Earlier this month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on market concentration of private dental and vision insurers by state. The House Energy committee requested the report to determine how availability affects consumer...
A Massachusetts judge on Monday temporarily blocked changes to federal vaccine policy made under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ruling that recent appointments to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee are likely invalid under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Several medical organizations, including the American Academy of...
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released requests for applications (RFAs) for state Medicaid plans and Medicare Part D plans that would be interested in participating in the new Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive hEalth (BALANCE) Model which focuses on lowering prices for GLP-1 drugs....
A surprising twist in the war in the Middle East is a cyberattack targeting a Michigan-based durable medical equipment manufacturer, calling into question the country's health information security amid a stark increase in cyberattacks against healthcare infrastructure.
Last week, Stryker, a medical and surgical equipment manufacturer,...
Last Thursday, Microsoft revealed its new medical- and health-based AI offering, Copilot Health. Copilot Health is a feature within the Copilot app that will allow patients to interface with a chatbot designed to dispense personalized healthcare advice based on patient medical records and health data.
Microsoft said at the unveiling...National News
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its annual March Report to Congress on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which focuses on home and community-based services (HCBS) workers and transparency for behavioral healthcare, especially as coverage involves the youth population...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
As states weigh Medicaid eligibility and coverage changes amid tightening budgets, a new Milliman analysis highlights that reducing enrollment does not translate into straightforward savings, particularly in managed care programs.
Facing tighter budgets, and Medicaid funding losses due to the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful...Arizona News
Abrazo West and Abrazo Arrowhead launched “The Nest,” this week, a rebranded and expanded approach to women’s and maternal health services across both campuses, bringing together labor and delivery, neonatal care and postpartum support under a single model.
The Tenet health system said the initiative is designed to provide...Arizona News
The program is aimed at addressing the mental health needs of firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs and paramedics.
The program, according to Denova, was developed in response to growing demand for clinicians trained to understand the trauma exposure, shift work and cultural pressures unique to those professions.
Led by...Open
On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the results of a report that found improper coding in emergency department procedure codes led to $15 million in improper or potentially improper payments.
The report covered emergency department codes for services provided in 2021...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
The use of AI in medical billing has been criticized for allowing insurance companies more opportunity to issue claims denials and entrench the use of prior authorization in billing. But a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) shows that they're not the only side using AI in medical billing to its...National News
The White House has spent the past several weeks shaking up leadership within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responding to criticisms and polling on the public's perception of the vaccine schedule overhaul. But the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement may be too entrenched in the anti-vaccine movement for that...
Eli Lilly is pivoting to employers to sell its GLP-1 agonist weight loss drug Zepbound directly to patients through a new platform that aims to clarify coverage options and lower out-of-pocket costs for employees.
The pharmaceutical giant intends to use the Employer Connect platform to help employers combine medication with services...
Over the past year, the healthcare sector has buoyed the national jobs market even as other workforces experienced exceptional turmoil, healthcare added jobs to an otherwise stagnant workforce. In February, the market stopped being a workforce haven.
Over 28,000 jobs in healthcare were lost in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics...
The healthcare sector is aggressively incorporating AI into all levels of productivity as products become available to meet the market's niche needs. This week, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas showcases the breadth of AI capabilities.
Systems that...
In a presentation last week, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission reviewed how states and the federal government monitor Medicaid managed care organizations, which cover about 74% of Medicaid beneficiaries and account for more than half of program spending.
As in Arizona, most Medicaid beneficiaries are now enrolled in...Arizona News
Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH), a system based in Flagstaff, announced the official start of construction on a new cancer center at Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) in Cottonwood. The new center is part of a plan announced last fall to centralize oncology services across the Verde Valley, the move will lead to the closure of the...
Hospital expenses grew 7.5% in 2025, more than twice the rate of hospital price growth, according to this week's American Hospital Association’s Costs of Caring report, highlighting mounting cost pressures across the hospital sector.
The report found workforce expenses remain hospitals’ largest cost driver, accounting for about...
This week, Arizona Republican Congressman David Schweikert, who chairs the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), highlighted new findings from the committee suggesting Medicare Advantage (MA) payment policies may be contributing to higher premiums for seniors enrolled in traditional Medicare.
Although discussion of MA overpayments often...National News
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice to Elevance Health that it will no longer be allowed to enroll people in Medicare Advantage plans beginning March 31. The sanctions follow what CMS calls a "substantial and persistent noncompliance" with risk adjustment data submission.
The announcement was made via...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
A new analysis from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) suggests physician participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) remains widespread nationwide, even as network turnover and contracting dynamics continue to shape how beneficiaries experience access to care.
MedPAC’s review of the 2023 MA market found a large...Arizona News
Late last month, U.S. District Judge Rosalyn Silver ordered Arizona's prison healthcare system into receivership, transferring authority over all prison medical services to a court appointed official. The decision garnered criticism from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and others across the state for the unprecedented action.
Governor...National News
Early last month, President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, which included a provision to extend the waiver for hospital-at-home programs through September 2030.
Health systems are taking the opportunity to expand in-home acute care programs to attract a wider array of patients and include new services...Arizona News
The Department of Veterans Affairs has eliminated thousands of medical positions that were left vacant following resignations and retirements last year. The agency's cuts represent a smaller reduction than the Trump administration desires despite years of concerns with staffing shortages.
The cuts include 1,500 physician positions and...
For Arizona policymakers and Medicaid plans, the Office of Inspector General's Colorado findings highlight a growing tension between program oversight, the rapid expansion of private equity-backed applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers and the ability of families to access consistent therapy for children with autism.
The issue drew...
CMS Rules
