Rhonda Montgomery

An innovative leader with a proven track record of driving revenue growth, with expertise in building consumer preference and demand through traditional and digital media.

Author's Posts

Arizona News

Healthcare Powers Arizona Job Growth

Healthcare accounted for more than half of Arizona's job growth over the past year, helping offset losses in sectors ranging from hospitality to finance. But industry leaders warn that persistent workforce shortages could limit the industry's...
MA Pullback Leaves More Seniors Shopping for Coverage National News

MA Pullback Leaves More Seniors Shopping for Coverage

Millions of Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries will face plan changes, benefit reductions or coverage disruptions in 2027 as insurers continue a multiyear effort to restore profitability amid rising medical costs and regulatory pressures. Major insurers including UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Aetna are shrinking their MA...
Arizona News

Kidney Care Overhaul Targets Status Quo

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a sweeping national strategy to overhaul kidney care, aiming to boost early detection, increase competition in the dialysis market and accelerate innovation in treatment and transplantation. The plan was announced Tuesday by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who...
Arizona News

CMS Moves to Tighten ACA Subsidies

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing stricter verification requirements for consumers seeking financial assistance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces, a move the Trump administration says will reduce fraud and ensure taxpayer-funded subsidies go only to eligible enrollees.  Under the proposed...
Aetna, Centene Sue CMS Over Star Ratings National News

Aetna, Centene Sue CMS Over Star Ratings

A growing legal battle over Medicare Advantage quality scores is pitting major insurers against federal regulators, with Aetna and Centene joining a wave of lawsuits that could reshape how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services calculates its influential Star Ratings. The disputes come as both companies report improving...
CMS Takes Aim at Nurse Churn CMS Rules

CMS Takes Aim at Nurse Churn

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching a $275 million initiative to recruit and retain nurses in nursing homes, offering student loan repayment and stipends as long-term care providers continue to struggle with staffing shortages, particularly in rural communities. The newly created Nurses for Nursing...
Arizona Prison Healthcare Takeover Delayed Arizona News

Arizona Prison Healthcare Takeover Delayed

A federal appeals court has temporarily paused a court-ordered takeover of Arizona’s prison healthcare system, delaying what would be one of the most significant interventions in the state prison system's history while a broader legal battle plays out. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Oct. 16 that Arizona may retain...
National Reports & Surveys

Report Finds Insurers Blocking Women's Birth Control Access

More than a decade after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) guaranteed most privately insured Americans access to birth control without out-of-pocket costs, many women continue to face coverage denials, unexpected bills and administrative hurdles that can delay or prevent care.  In 2021, an estimated 61.4 million women ages 18 to 64 had...
National News

CMS Marketplace Broker Freeze Draws Lawsuit

The National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) is suing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) over a new moratorium that blocks thousands of agents and brokers from registering to sell Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage for the 2027 plan year, intensifying a dispute over how the...
National News

Congress Weighs Medicare Physician Pay Overhaul

Congress is considering a bipartisan overhaul of Medicare physician payments that would establish annual inflation-based updates, reduce quality-reporting burdens and provide new payment options for independent primary care practices. The American Medical Association notes that the proposal comes as Medicare physician payments have...
Arizona Gets Less Rural Health Funding Than Expected Arizona News

Arizona Gets Less Rural Health Funding Than Expected

Arizona will receive $166.99 million in the first year of a federal rural healthcare initiative (more than $30 million less than state officials requested) as rural providers prepare for Medicaid eligibility changes that could increase demand for uncompensated care. The funding gap comes as Arizona's rural healthcare safety net...

Hospital Groups Sue to Block 340B Rebate Pilot - Again

The American Hospital Association and five co-plaintiffs have once again sued the federal government to block a second version of a 340B Drug Pricing Program rebate pilot, arguing that the policy could impose more than $1 billion in costs on hospitals and strain providers’ cash flow. The lawsuit marks the second challenge to the rebate...

Humana Taps BlackRock in $2.8B CenterWell Deal

Humana is bringing in a new private equity partner to fuel the growth of its senior-focused primary care business, announcing a $2.8 billion transaction that will give BlackRock a majority stake in nearly 150 CenterWell Senior Primary Care clinics, 12 of those are in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Humana announced the deal on Oct. 13...
CMS Rules

CMS Expands Power to Exclude Medicaid & Medicare Providers

Federal regulators have expanded their enforcement toolkit by granting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) authority to exclude providers and entities from Medicare and Medicaid, a significant shift that could expose Arizona healthcare organizations to heightened oversight and sanctions. The new authority,...

Joint Replacement Model Saves Medicare $180M

A federal program that rewards hospitals for coordinating joint replacement care saved Medicare $180 million over three years without sacrificing quality, according to a new report. The findings are helping pave the way for a nationwide expansion of the model in 2028. The results are especially significant for healthcare...
Hospitals Face New Scrutiny Over Price Transparency CMS Rules

Hospitals Face New Scrutiny Over Price Transparency

Federal regulators are ramping up enforcement of healthcare price transparency requirements, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warning hospitals against deceptive pricing practices as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalizes sweeping new rules designed to make healthcare pricing data easier to access,...
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MACPAC Flags Medicaid Home Care Risks

A new review from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) suggests that fragmented oversight, unclear accountability and disconnected data systems are creating challenges for Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS), potentially affecting providers, caregivers and beneficiaries who rely on self-directed...
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