SSM Health, insurer Medica to launch joint venture
Medica will invest an undisclosed sum in Dean Health Plan, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based SSM Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems.
Patients were still hesitant to seek medical care out of virus fears this spring: report
Despite reopenings, one in 10 nonelderly adults put off needed medical care this spring, an April survey from the Urban Institute funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found.
Payments to MA plans raised overall Medicare spend by $7B in 2019, analysis finds
The Kaiser Family Foundation chalked the higher spending up to how MA is paid, including how benchmarks for plan payments are set and the risk adjustment process.
Medtechs need to up their cybersecurity threat modeling game, FDA says
The agency “will be looking for much more detailed and comprehensive” cyber threat models as part of premarket review, said Suzanne Schwartz, director of CDRH’s Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation.
Biden administration invests $19M to bolster rural telehealth
The investments will provide funding to train primary care providers, aid groups delivering virtual care, pilot new telehealth services and research the efficacy of digitally delivered care in rural geographies.
US to offer coronavirus boosters to all Americans in aggressive plan to counter delta’s spread
The Biden administration’s call comes ahead of FDA authorization for additional doses in people who aren’t immunocompromised, although agency head Janet Woodcock joined other officials in supporting the plan.
The federal price transparency rules have critical gaps that must be addressed to achieve their objectives
Castlight CEO Maeve O’Meara argues that if regulations aren’t implemented in a meaningful way for consumers, the efforts will likely fail to inform healthcare decision making and achieve the desired levels of cost savings.
Burnout, delta variant boost demand for traveling nurses again
Hospitals are probably paying 10% to 20% more than they were during previous COVID-19 waves for travel nurses, Kathy Kohnke, senior vice president of client relations at Fastaff, said.
Providence posts H1 operating loss amid increased labor costs
As more patients returned for care, the Washington state-based system’s expenses increased to meet demand and was further stressed by worker shortages.
CMS extends deadlines for Medicaid redeterminations after COVID-19 public health emergency ends
Due to significantly increased workloads, state health officials will now have 12 months instead of six after the PHE ends to complete pending verifications, redeterminations and renewals.