The global budgeting, all-payer program adopted for most of Maryland’s hospitals has succeeded in keeping the growth in hospital revenue and Medicare expenditures below the rest of the nation through its first three years, while also reducing readmissions and complications.

The proposed $67 billion acquisition of pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) Express Scripts by insurer Cigna isn’t just about acquiring a PBM, according to Cigna CEO David Cordiani, as he defended the deal from the lukewarm response from Wall Street on CNBC’s “Mad Money.”

A study from the Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner said the state’s residents would see increases in insurance premiums if Boston-based Partners Healthcare acquires Care New England, thanks to Partners likely using its regional market clout to gain better prices from insurers.

The goal of the opioid epidemic response plan announced by President Donald Trump will be to cut opioid prescriptions by 33 percent within three years, according to POLITICO.

The number of participants in the Next Generation ACO model has shrunk to 51 after seven accountable care organizations (ACOs) announced they’ll drop out of the program in the largest departure of providers since the model was introduced.

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, D-California, recently introduced new legislation dubbed the Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act, which aims to reduce the risk of workplace violence in healthcare facilities utilizing comprehensive employer-mandated workplace violence plans.

UnitedHealth Group has dropped its bid to acquire the ambulatory services unit of Envision Healthcare and isn’t interested in participating in any deals to scoop up parts or all of the company, according to Bloomberg.

Easing clinician burden under the payment tracks implemented as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will be a priority for CMS in this year’s rulemaking, according to Kate Goodrich, MD, the agency’s chief medical officer. What won’t be changing, however, is requiring providers to meet the 2015 edition of certified electronic health record technology (CHERT) standards.