Hospitals are now conducting wealth screenings with software that culls public data to see which patients are most likely to donate to the healthcare organization, The New York Times reported. The practice is increasingly common across hospitals, particularly large systems.

Deal volumes broke records in 2018 across the health services sector, and deal activity is likely to remain high in 2019 thanks to a number of positive market factors, according to PwC’s latest health services deals insights.

Media spotlighting of extraordinarily high hospital bills can pay off for patients on the hook for thousands of dollars after a hospital visit. Such is the case for one San Francisco resident who was stuck with a bill for more than $20,000—after her insurance paid its part—following a bicycle accident.

In 2018, the healthcare industry became the largest employment sector in the United States, but rising demand has made certain positions in the space some of the hardest to fill.

The U.S. adult uninsured rate for healthcare reached 13.7 percent at the end of 2018––a four-year high, according to a recent Gallup poll. The findings underscore the actions of the Trump administration to undermine the Affordable Care Act over the last two years.

In an effort to curb “unexpected and outrageous bills,” President Trump invited patients and others to the White House to discuss their experiences with such pricing, Kaiser Health News reported. The discussion is part of Trump’s overall goal to impact drug prices and transparency in healthcare.

Walgreens Boots Alliance has settled two fraud cases with the Department of Justice, shelling out $269.2 million. In both cases, which arose from whistleblowers, Walgreens admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged by the government in its complaint under the False Claims Act.

The U.S. government shutdown, which is now the longest-running in history, could potentially harm consumers and undermine the stability of the Affordable Care Act healthcare insurance market, The Wall Street Journal reported.