Corporate wellness programs can return as high as $3 for every $1 invested, as they are linked to reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and higher job satisfaction, according to a Huffington Post blog.

Medical costs are up to 20 percent higher at hospital-owned physician groups, according to Los Angeles Times. 

The National Institutes of Health has awarded grants designed to develop new strategies to analyze and leverage big data.

CVS Health is using its tobacco-free policy as a way to one-up rivals. The chain's pharmacy benefits unit is offering a prescription-drug plan that charges patients more if they buy their meds at drugstores that sell tobacco products, according to Wall Street Journal.

A new study from the Rand Corp. refutes the notion that medical malpractice reform will generate major savings, reports The Washington Post.

The establishment of a national, centralized database with multiple partners and disparate EHR systems is doable, according to a study published in eGEMS (Generating Evidence & Methods to improve patient outcomes).

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is hosting a series of “Learning What Works” events as part of its new Data for Health initiative to identify ways to harness data to improve health.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a new initiative to encourage new accountable care organizations to form in rural and underserved areas and current Medicare Shared Saving Program ACOs to transition to arrangements with greater financial risk.