Where have the missing rural American hospitals gone? And where is rural healthcare headed? The discussion is on in Washington and elsewhere.  

The health system said it offered a “historic” 21.5% raise as part of a new contract, but it’s been unable to reach an agreement with union officials. Workers are expected to walk off the job starting Jan. 26. 

Traditional fee-for-service Medicare saw a slight dip in improper payments, which are usually associated with documentation errors and now outright fraud. CMS also released data on Medicaid and the CHIP program. 

Just because a healthcare AI product gets loudly promoted doesn’t mean its claims are bogus. The salient question is whether or not it performs as well in a clinical setting as it did in a research lab—or in a marketer’s mind. 

The Missouri complaint mirrors those brought by the Federal Trade Commission, the state of Texas and Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, among others, in that it’s focused on alleged collusion between pharmacy benefit managers and drug companies to control the price of insulin. 

Vapor 2000 and Vapor 3000 devices manufactured by Draegar were improperly cleaned after parts were soldered on, meaning toxic metals could mix with medical gases. Due to the high risk posed to patient health, this recall has earned the FDA’s most serious designation. 

Boston Scientific sent all known customers a letter on December 19, 2025 alerting them to an issue with certain AXIOS Stent and Electrocautery Enhanced Delivery Systems. During deployment, the stents may not expand. This can cause severe, potentially life-threatening injury to patients. All recalled stents must be removed from clinical settings immediately. 

President Trump’s outline is largely an exercise in thinking out loud since it can’t propel anything consequential without legislative action in Congress. Still, the plan—and the reactions it’s eliciting—warrant a look. 

In total, 22 facilities will benefit from the money, provided by the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program. Projects include cybersecurity upgrades and telehealth implementation, in addition to EHR upgrades.

A Hail Mary attempt by a bipartisan group to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits failed. The new bill contains some reforms, including new reporting requirements for PBMs and support for association health plans. It now faces the Senate. 

The recall was issued due to the potential for the systems to produce artifacts during PET exams.

Reducing the activity of a specific protein could provide significant relief for many heart failure patients.