes 80 medical centers.
-
Healthcare workers’ compensation rose in 2023 amid staffing shortages: report
Medical groups are increasing compensation in an attempt to lure talent, with median total compensation for registered nurses rising nearly 20% over the past five years.
-
Tracking Steward's decline
Optum backs out of deal to buy Steward’s physician group
Steward has been gunning for the deal since March. Without Optum at the table, it’s unclear who will buy the struggling health system’s medical clinics.
-
Health tech startup Fabric acquires Walmart’s telehealth business
The acquisition comes as Walmart exits the healthcare delivery business.
-
Amwell to implement reverse stock split to avoid delisting
The telehealth vendor’s share price has declined significantly since 2020. It received a warning this spring that its stock was trading below minimum standards, and could be removed from trading.
-
Tracker
Tracking healthcare data breaches
A former employee of Nuance Communications may have exposed the information of more than 1.2 million patients at health system Geisinger.
Updated July 2, 2024 -
SCOTUS strikes down Chevron doctrine, curbing federal agency power
The court’s controversial decision raises the bar for healthcare regulators when they’re implementing laws with undefined terms — and opens the door for more lawsuits from stakeholders unhappy with an agency’s reading of a statute.
-
Amazon folds telehealth marketplace into One Medical
The reorganization could create a new source of potential customers for primary care chain One Medical.
-
Optum Rx reaches $20M settlement with Justice Department over opioid prescribing
The UnitedHealth pharmacy benefit manager did not have to admit guilt as part of the settlement, which amounts to a minuscule fraction of its annual revenue.
-
Walgreens to reduce stake in VillageMD, close stores
Walgreens is refocusing on pharmacy operations after failing to make inroads in healthcare services. The company will shrink its stake in VillageMD and is no longer looking to invest in medical offices, executives said.
-
Tracker // Overturning of Roe v. Wade
Tracking state abortion bans in the US
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday upheld a ban on abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy. The ban will replace a prior law prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Updated July 1, 2024 -
Digital health funding continues to stabilize in Q1: PitchBook
Startups raised $1.1 billion across 77 deals in the first quarter — far lower than pandemic-era highs, but consistent with recent quarters.
-
Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho, sidestepping broader EMTALA questions
The Supreme Court declined to issue broad guidance on how to adjudicate conflicts between state abortion laws and a federal law requiring hospitals provide patients with emergency care.
-
CHAI releases draft framework for responsible health AI
The nonprofit’s standards fill a gap left by the federal government as the private sector continues to race ahead on artificial intelligence.
-
Hospital mergers tied to increased layoffs, reduced tax revenues: report
A National Bureau of Economic Research report found layoffs followed hospital mergers, as employers struggled to absorb the costs of rising healthcare premiums.
-
Arkansas sues Optum, Express Scripts over role in opioid epidemic
Pharmacy benefit managers have largely avoided the brunt of public blame for the deadly opioid crisis. Arkansas’ lawsuit brings the drug middlemen back to the forefront of the controversy.
-
Opinion
Despite clinic closures, Walmart can still be a healthcare destination
A managing director at a global strategy firm makes the case for Walmart to continue pursuing healthcare customers through maximizing access to nutritious food.
-
UAB Health to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s for $450M
The deal is set to close later this year, pending regulatory review.
-
Saint Peter’s signs definitive agreement to join Atlantic Health System
The agreement comes about six months after the New Jersey health systems announced plans to combine.
Updated June 26, 2024 -
For-profits performed worse on ‘most socially responsible’ hospital rankings
For-profit hospitals represented an outsized portion of low grades on an index from the Lown Institute measuring equity, care value and patient outcomes.
-
HHS finalizes info blocking penalties for providers
Providers pushed back against the disincentives, with the Medical Group Management Association calling them “unnecessarily punitive.”
-
Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors heads to Supreme Court
The case could have ripple effects across the country, where 25 states have similar laws on the books, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
-
Appeals court upholds ACA’s preventive services mandate, but opens door to future challenges
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision Friday is a win for the upwards of 150 million people that receive health insurance through their employers. However, it paves the way for future lawsuits from opponents of the ACA.
-
Novant hires cyber exec from CommonSpirit
Sanjeev Sah will take on the chief information security officer role at the North Carolina-based health system after more than three years at CommonSpirit Health.