A final rule issued by CMS on April 5 cemented policies to increase plan choices and benefits for enrollees in the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) programs, opening those beneficiaries to supplemental services like telehealth and streamlining the appeals process for those unsatisfied with their healthcare.

Heart attack patients aged 65 and up stay hospitalized longer than those aged 65 or under—yet the seniors ring up significantly smaller bills per stay. The bad news is that the “savings” likely come in the form of fewer percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs, aka angioplasties) to open blocked heart arteries nonsurgically.

Apple’s healthcare market opportunity could reach $313 billion by 2027, analysts at Morgan Stanley predict, with medical-grade wearables like the Apple Watch leading the charge in revenue growth.

Amid a national debate over whether or not to dissolve the Affordable Care Act entirely or keep parts of the law intact, research presented at the American Heart Association’s QCOR Scientific Sessions on April 5 suggests Medicaid expansion contributed to a significant decline in cardiovascular-related deaths in recent years.

Nearly a quarter of heart failure patients discharged after rehabbing in skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) are bound to get readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of going home. And those whose stay at the SNF two days or fewer are up to four times more likely to be readmitted than those who stay longer.

Healthcare workers suffer assaultive injuries on the job at a rate equal to workers in all other industries combined. Hospital patients are the most common assailants, while family members are the runners-up.

Cigna and Express Scripts announced April 3 they’re launching a Patient Assurance Program that will ensure individuals with diabetes pay no more than $25 out-of-pocket for insulin each month.