Cigna pulls out of Humana deal: WSJ
Cigna and Humana are abandoning merger discussions less than two weeks after news of the potential deal dropped, following a less-than-positive market reaction.
HHS settles first phishing cyberattack investigation with Louisiana medical group
The agency found Lafourche Medical Group failed to conduct a risk analysis or regularly review its information system activity. The 2021 breach may have exposed nearly 35,000 patients’ data.
Gearing up for healthcare’s next normal
2023 was the year healthcare began to show the first major signs that the pandemic was firmly in the rearview mirror.
CarelonRx to launch CarelonRx Pharmacy
CarelonRx Pharmacy allows for digital pharmacy experience and home delivery of medications for members to an address convenient to them.
Senators probe private equity’s role in hospital operations
The inquiry comes as the White House this week said it would investigate private equity investment in healthcare as federal scrutiny of firms ramps up.
Kroger’s new benefits program expands access to affordable food
The tie-up with a healthcare technology company lets Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and other employer benefits program recipients use services at the grocer’s pharmacies as well as buy eligible food and over-the-counter items.
Hospital lobbies push back on site-neutral provision in House bill
The American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals sent letters to Congress this week opposing a bill that would equalize payments for drugs administered in outpatient clinics.
Healthcare executives look to implement generative AI next year, survey finds
Though only a quarter of respondents said they’d already adopted the tools, 58% reported they were likely to do so within the next year, according to Klas Research.
US hospitals forecast 9% capex growth to support elective procedure backlog: survey
The Baird survey of 38 health system CFOs forecasts that hospital capital spending growth in 2024 will slow from a 13% jump this year.
Biden administration goes after drug patents in bid to lower prices
The White House is supporting a policy that would allow the U.S. government to sidestep patent protections for drugs developed with federal funding and that have prices deemed “extreme, unjustified, and exploitative.”