HHS warns providers of ‘exceptionally aggressive’ ransomware group
The Hive group practices double extortion — demanding payment to free data it has encrypted while also threatening to release the unencrypted data publicly.
CMS underestimated hospital labor spending in payment adjustments, Premier says
Inpatient payment rates for fiscal 2023 released earlier this week also wouldn’t adequately cover rising costs, according to the group purchasing organization.
DOJ cracks down on ‘largest and most wide-ranging’ COVID-19 fraud
Defendants — including doctors, medical business executives and fake vaccination card manufacturers — caused nearly $150 million in false billings to federal programs, the DOJ alleged.
Trinity Health to acquire MercyOne after jointly operating with CommonSpirit for decades
The decision comes 24 years after Trinity and Catholic Health Initiatives first agreed to jointly operate the health system that provides services throughout Iowa.
House Democrats urge Biden admin to curtail short-term plan access
The HHS is facing increasing pressure to limit enrollment in the cheap yet skimpy plans, which aren’t required to comply with consumer protections under the Affordable Care Act.
Larger, less profitable hospitals more likely to have ownership change
In data released for the first time Wednesday, HHS also found changes in ownership over the past six years have been much more common in nursing homes than hospitals, with wide variations in ownership by state.
Traveling Kaiser members get access to Cigna providers under new deal
Under the five-year agreement, Kaiser members will be responsible for the cost-sharing within their plan, and not have to pay out-of-network rates for visiting Cigna providers outside of the eight states covered by Kaiser.
Corporate employment of physicians surged during pandemic
A study by Avalere found that hospitals or other corporate entities are buying up independent physician groups at a rapid clip, raising concerns about increasing pressures on doctors.
Healthcare worker training org aims to root out bias in care
The heightened racial unrest of 2020 revealed unmet needs and windows of opportunity to challenge structural racism.
Hospitals massively mark up cancer therapy prices for private insurance patients, JAMA study finds
Researchers also found that most National Cancer Institute-designated facilities did not publicly disclose payer-specific prices for cancer therapies as required by federal price transparency regulations.