Aetna stabilized in the first quarter (Q1) of the year after a rocky 2025, bolstering parent company CVS Health's report. The improvement was directly related to the company's government-affiliated businesses, including Medicare Advantage (MA),...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
A new study published investigated federal oversight of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and the scope of enforcement actions taken against insurers that violate federal standards. It found that enforcement actions were limited, raising concerns for regulatory effectiveness.
The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was prompted by...National News
President Donald Trump has selected a new nominee for Surgeon General after pulling another after backlash to the another MAHA movement candidate.
President Trump initially nominated Casey Means, a wellness entrepreneur, physician and published author associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement that believes...National News
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) accidentally posted the Social Security data for 100 healthcare providers in the National Provider Directory.
The issue was initially noticed by the Washington Post, which reported that the publicly accessible database contained Social Security numbers linked to providers' names....Arizona News
A new federal healthcare fraud task force will tackle Medicare and Medicaid fraud on the West Coast, including states like Arizona and Nevada, in addition to California.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has a new data analytics system that will be deployed with the "West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force" to...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are facing growing financial exposure from fraud and questionable billing outside their networks, as Medicare pushes participants to take on greater accountability for total cost of care, according to a new analysis from Milliman.
Under MSSP and ACO REACH, ACOs are responsible for all...News
Federal spending on children continues to shrink as a share of the budget and the broader economy, even as total spending grows, according to a new Urban Institute analysis.
The year's annual report finds the federal government spent $533 billion on children in 2024, about 8% of total spending, a share projected to fall to 6% by 2035....News
The initiative, housed within AHA’s Health Research and Educational Trust, will provide participating hospitals access to implementation support for the use of the West Health Accelerator, a digital hub of proven solutions, and peer learning networks designed to move technologies from pilot to systemwide adoption.
The new project...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
In this report from Georgetown University, analysts reviewed five state employee health plans (SEHPs) facing the same significant increases as commercial healthcare costs: rising prices. As commercial healthcare costs rise and employer-sponsored insurance has grown increasingly unaffordable for employers and their employees, researchers...Arizona News
The project expands the hospital from 204 to 238 beds and adds a new four-story patient care pavilion, along with additional operating rooms and upgraded surgical and patient spaces. Final elements are expected to be completed later this year, with a full opening planned in 2026.
The $170 million renovation and expansion at Deer...
We hope you'll join The Hertel Report healthcare community for our final happy hour of the spring season. It's a great time to reconnect with colleagues and meet new healthcare professionals at the Healthcare Happy Hour in Midtown Phoenix on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Sponsored by Titanium Healthcare
...
In a motion filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Sharareh Najafi-Piper, the former CEO of Mesa-based Copa Health, called claims of misuse of funds by her former company are “provably false” and argued the case should be handled through confidential arbitration, as required under her executive employment agreement. The filing asks...CMS Rules
The Regulatory Alignment for Predictable and Immediate Device (RAPID) coverage pathway is designed to streamline communication from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacturers in the early stages of product development, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to participate in...Arizona News
The Arizona, mostly non-profit insurer, also suffered a $162.2 million loss in 2024, reversing a $85.4 million net income gain in 2023. In more bad news for the company, billions from an antitrust settlement will begin flowing to consumers across the country from Blue Cross Blue Shield and its member plans, including Blue Cross Blue...National News
The new standards are expected to be adopted by a group that includes Centene, Cigna, Humana, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare and will apply to orthopedic surgeries and imaging services like CTs and MRIs, in addition to other medical services that usually require prior authorization.
Modern Healthcare reports the standards will apply to...Available To All
Health insurers are holding their first quarterly calls with investors for 2026; UnitedHealthcare appears to be back on track after a rocky 2025, and Centene is reportedly holding steady despite losses from surging ACA premiums.
Centene's profits rose 17.5% to $1.5 billion in the first quarter with revenue increasing 7.1% to $49.9...
As the South Carolina measles outbreak comes to a close, the Arizona outbreak continues with the first confirmed community case of measles in Pinal County recorded this year. Nationally, improved detection methods are signaling that America's measles elimination status is on the rocks, propelled by increasing rates of vaccine...
Last year, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to end the long-standing, 30-year recommendation for universal hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns within 24 hours of birth. Researchers then launched two studies, both published on Monday, on how ending the universal hepatitis B vaccine would affect...
The Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP) launched the pilot program with health technology company Doctronic early this year without the knowledge of the state's Medical Licensing Board. The goal of the program is for Doctronic's AI to automate routine, guideline-based prescription renewals to lighten the workload at...
Barr succeeds former board member Barbara Rodriguez Mundell and brings more than 30 years of leadership experience, including senior roles at Salt River Project and her current position as associate vice president and chief alliance officer at Arizona State University’s Global Futures Laboratory.
The Maricopa County Special Health...Arizona News
The total artificial heart is used as a bridge to transplant, supporting patients with end-stage heart failure while they wait for a donor organ. Arizona's largest health system has completed more than 50 of the procedures since 2022, positioning its program among the busiest worldwide and a key referral center for advanced heart failure...Arizona News
Nonpartisan advocacy group United States of Care is offering an olive branch to Congressional Republicans with a new "Red State Affordability Cohort," which will serve as a working group of six conservative-leaning states, including Arizona, for cross-state collaboration on policy and mutual support. Republicans have yet to coalesce...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Late last year, uncertainty about the expiration of enhanced premium tax cut subsidies and changes to eligibility exacerbated market fears for ACA enrollment in 2026. Four months into the year, Wakely Consulting Group published a report forecasting reductions in enrollment and consequences for the risk pool as insurers develop their 2027...
Amazon is expanding into obesity care with a new GLP 1 management program through Amazon One Medical, integrating primary care, pharmacy and virtual services into a single offering.
The program is designed to address fragmented weight loss treatment by embedding GLP 1 prescribing and monitoring within a patient’s broader primary care...
In this April 2026 Milliman white paper, analysts report that rising costs in traditional Medicare are outpacing federal projections, creating new financial pressure for accountable care organizations whose benchmarks rely on those estimates.
The new analysis finds recent Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) cost trends have exceeded CMS...
Available To All
