The offerings on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges for 2018 are dominated by narrow network plans, with higher deductibles for silver- and gold-level plans, according to an analysis from Avalere.

A confidential compliance investigation at managed care firm SynerMed found the company had improperly denied care to thousands of patients, many of them on Medicaid, and then falsified documents to hide their actions. That report was handed over to California regulators by a whistleblower, leading to a state investigation, insurer audits and the announced closure of the firm.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx), the first breakthrough-designated, next generation sequencing (NGS)-based in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test that can detect genetic mutations in 324 genes and two genomic signatures in any solid tumor type. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the same time proposed coverage of the F1CDx. The test is the second IVD to be approved and covered after overlapping review by the FDA and CMS under the Parallel Review Program, which facilitates earlier access to innovative medical technologies for Medicare beneficiaries.

Patients with diabetes were able to decrease their hemoglobin A1c by an average of 1.36 percent using One Drop Mobile applications on iPhones and Apple Watches, according to a study published in JMIR mHealth & uHealth.

AliveCor, developers of electrocardiogram (ECG) technology, have received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the KardiaBand, an accessory that will allow Apple Watch users to view ECGs at any time.

Accurate Neuromonitoring, a leading Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (IONM) provider offering functional guidance to surgeons through the use of electrophysiological methods that help reduce patient risk, has acquired Atlanta, Georgia-based NeuroLink Monitoring, expanding its coverage to seven East Coast States -- New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

Optum, the consulting and services arm of health insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, announced at the launch of a $250 million venture capital fund investing in data analytics and digital health firms.

While biologic medications have revolutionized the treatment of chronic diseases and conditions, reports show approximately 50 percent of medications for chronic disease are not taken as prescribed. It’s a situation that providers, payers and pharmaceutical companies are trying to change, and a breakthrough needle-free drug delivery system from Portal Instruments that uses technology out of MIT to allow patients to easily manage their chronic conditions at home could help.