Patient Care

This page includes news coverage of various aspects of patient healthcare, including new technology innovations, what is working, what is not, personalized medicine and remote and telemedicine delivery. Find specific news in the areas of Care DeliveryDigital TransformationPrecision MedicineRemote Monitoring and Telehealth.

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UnitedHealthcare to cut back on prior authorization paperwork

UnitedHealthcare announced it would remove 20% of its current prior authorizations starting with the third quarter of this year. 

 

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FDA approves OTC Narcan for the first time

The medication can reverse an opioid overdose and is a critical, life-saving product now able to be sold directly to consumers in places like pharmacies, convenience stores, grocers, gas stations and online, the FDA said.

 

Congress aims to crack down on ‘zombie drug’

Xylazine is a sedative intended for animals such as horses and cattle, but it is increasingly being found mixed with strong opioids such as fentanyl.

A list of cardiovascular drugs a patient is taking in a graphical format in the Cardioviso atrial fibrillation patient management application GE Healthcare showed at ACC.23.#ACC23 #ACC

Lawsuit slams PBMs Cigna, Humana as price-fixing ‘modern gangsters’

“Medications shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, metaphorically or literally,” says Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost “Insulin is just a symptom of the problem; PBMs are the disease.”

 

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Oscar Health taps former Aetna leader as CEO

Technology-forward health insurance company Oscar Health has named Mark Bertolini as CEO, effective April 3.

Nearly all health leaders are investing in software this year

A whopping 94% of health leaders in the survey said they plan to invest in software this year, partly to fend off clinician burnout and a looming recession.

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Healthcare groups ask CMS to create hybrid primary care payment option

Twenty-seven healthcare organizations signed the letter to CMS asking the agency to create a hybrid payment model, including the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations, AMGA, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Primary Care Collaborative.

Philips launches new virtual care management services

Philips Virtual Care Management’s protocols connect to devices and engagement tools on a secure, cloud-based network with real-time data.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”