Veronica Graff

Business journalist and recent graduate from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with minors in business and philosophy. Emphasis in financial, economic and market reporting. Regular contributor to The Hertel Report.

Author's Posts

National News

Should SCOTUS Expedite Ruling on Texas v. Azar?

Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been central to the GOP crusade on healthcare since President Trump's election in 2016. He promised to overhaul the legislation and completely reform America's healthcare system right away,...
National News

Bright Health to Acquire California Insurer

Startup insurer Bright Health recently announced plans to acquire California-based Brand New Day health plan, a move that demonstrates interest in the Medicare Advantage market and launches them into the Golden State, a new territory for the payer. Just last month, Bright Health made public a $635 million Series D funding round...
National News

Former BCBS Exec Launches Company to Serve as a Healthcare Catalyst

Former Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Trent Haywood has launched a new venture that guides healthcare startups in navigating the healthcare system for easier implementation in the marketplace. Haywood established Knowality in November 2019, a venture services firm that provides product...
Arizona News

State of Arizona and Former Doctors Sued by Hacienda Patient

The family of an incapacitated woman, who gave birth in December 2018 under the care of Hacienda Healthcare facility, is suing the state of Arizona and her two former doctors for negligence. Filed on Dec. 24 in Maricopa County Superior Court, the suit lists the 30-year-old woman along with her parents as plaintiffs. No dollar...
Arizona News

Banner Health Employees Enter $500K Settlement

Banner Health employees reached a proposed settlement of $500,000 following allegations that the Phoenix-based health system breached its duties under the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Plaintiffs in the case, Ramos v. Banner Health, allege Jeffrey Solcum & Associates, the investment consultant...
Arizona News

Chandler-Based Insys Finally Closing Up Shop

The manufacturer of a potent fentanyl spray, Subsys, appears to be shutting down operations after filing for bankruptcy last summer and years of litigation. Insys Therapeutics agreed to vacate its Chandler headquarters by Dec. 31, 2019 and according to bankruptcy filings, any property belonging to debtors that remain after Dec. 31...
Arizona News

Banner Health to Pay $6 Million in Data Breach Settlement

Banner Health is finally paying up after a June 2016 cyberattack; the health system agreed to a $6 million settlement last month. The security incident was said to have impacted 3.7 million people and turned into a class-action suit in 2017 after 11 individually filed suits. The settlement includes free insurance coverage for...
CMS Rules

Hospital Outpatient Direct Supervision Requirement Eliminated

This year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement a lower physician supervision requirement for hospital outpatient therapeutic services. CMS has required direct supervision of services such as, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the past decade. The change was finalized in November 2019, making...
Arizona News

Pushing For Delay of CMS MA Hospice Carve-In

Hospice advocates are calling for a delay to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Medicare Advantage (MA) carve-in demonstration set to begin in Jan. 2021. Earlier this year, the agency announced it would start testing hospice care coverage through MA plans in 2021 with the intention of increasing care...
Arizona News

UA Professor's Transgender Insurance Bias Case Moves Forward

A University of Arizona (UA) transgender professor filed a class-action lawsuit in Jan. 2019 against the state over obstructed access to healthcare due to discrimination based on his transgender status. He is now able to proceed against his employer on sex bias claims, according to a federal district court ruling in...
Arizona News

Navajo Nation to Launch MCO with Molina Healthcare

The Navajo Nation announced plans to create a "one-of-a-kind" managed care organization (MCO) under New Mexico's Medicaid program with Molina Healthcare. The tribe, spanning portions of northern Arizona, southern Utah and northern New Mexico, would be the first to launch a managed healthcare entity. According to a September white...
Arizona News

Arizona Enrollment YOY Plus National Stats - OEP Sign Up Extended

National enrollment for 2020 health plans on HealthCare.gov totaled 8.3 million for the open enrollment period ending on Dec. 15. But this year because some consumers attempting to enroll during the final hours experienced issues, the deadline for sign up was extended until 3 a.m. EST Dec. 18. This year, shoppers seeking health...
National News

The Healthcare Industry Comes Out on Top After Year of Scolding

Despite 2020 presidential candidate debates and lawmakers' crusade on the healthcare industry's business model, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurance companies fared quite favorably as billions in tax breaks line their pockets ahead of the holidays. Former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt told the Washington Post,...
OIG Concerned Over Billions in Estimated MA Payments From Chart Reviews CMS Rules

OIG Concerned Over Billions in Estimated MA Payments From Chart Reviews

A report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) inspector general's office analyzed Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data from 2016, stemming from concerns that MA organizations use chart reviews to inaccurately inflate risk adjusted payments. The result was billions in additional payments. The Office of Inspector...
CMS Rules

CMS Issues New Rules for ACO Direct Contracting Model

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a request for applications (RFA) for two of the three voluntary payment model options, specifying how accountable care organizations can apply to participate in the professional and global options of Direct Contracting (DC). Defined within DC are three different...
Arizona News

Healthcare Industry Puts Blockchain to the Test as Initial Hype Subsides

Since its resurgence in popularity a few years ago, blockchain's capabilities have been applied across various industries to see how the digital ledger can impact businesses globally. In healthcare, organizations have noted opportunities in information exchange, administrative documentation and billions in possible savings. Now, the...
CMS Rules

CMS’ Updates to the Medicare Plan Finder Backfire

For the first time in the last decade, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the popular health plan shopping tool Medicare Plan Finder, but the recent redesign initiative has raised concerns for consumer advocacy groups that say the tool offers inaccurate information. The federal government spent $11 million...
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