February 2022

About 100 medical societies ask Congress to be involved in Congressional efforts to reform Medicare
Patient demand for telemedicine remains strong
Court blocks aspects of surprise billing rule
HHS allocating $560M in payments to healthcare providers impacted by COVID-19 pandemic
Mayo Clinic invests $432M in Florida hospital expansion project
Population growth drives new hospital construction in North Carolina
Quality care for geriatric patients lacking in emergency departments
Electronic health records susceptible to cyberattacks, HHS warns
Digital tools can accelerate the integration of physical, behavioral health services, AMA says
Cerner, Social Security Administration join forces to improve disability insurance claims process
Mortality odds increase in older, financially stressed patients following a heart attack
Rhode Island AG denies application for Lifespan, Care New England merger
Major pharmacy group criticizes FTC decision on PBMs
95% of doctors believe COVID-19 has exposed cracks in the medicine supply chain
MindMaze secures $105 million to expand commercial growth
M&A activity was down in 2021, but 'mega-mergers' spiked
Hospitals share top health IT vendors to work with in the Best in KLAS 2022 list
Specialty pharmacies offer more affordable drug prices than hospitals
AMA releases new toolkit with 5 steps to achieve racial, health equity
Health-tech companies back new legislation introduced to modernize ‘outdated’ health privacy laws
With patient safety slipping, CDC and CMS turn focus to more resilient approaches
Telehealth visits have declined since the onset of COVID-19
HHS awards $55 million to expand virtual healthcare access
Number of primary care physicians associated with higher COVID-19 vaccination rates
Prior authorization adversely impacts patient care, workforce productivity
Nonprofit hospitals aren’t doing more for Medicaid patients than for-profits, despite taking taxpayer subsidies
Kaiser’s net income rose in 2021, operating income dipped
Computer-assisted cognitive behavior therapy reduces depressive symptoms better than usual treatment
FDA postpones meeting on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for younger children
48 hospitals make Forbes’ list of best employers
Time to rethink how we compensate nonprofit hospital CEOs, think tank says
CVS seeks to relieve overworked pharmacists with new policy
CDC updates clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids
Most Americans live within an hour of a stroke center
Strategic partnership: Press Ganey acquiring Forsta
American Hospital Association responds to changing healthcare landscape with new strategic plan
HHS warns hospitals to safeguard against LockBit 2.0 ransomware
Small, rural hospitals struggle to retain staff lured away by big paydays
Proposed legislation would extend coverage of telehealth services through 2024
Older adults receive less preventive care when doctors leave Medicare ACOs
Amazon Care announces plans to expand in-person services nationwide
More states considering legislation to help low-income patients pay high medical debt
Hospital CEOs say workforce shortages were more challenging than financials in 2021
AHIP urges Congress to curtail price gouging on COVID-19 tests: ‘The problem has gotten worse’
Mayo Clinic’s hybrid Care Hotel earns good grades from patients
Kaiser Permanente's 'secret' Medicaid deal with California raises eyebrows
Oracle’s $28.3B deal to buy Cerner facing antitrust scrutiny, additional lawsuits
UnitedHealthcare subpoenaed over data breach impacting 22,000 people
‘Cause for concern’: Physicians in the same health system make vastly different choices for identical patients
Medicare patients will have access to free at-home COVID tests starting this spring
Cardinal Health will pay $13M to settle kickback allegations
AI-based system affords physicians more flexible schedules, minimizes burnout triggers
Consumers struggle to understand quarantine guidance following at-home COVID test results