BREAKING NEWS: CDC director, chief medical officer ousted as RFK shakes up agency

CDC Director Susan Monarez, PhD, was less than a month into her role, having been confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 30. Her lawyers said the staffing shakeup was a result of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “weaponizing public health for political gain.”

Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs at the Medical Group Management Association, explains why Congress needs to renew the Medicare geographic pay adjustments in rural areas—to make payments competitive with urban areas and help retain physicians in those communities.

Bloomberg said the pharmacy benefit manager is being probed as part of a larger look into the “prescription management services” of UnitedHealth. According to sources, this may be related to an ongoing investigation into alleged instances of Medicare Advantage upcoding.

A merger between Eversana and Waltz Health will create a new entity that CEO Mark Thierer says will upend the “existing oligopoly that I helped build.”

The two said they’ve been negotiating terms for eight months. Sticking points include denied claims and coverage disputes, with both the insurer and health system pointing fingers.