Kaiser hits $1 billion operating gain in Q1
Kaiser Permanente Monday posted a record $1 billion operating gain in its first quarter, just days after holding its largest-ever bond offering. READ MORE
UnitedHealth pulls plug on plan testing no-charge primary care
UnitedHealth Group is shutting down its health plan experiment featuring staff providers offering unlimited primary and behavioral care at no charge. READ MORE
Healthcare lobbyists wait to see if Senate more pliable than House on ACA repeal
Healthcare industry groups are guardedly hopeful they can influence Senate Republican’s ACA repeal bill. But that’s far from certain given the GOP timetable and need to gain the support of conservative senators. READ MORE
PROVIDERS
U.S. Supreme Court upholds arbitration agreements for nursing homes
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Kindred Healthcare could enforce a binding arbitration agreement with the families of two former residents of its nursing homes. READ MORE
INSURANCE
Efforts to reduce US uninsured stalled in 2016
After five consecutive years of coverage gains, progress toward reducing the number of uninsured Americans stalled in 2016, according to a government report that underscores the stakes as Republicans try to roll back Barack Obama’s law. READ MORE
GOVERNMENT
Trump administration seeks to end HealthCare.gov enrollment for small companies
The Trump administration on Monday proposed to allow small businesses to sign up for insurance coverage directly through an agent or broker rather than HealthCare.gov, citing their low enrollment in the federal marketplace. READ MORE
Medicare ID overhaul sparks fears of patients being denied care
Providers fear the transition process for removing Social Security numbers from millions of Medicare ID cards will result in patients being denied care and are asking the CMS to loop them in on planning for the change. READ MORE
FINANCE
Inova’s insurance joint venture exits Va. exchange as earnings rebound
Inova Health’s joint-venture health plan with Aetna is exiting the Virginia exchange marketplace in 2018 to stem losses that are dampening an otherwise strong earnings rebound at the system’s five hospitals. READ MORE
TECHNOLOGY
3 steps to defend yourself against ransomware
In the wake of Friday’s massive ransomware attack, which affected computers worldwide, including those at NHS hospitals in Great Britain, here are three steps to take to safeguard your health system. READ MORE
Patient identification concepts are put to the test
National challenge, budget bill could spur action on patient identification and patient matching. READ MORE
The Healing Heart of Health Care
This year’s National Hospital Week theme, “The Healing Heart of Healthcare,” recognizes the core of what a hospital does: taking care of people, one patient at a time. READ MORE
Part 2: Optimization of Specialty Drug Costs Under the Medical Benefit
How an improvement in Medical Drug management controls can achieve a 6 to 12 percent savings within specialty drug spend. READ MORE