Telehealth investments soar even as market is maturing
In the second quarter late-stage investments outpaced those going into early-stage deals. Moreover, investor exits also reached a record high, according to CB Insights.
AstraZeneca still eyes US vaccine filing despite another delay
The company now expects to file for full approval by year’s end and has a variant-specific shot in advanced testing. But the long-term prospects for AstraZeneca’s new vaccine business are unclear.
‘Pent up demand’ spurs Centene Q2 net loss as more members seek care
Executives warned, however, that the delta variant is raging. “It remains clear that the pandemic is not over, and the environment could remain choppy for the balance of the year,” CEO Michael Neidorff said.
Stalled membership numbers, hospital business mar Teladoc’s Q2 beat
Executives on a conference call stressed per-member revenue metrics and touted new contracts, including with major Blues payer HCSC, but investors pushed shares down.
UHS posts Q2 profit, but executives warn delta variant could stress labor challenges
“The concern is with the resurgence of COVID that turnover rates could increase because we’ve seen turnover rates increase every time that COVID volumes increase,” CEO Marc Miller said.
Humana warns of ‘uncertainty’ in medical usage amid rising COVID-19 cases
Medical utilization bounced back faster than the payer expected, though the company was still able to post a profit for the second quarter.
Systems can nudge more healthcare workers to get vaccinated through targeted messaging: JAMA report
Among unvaccinated workers at Geisinger’s system in Pennsylvania, an email nudge playing up social norms and virus risk caused more than twice as many employees to register for a shot compared with those who didn’t get the note.
Amwell snaps up 2 digital health startups in $320M longitudinal, behavioral care bid
The acquisitions won’t result in an immediate boost for Amwell’s topline, but could be valuable strategic positioning for the future.
How the pandemic has accelerated digital payments in telehealth
Digitalization can simplify the medical bill payment process and give patients more information earlier on about their financial responsibilities, experts said.
Molina sees bump in coronavirus inpatient costs as delta variant takes hold
Those COVID-19 costs quickly tapered off as the quarter progressed, executives said. Still, the insurer was able to post a second quarter profit as more members sought care.