Staffing firms defend traveling nurse rates as industry groups, Congress push for investigation
Legislators in some states are even looking to cap the rate hospitals can pay agencies for temporary nurses as worker shortages persist across the U.S.
Along with rate increase for MA plans, CMS pitches closer look at social determinants of health
Cowen analysts said the rate increase “should support another year of benefit enhancements & strong enrollment growth,” and noted that in recent years the final rate has been higher than what was first proposed.
Humana looks to cut costs, reinvest $1B into Medicare business
Part of the plan includes “optimizing” the workforce. Executives didn’t clarify whether that would include layoffs.
Pfizer, BioNTech begin process of asking FDA for COVID-19 vaccine clearance in young kids
The companies said the FDA, in an unusual step, requested they submit the clinical trial data they currently have while testing of a third dose in children under 5.
The pipeline of new antibiotics is drying up. A bill in Congress aims to change that.
Despite the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria, few new antibiotics are reaching the market because of hurdles that biotech executives and experts say stand in the way.
Anthem relies on flexible partner-not-build strategy in shift to value
It’s a capital-efficient way to achieve growth without being pigeonholed into one strategy, and differs from the value-based blueprints of peers UnitedHealth and Humana.
As hospitals sue over surprise billing ban, healthcare experts ask why
While provider associations take the battle to court, private equity backed physician groups are absent from the litigation.
FDA’s OTC hearing aid proposal exposes industry, stakeholder rifts
Manufacturers, backed by professional bodies and lawmakers, have lined up on opposite sides of a debate about key aspects of the agency’s proposed rule that would create a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids.
Hospitals felt omicron’s full force in late 2021, Kaufman Hall says
A respite from treating large volumes of COVID-19 patients was short-lived last fall as people with symptoms filled hospital emergency rooms and boosted volumes in December, according to a new report.
Spectrum, Beaumont launch new system following merger
The combined organization — temporarily named BHSH System — will have a major presence in Michigan with 22 hospitals, a sizable outpatient business, a health plan covering 1 million people and a combined revenue of $13 billion.