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About hospitals and healthcare systems

Vizient announces 2025 Top Performers in clinical quality and sustainability excellence FYI

About pharma

Roche to pay $2.4B to acquire 89bio and its MASH hopeful pegozafermin: Roche agreed to acquire 89bio for $14.50 per share in cash, or around $2.4 billion, adding the late-stage FGF21 analogue pegozafermin to its cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease portfolio. The deal announced Thursday also includes a contingent value right (CVR) worth up to $6 per share in cash, giving the transaction a total potential value of $3.5 billion. Eli Lilly pill outperforms Novo Nordisk’s oral drug in head-to-head diabetes trial: KEY POINTS
Eli Lilly said its experimental pill outperformed Novo Nordisk’s own oral drug in the first head-to-head study comparing the two medicines in patients with Type 2 diabetes. 
Eli Lilly said its pill, orforglipron, was superior at the trial’s main goal of lowering blood sugar levels at 52 weeks compared to Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide, and helped patients lose more weight.
But it’s less clear how Eli Lilly’s pill compares to a higher dose of oral semaglutide, especially in patients who are overweight or have obesity without diabetes.

Novo Nordisk shares pop 5% after Wegovy pill trial shows ‘significant’ weight reduction: Results from the phase 3 Oasis 4 trial showed the oral semaglutide pill led to average weight reduction of 16.6% after 64 weeks in patients with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity, the Danish pharmaceutical firm said.

About healthcare IT

“15% of Searches Have Never Been Typed Before”Why AI Safety in Health-Related Search Is Hard: …it turns out that 15% of what gets typed into the search box every day has never been typed in before. It's the first time that it's ever been typed in. That makes it a really interesting space to think about with the intersection of things that. by definition can't be in your training data because people are saying them literally for the first time in human history. 

New AI model predicts susceptibility to over 1,000 diseases: The generative AI system called Delphi-2M was built at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Cambridge, using “similar architecture to large language models but with key innovations to work with healthcare data”, said Tom Fitzgerald of EMBL. Delphi was trained on anonymised medical records from 400,000 participants in UK Biobank. The researchers then tested the model successfully on data from 1.9mn patients in the Danish National Patient Registry. The predictions across more than 1,000 diseases generally matched the accuracy of existing tools that have a far narrower focus, such as the QRisk score for heart conditions. Results were published in Nature on Wednesday. 

Toady's News and Commentary for September 17, 2025

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Takeaways from fired CDC director’s Senate testimony: The former CDC chief, who served in the position for only 29 days, told the Senate’s health committee that Kennedy told her that “he spoke to the president every day about changing the childhood vaccine schedule” and that she “needed to be on board” with coming changes in September. The recommendations from the CDC call for administering multiple vaccines at key milestones, and potential changes to the schedule have alarmed major medical associations who worry the nation’s vaccine infrastructure may crack. 

About health insurance/insurers

Major health insurer group says members will continue to cover vaccines, a step that may ease anxiety over access: America’s Health Insurance Plans’ announcement comes just ahead of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ 12 members handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The selection of the five newest members was announced Monday, and their meeting is Thursday and Friday. Experts have speculated that, among other steps, the panel will drop the existing recommendation that newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine, a move that could lead to a resurgence of the virus and, as a result, liver disease and cancer. 

About pharma

St. Jude tests 3D printing for drug formulations: Pharmacists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., have started using 3D-printing technology to help produce compounded medications starting with hydrocortisone formulations. 
The hospital is working to integrate the printers within existing U.S. Pharmacopoeia standards for nonsterile and hazardous drug compounding, according to a Sept. 11 news release from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. 

FDA publishes batch of letters targeting 'misleading' pharma ads: As part of its newly launched crackdown on pharmaceutical advertisements, the FDA has posted 40 letters to its website that were sent this month to 22 different drugmakers who have run "false or misleading" TV spots of medicines that make their distribution "in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act." 

About the public’s health

Global Trends and Disparities in Social Isolation: In this repeated cross-sectional study of 159 countries, the global prevalence of social isolation increased by 13.4% over the 16-year study period (from 19.2 to 21.8), with the entire increase occurring after 2019. The disparity in isolation prevalence between high-income and low-income groups peaked in 2020 at 10.8 percentage points (high-income, 26.4% vs low-income, 15.6%). 

Chagas Disease, an Endemic Disease in the United States Global warming is causing formerly tropical diseases to move to what were temperate climates.

Today's News and Commentary for September 16, 2025

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The best-rated health plans of 2025: NCQA FYI

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Hospital group pushes Aetna to repeal inpatient reimbursement policy: Aetna’s new level of severity inpatient payment” policy will take effect in less than two months, and the American Hospital Association said it is “deeply concerned.”
Aetna’s policy, set to go into effect Nov. 15, will approve inpatient stays without a medical necessity review but pay the claim at a lower severity rate. If the inpatient stay meets Aetna’s supplemental guidelines, the insurer will pay the claim according to the hospital’s agreement. This plan will apply to facilities participating in Aetna Medicare Advantage or Special Needs Plans for emergent or urgent inpatient stays greater than one midnight. The change’s goal is to expedite reimbursement, according to an Aetna update.

Hospital profitability: 24 statistics for 2025 so far: While overall operating margins are up 4% year to date compared to 2024, the picture is far from uniform. Large hospitals — particularly those with 300 to 499 beds — are driving much of the momentum, posting margin growth of more than 30%, while small facilities under 25 beds slipped into negative territory.
Geographically, the South and Midwest are emerging as bright spots, reporting double-digit operating margin gains of 21% and 15% respectively. In contrast, hospitals in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic and Great Plains are struggling, with margins declining 6% and 7%. EBITDA performance reflects similar disparities, with growth concentrated in larger hospitals and declines among smaller facilities. 

About pharma

Novartis inks a second degrader-focused deal with Monte Rosa: Novartis has returned to Monte Rosa Therapeutics to further bulk out its pipeline, this time as part of a deal potentially worth just shy of $6 billion focused on novel degraders to treat immune-mediated diseases. 

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability: Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analysis. This suggests that associations observed in other models may have been attributable to familial confounding. 

About the public’s health

Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations During a High Severity Season — Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network, United States, 2024–25 Influenza Season: Among a surveillance sample of the U.S. population, 2024–25 was a high severity influenza season. The cumulative influenza-associated hospitalization rate was the highest since 2010–11. During the 2024–25 season, the percentages of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (16.8%) and who received invasive mechanical ventilation (6.1%) were similar to past seasons’ estimates. Approximately one third of hospitalized patients were vaccinated. Children aged 5–17 years were the lowest percentage of hospitalized patients receiving antiviral treatment (61.6%).
What are the implications for public health practice? All persons aged ≥6 months should receive an annual seasonal influenza vaccine. All hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed influenza should receive timely antiviral treatment to reduce the risk for influenza-associated complications. 

About healthcare IT

Longitudinal study of the manifestations and mechanisms of technology-related prescribing errors [TRE]in pediatrics: TREs accounted for 32.5% (n = 428) of prescribing errors; an adjusted rate of 1.49 TREs/100 orders (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06, 1.92). At 1-year post-CPOE, the rate of TREs was 40% lower than immediately post (incident rate ratio [IRR]: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.89). However, at 4-years post, the TRE rate was not significantly different to baseline (IRR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.08). 

Amazon expands healthcare offerings: Amazon has added Fay, a dietitian platform, as the first nutrition care service available through its Health Benefits Connector.
The collaboration allows eligible Amazon customers to discover and enroll in Fay’s insurance-covered nutrition services while browsing for wellness and health benefits, according to a Sept. 16 news release. 

About healthcare personnel

Workforce Education Trends Report  Interesting report and great graphics. For example: OVER HALF of healthcare employees (55%) admit that they’ll look for job openings, interview for, or switch to a new role in the next year, either inside (38%) or outside their organization (40%).

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Surging health costs bode ill for workers next year Interesting stats and sources for further reading.

About hospitals and healthcare systems

WHY PATIENTS ARE FILING MORE COMPLAINTS AGAINST HOSPITALS: According to the latest State Performance Standards System report from CMS, complaints against hospitals have surged by 79% over the past five years and topped 14,500 in fiscal year 2024. That increase is straining the oversight system designed to ensure hospital quality and safety, while also revealing frustrations from patients about their care experiences.
The report highlights how oversight gaps are contributing to dissatisfaction. State Survey Agencies, which investigate patient complaints and conduct recertification surveys, have had the same funding since 2015, even as their workload and use of resources has gone up. 

60 health systems with strong finances FYI

About the public’s health

Why 1 in 6 U.S. parents are rejecting vaccine recommendations: The American parents who are choosing to skip or delay vaccines for their children are more likely to home-school their children, be White and very religious, identify as Republican or be under 35, according to a wide-ranging Washington Post-KFF poll that sheds new light on what drives vaccine hesitancy.
Comment: Read the whole article. The link is gifted from my account.

Five new members named to influential CDC vaccine advisory committee days ahead of key meeting: The new members are Dr. Catherine Stein, an epidemiologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Dr. Hillary Blackburn, director of medication access and affordability at AscensionRx and the daughter-in-law of Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee; Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist with For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Hawaii; and Dr. Raymond Pollak, a surgeon and transplant immunobiologist.
See the article for their views on vaccines. 

Heart disease, cancer deaths increased in 2024: CDC : Heart disease and cancer were again the leading causes of death in the U.S. in 2024, according to a CDC report published Sept. 10, which analyzed 99.9% of 2024 death records as of June 1, 2025.
At the same time, the overall death rate decreased by 3.8% to the lowest it’s been since 2020, from 750.5 per 100,000 in 2023 to 722 per 100,000 in 2024. 

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House Throws Wrench in Plan to Test Prior Auth in Traditional Medicare: he House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday took aim at defunding a plan that could potentially expand prior authorization in Medicare.
Enough Republicans in the committee joined Democrats in passing an amendment to an HHS funding bill that would block CMS from implementing its recently announced prior authorization pilot programopens in a new tab or window in traditional Medicare. The goal of the plan is to target services including skin and tissue substitutesopens in a new tab or window, electrical nerve stimulator implantsopens in a new tab or window, and knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis.

Employer health costs to top $17,000 per employee in 2026: What You Need To Know

  • Aon projects a 9.5% increase in 2026, marking the third consecutive year with price hikes approaching double digits.

  • The continued rise in chronic and high-cost conditions remain primary drivers of escalating medical costs in the United States.

  • Prescription drug spending also is rising, driven by greater use of costly brand-name and specialty medications. 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

22 hospital closures in 2025 FYI

About pharma

Novartis' challenge to Medicare price negotiations falls flat on appeal: An appeals court has rejected Novartis' challenge to the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) Medicare drug price negotiation programme, adding to a series of defeats for the pharmaceutical industry on this issue.

Vaccine stocks slide on report that Trump team plans to link child deaths to COVID-19 shots: Shares of COVID-19 vaccine developers took a hit Friday after The Washington Post, citing four people familiar with the situation, reported that Trump administration health officials plan to link the preventative shots to the deaths of 25 children in a presentation next week to a vaccine advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

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22 health systems with boosted outlooks FYI

About pharma

US exempts Japan generics from baseline 15% tariff: As part of a new trade agreement with the U.S. and Japan, the Trump administration is exempting generic pharmaceuticals, their ingredients and chemical precursors from the 15% baseline tariff applied to imports from Japan.

Advent strikes €4.1bn deal to sell generic drugmaker Zentiva to GTCR: Chicago-based private equity group GTCR has struck a €4.1bn deal to buy generic drugmaker Zentiva from Advent International, in Europe’s second big private equity-backed generics deal this year. The takeover, which follows a competitive bidding process, comes a week after CapVest acquired a majority stake in rival generic drugmaker Stada, valuing the business at €10bn. 

About the public’s health

CDC Infectious Disease Data Project Shelved: HHS has put on ice a CDC project that would make information about dozens of diseases available in near real time.  

Medication Adherence in Hypertension:A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial:
Question  Can a primary care–based multicomponent intervention that includes automated identification of patients with uncontrolled hypertension and medication nonadherence combined with team-based care improve medication fill adherence?
Findings  In this pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial of 1726 patients seen in 10 primary care clinics, the intervention was not associated with improvement in proportion of days covered for antihypertensive medications or blood pressure compared with usual care.
Meaning  While the intervention was able to automatically identify patients with medication nonadherence in clinical practice, it did not lead to improved medication adherence for patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
Comment: It is important to document what does not work. Articles typically report positive results- leaving researchers to make the same mistakes again. 

About health technology

Patient-Reported Outcomes as Prognostic Indicators for Overall Survival in Cancer: Findings  In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 69 randomized clinical trials that included 44 030 patients with cancer, higher baseline global health status, physical functioning, and role functioning scores were significantly associated with improved overall survival, while greater symptom burden, including nausea and vomiting, pain, fatigue, appetite loss, and dyspnea, was associated with worse overall survival.
Meaning  The study results suggest that patient-reported outcomes capture clinically relevant prognostic information beyond traditional clinical end points and may enhance risk stratification and personalized treatment approaches in oncology. 

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CDC finds 4% drop in US death rate in 2024. Experts say decline may be due to COVID:The United States death rate decreased by 3.8% in 2024 as COVID fell out of the top 10 leading causes of death for the first time in four years, new provisional federal data shows.
The overall rate declined from 750.5 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 722 per 100,000, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
This marks the lowest death rate recorded since 2020, during the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and follows declines that began in 2022.

About health insurance/insurers

Lack of Health Coverage in US Remained Stable at 8% for 2024: The share of individuals in the US lacking health coverage held steady at 8%, or roughly 27 million people, in 2024, according to data the US Census Bureau released Tuesday.
The data show fluctuations in the uninsured rate for different demographics, although the numbers were not considered statistically significant. Working-age Black Americans’ uninsured rate ticked up from 11.1% to 12.3%, while Hispanic Americans’ uninsured rate dipped from 23.6% to 23%. Foreign-born workers were more than twice as likely to lack health insurance as native-born workers.

Just 1% of employees drive nearly a third of all health care spending: What You Need To Know
—Individuals with significant chronic and comorbid conditions drive a disproportionate percentage of the health care dollars.
—1% of enrollees account for 29% of spending at an average annual cost of $206,000 per person.
—61% of all enrollees in employment-based health plans have at least one chronic condition 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Hospitals Face Financial Duress As Trump Tariffs And Payment Cuts Hit:U.S. hospitals are facing mounting financial pressures as President Trump’s tariffs hit prescription drugs and the Republican-led Congress’ cuts to healthcare spending begin to take hold as early as next year.
A parade of new reports on hospital and health system finances show operating margins falling and financial outlooks dimming in part due to rising prescription drug costs. Meanwhile, bad debt and charity expenses are increasing as Americans see higher co-payments and deductibles, which means they aren’t paying their hospital bills or at least the patient share of the tab.
In a related article: 21 health system rating downgrades 

Association Between Changes in Medicare Advantage [MA] Enrollment and Hospital Finances Report from MedPAC. The entire report is easy to read but read page 12 for the conclusion.

 About pharma

Semaglutide and Tirzepatide for Obesity: Effectiveness and Value An analysis from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). The “bottom line” is:
The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for each drug are listed in Table ES2. All drugs were cost-effective at the $100,000 per QALY and evLY gained thresholds.
Despite these therapies being highly cost-effective, their potential budget impact is large. We estimate that fewer than 1% of eligible patients could be treated at current and assumed net prices before crossing the ICER budget impact threshold of $880,000,000 annually. This raises serious concerns about affordability.

Hims & Hers Health expands into testosterone therapy after Novo Nordisk breakup: Telehealth company Hims & Hers Health announced Wednesday that it is launching treatment for low testosterone. 
Effective immediately, providers on the Hims platform can prescribe personalised doses of a compounded version of the selective estrogen receptor modulator enclomiphene, either alone or combined with the erectile dysfunction medication tadalafil, for men experiencing sexual symptoms. Beginning next year, Hims will also offer Kyzatrex (testosterone undecanoate), an FDA-approved oral testosterone replacement therapy from Marius Pharmaceuticals.

Amid tariff uncertainty, Korea's Samsung Biologics inks $1.3B contract manufacturing deal with US pharma: Despite persistent uncertainty under the Trump administration’s international trade policy, Korea’s Samsung Biologics continues to snare billion-dollar contract manufacturing deals in the U.S. 
As with previous production accords inked by the company, Samsung Bio has not revealed the identity of the drugmaker it will work with, though the CDMO did specify that its client is a “U.S.-based pharmaceutical company.”
All told, the contract manufacturing deal will run through Dec. 31, 2029 and net Samsung Bio 1.8 trillion Korean won (roughly $1.3 billion), the company said in a Tuesday filing on the Korea Exchange. Samsung Bio noted that the contract timeline could be changed in the future.

About the public’s health

Poor Accuracy of Blood Pressure Measurement Images Online: Implications for Public Health Education: Only 1 in 7 online stock photo images of BP measurement align with clinical guidelines. Media houses, website developers, and the public should be educated on appropriate measurement techniques to ensure accurate BP measurement in the clinic and at home. 

 About healthcare personnel

12 fastest-growing healthcare jobs by 2034 FYI

How does CEO tenure in healthcare compare to other industries?: The average tenure of healthcare CEOs is slightly shorter than the average across industries, according to a recent report from executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates.
Healthcare CEOs serve an average tenure of 7.3 years, compared to 7.5 years across industries. In 2024, the average tenure for healthcare CEOs was 7.6 years, compared to an average of 7.4 years across industries. 

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Trump announces crackdown on pharmaceutical advertising: President Donald Trump is ordering his health department to crack down on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising in a new memorandum signed Tuesday.
The push, which aligns with past pledges from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aims to boost scrutiny of social media companies and influencers who promote medicines without proper disclosures, according to a senior administration official granted anonymity to discuss the effort. 

Lilly will let small biotechs use its AI models at no cost: Eli Lilly has developed artificial intelligence models that can help predict the behavior of potential drug candidates, based on the data the drugmaker has collected over the last two decades and at the cost of more than a billion dollars. Now, it’s opening up some of those models to biotech companies that want to use them to jumpstart their science.
The only catch? Lilly wants to use data from those other companies to improve its models.

About the public’s health

Details emerge on Florida’s plan to end vaccine mandates: In 90 days, mandates on school vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib Influenza and pneumococcal diseases may be lifted, the health department told The Associated Press. Other vaccinations mandated by state law to attend school — including for measles, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, mumps and tetanus — will “remain in place, unless updated through legislation.”  

About healthcare IT

EPIC MUST FACE CLAIMS IT USED MONOPOLY POWER TO HARM A RIVAL BUSINESS, JUDGE RULES: Epic Systems will face claims that it illegally used monopoly power as the nation's dominant electronic health record vendor to unfairly butt out a rival from a growing business serving health insurers. Judge Naomi Buchwald in the Southern District of New York allowed Particle Health to proceed with claims that Epic acted as a monopoly under the federal Sherman Antitrust Act. 

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FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims made by RFK Jr. during Senate hearing: An excellent review.

RFK Jr. Picks 7 New Members for CDC's Vaccine Panel: Here's What We Know Read about his pics for this very important panel.

About Covid-19

I inserted myself into a conversation at a bar about Covid and vaccines. Here’s what happened A MUST read review of Covid misinformation.

About health insurance/insurers

Policy Changes to Boost Catastrophic Coverage as Premium Tax Credits Expire: Key Highlights

  • HHS's new guidance simplifies access to catastrophic health coverage for consumers ineligible for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions.

  • Eligibility for expanded catastrophic plans will be based on estimated annual household income, starting November 1st during open enrollment.

  • Catastrophic plans typically feature lower premiums and cover essential services like three primary care visits before deductibles apply.

  • The policy aims to mitigate financial hardship caused by rising premiums, especially for those who cannot qualify for subsidies.

  • This initiative responds to the potential economic impact of expiring premium tax credits and rising healthcare costs nationwide. 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Accountable Care Organization Assignment and Outcomes and Spending for TEAM Surgical Conditions: Among Medicare FFS beneficiaries undergoing 1 of the 5 TEAM-targeted surgical procedures from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023, ACO assignment was associated with reduced mortality and marginally higher episode spending. These findings suggest that a fundamental premise of TEAM—shifting surgical episode accountability to primary care—is unlikely to result in significant savings on its own, but may improve clinical outcomes for these conditions. 

27 large health systems growing bigger FYI

NEW STUDY WARNS OF UP TO $25B IN HOSPITAL REVENUE LOSSES FROM MEDICAID DISENROLLMENT: KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hospitals could lose between $1 million and $4 million annually in net revenue depending on the level of Medicaid disenrollment.
Net income for the average hospital could drop by more than 70% as Medicaid patients become self-pay, dramatically lowering collection rates.

National Hospital Flash Report: Key Takeaways
1. Patient volumes and revenues are trending upward.
However, bad debt and charity care continue to be elevated.
2. Expense growth is outpacing revenue growth. Non-labor expenses continue to put pressure on hospitals.
3. Margins have improved over prior years, though there has been some softening in recent months. Given an uncertain future outlook, many hospitals are taking steps to build long term resiliency.

About pharma

Physician Perspectives on Pharmaceutical Promotion: This 13-year longitudinal survey study found that physician perceptions of industry evolved, with increasing confidence in industry information about drugs but growing concern about the role of industry-physician marketing interactions in trust in medicine. Shifts in attitude may be attributable to respondents’ leaving training and assuming professional roles or may represent secular changes over time. 

Trump eyes easing tariffs on pharmaceuticals: President Donald Trump signed an executive order modifying the scope of tariffs for certain imports, including pharmaceuticals, yet some of the proposed changes are dependent on the U.S. reaching broader trade agreements, according to the White House.
In a related article: Japan wins exemption on generics in new US trade deal

About the public’s health

Exclusive: RFK Jr. and the White House buried a major study on alcohol and cancer. Here’s what it shows: Three co-authors on the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, which was commissioned in early 2022 by the US Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden, told Vox that they were informed last month that the Trump administration did not intend to publish the final draft of the study or its findings.
“The thing that the alcohol industry fears more than increased taxes is increased knowledge about the risks associated with drinking alcohol, particularly around cancer,” Mike Marshall, CEO of a group dedicated to reducing alcohol’s harms called the Alcohol Policy Alliance, who was not involved with the study…

Removing Fluoride From Water?An Oral Health Crisis Unfolds An excellent review of the topic of water fluoridation. The paper notes, for example: A recent study in JAMA Health Forum demonstrates how concerning the elimination of fluoridation could be: 25 million additional children will be experiencing dental caries, and nearly $10 billion more will be spent over 5 years.

About healthcare personnel

Healthcare Jobs Are a Rare Bright Spot in the Stalling Labor Market: Health services, which include healthcare and social assistance, have long been an engine of U.S. job growth, bolstering the labor market through thick and thin. But amid a general weakening in the labor market, the danger is that the sector doesn’t have enough gasoline in the tank to keep driving employment forward. Impending Medicaid cuts, for example, could severely slow it down. What is more, the sector might turn out to not be providing as much oomph to job growth as the official data now show.
Friday’s jobs report reinforced the trend, painting a picture of a sharply slowing labor market, with health services one of the few relatively bright spots. Indeed, absent gains in health-services employment in August, the private sector would have shed jobs last month.  

About health technology

FDA greenlights trial of gene-edited pig kidneys as treatment for end-stage kidney disease: On Monday, eGenesis, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company, announced that it had been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to begin a trial of kidneys from donor pigs that have been CRISPR’d to make their organs more human-friendly. 

Quest Diagnostics rolls out genetic test to guide drug therapy:In a strategic move into precision medicine, Quest Diagnostics on Thursday launched a pharmacogenomic (PGx) laboratory testing service to help healthcare providers better understand individual genetic responses to medications. The service will leverage PGx data across a slew of medical specialties, including psychiatry, neurology, cardiology, oncology, rheumatology, pain management and organ transplantation. 

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HHS launches committee to shape Medicare, Medicaid: HHS and CMS are establishing a panel of experts tasked with providing recommendations on how to “improve how care is financed and delivered” across Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the ACA’s exchanges…
The advisory committee will focus on developing: 

  • Actionable policy initiatives for chronic disease prevention and management.

  • An accountability framework reducing red tape while focusing on safety and outcomes.

  • A real-time data system for faster claims processing, quality measurement and rewards.

  • Improvements in quality for vulnerable Medicaid populations.

  • Sustainability of Medicare Advantage through modernized risk adjustment and quality measures.
     

About pharma

Securing America’s Pharmaceutical Innovation Edge Thoughtful essay by former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Estimating Costs of Market Exclusivity Extensions For 4 Top-Selling Prescription Drugs in the US: Question  What is the excess US spending associated with delays in generic competition due to extended market exclusivity?
Findings  In this retrospective serial cross-sectional analysis of 4 top-selling drugs (imatinib, glatiramer, celecoxib, and bimatoprost) including 5.7 million Medicare beneficiaries, extended market exclusivity beyond key patent expirations ranged from 7 to 13 months. This delay resulted in an estimated $3.5 billion in excess spending over a 2-year period, with $1.9 billion in commercial plans and $1.6 billion in Medicare.

US agrees to cap tariffs on European drug imports: The U.S. has reached an agreement with the European Union to cap levies on pharmaceutical exports to 15%, according to a joint statement released Aug. 20. 
The announcement sheds more light on a trade agreement the two struck in July, making clear that tariffs on drug imports and semiconductors — widely used materials in medical devices — from Europe will be capped at 15%. This ceiling will remain, should the Trump administration move forward with broader sector tariffs on drug imports, which the president has threatened could exceed 200%. 

FDA says it will publish reports of adverse events tied to drugs on daily basis: The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it has begun publishing reports of adverse events concerning drugs and biological products on a daily basis. Previously, the database of the reports, called the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, was updated quarterly

About healthcare IT

Health systems report financial strain from EHR rollouts  The article provides some good examples.

 About healthcare finance

15 healthcare bankruptcies in 2025 FYI

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Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783M of funding in anti-DEI push: The high court majority lifted a judge’s order blocking $783 million worth of cuts made by the National Institutes of Health to align with Republican President Donald Trump’s priorities. The high court did keep Trump administration guidance on future funding blocked, however.
The court split 5-4 on the decision. Chief Justice John Roberts was along those who would have kept the cuts blocked, along with the court’s three liberals.  

About health insurance/insurers

Court approves Blue Cross' $2.8B antitrust deal with providers: A federal judge has approved the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s $2.8 billion agreement with numerous healthcare providers to settle antitrust allegations and reform the operations of its 33 member companies.  

About pharma

CVS Caremark ordered to pay $290M in false claims suit: A federal judge has ordered CVS Caremark to pay nearly $290 million in damages after determining the pharmacy benefit manager overbilled Medicare for prescription drugs…

Jazz inks $1B+ deal for Saniona's preclinical epilepsy candidate: fter dedicating much of its recent R&D efforts to oncology, Jazz Pharmaceuticals recommitted itself to neurology on Wednesday by licensing global, exclusive rights to Saniona's preclinical epilepsy candidate SAN2355.
Jazz will shell out $42.5 million upfront and is on the hook for $192.5 million in development and regulatory milestones, including a $7.5 million payment due at the launch of a Phase I study for SAN2355. Saniona is also eligible for up to $800 million in commercial milestones, plus tiered royalties ranging from mid-single digits to low-double digits. 

About healthcare IT

States crack down on AI for behavioral health care: Good review with examples.

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FDA’s new expert panels are rife with financial conflicts and fringe views: When the Food and Drug Administration needs outside guidance, it normally turns to a trusted source: a large roster of expert advisers who are carefully vetted for their independence, credentials and judgment. But increasingly, the agency isn’t calling them.
Instead, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has launched a series of ad hoc “expert panels” to discuss antidepressants, menopause drugs and other topics with physicians and researchers who often have contrarian views and financial interests in the subjects.

Surgical Outcomes and Medicare Advantage Payer-Hospital Integration:
Question  Is hospital-owned Medicare Advantage plan coverage associated with improved postsurgical outcomes?
Findings  In this cross-sectional study of 560 499 surgical admissions, fully integrated admissions had significantly lower rates of any complications, serious complications, and any ICU use and shorter length of stay, with no difference in any complication or readmission rate between fully and partially integrated admissions.
Meaning  These findings suggest aligning care through payer-hospital integration is associated with better postsurgical outcomes.  

About health insurance/insurers

Trump administration bans gender-affirming care coverage under federal health plans: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management will end coverage of gender transition-related surgeries and hormone treatments under the Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs, beginning in 2026.
In an Aug. 15 letter to carriers, OPM said medical interventions for the chemical and surgical modification of sex traits, including gender transition services, will be excluded from coverage regardless of age.
Counseling services for possible or diagnosed gender dysphoria will remain covered when provided by licensed mental health professionals. Health plans must create an exceptions process for enrollees who are mid-treatment with surgical or hormonal regimens.  

Judge rules against Medicare Advantage broker pay restrictions: A federal judge in Texas has struck down portions of a rule governing Medicare Advantage broker and marketing payments, siding with agent groups that challenged the regulation put into place last year. 
On Aug. 18, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor vacated provisions of a CMS rule that had capped administrative payments at $100 and restricted certain contract terms between MA plans and third-party marketing organizations.

Medicare Advantage Plan Spending and Payments Under the Hospice Carve-Out:
Question  Do Medicare Advantage (MA) plans receive excess payments for beneficiaries enrolled in hospice under the hospice carve-out model?
Findings  In this cross-sectional study, with 314 087 MA enrollees, MA plan payments exceeded plan spending for most beneficiaries following hospice election from 2017 to 2019, equating to an estimated $23 million to $58 million in excess payments to MA plans per year.
Meaning  In this study, MA plans continued to receive high premiums and rebate payments for beneficiaries enrolled in hospice despite low MA health care spending following hospice election.

CMS Announces Plan to Disenroll Noncitizens From Medicaid and CHIP: The Trump administration announced a new initiative Tuesday aimed at getting noncitizens disenrolled from the Medicaid program and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
"CMS will begin providing states with monthly enrollment reports identifying individuals whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases," the agency said in a press release . "States are responsible for reviewing cases, verifying the citizenship or immigration status of identified individuals, requesting additional documentation if needed, and taking appropriate actions when necessary, including adjusting coverage or enforcing noncitizen eligibility rules."

About hospitals and healthcare systems

28 statistics on hospital financials by state: Moody’s: Hospitals nationwide are showing signs of stronger financial footing, though the pace of recovery varies by region, according to a report from Moody’s. 
Rising revenues and moderating expenses are contributing to healthier margins, while liquidity and leverage trends highlight both opportunities and ongoing pressures. At the same time, reliance on government payers continues to shape hospital financial strategies, underscoring the complex environment leaders are navigating in 2024. 

About pharma

VantAI, Halda ink $1B AI-powered discovery deal for next-gen TACs: Continuing its streak of signing discovery deals focused on hijacking protein interactions for therapeutic benefits, VantAI on Tuesday linked up with Halda Therapeutics to develop compounds classified as "proximity-based therapies" for both oncology and immunology. 
Under the research collaboration, VantAI is eligible for over $1 billion across an upfront payment, research support, and development and commercial milestones, plus tiered royalties.

Generic-Drug Makers To Pay $71M To End Price-Fixing Claims: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. USA has offered to pay approximately $38 million, and Pfizer Inc. and its generic-drug unit Greenstone LLC have promised to pay roughly $33 million, to settle price-fixing claims by the direct purchasers of generic drugs. 

About healthcare IT

The Effect of Misinformation and Disinformation on Physicians’ Ability to Provide Quality Care: Misinformation: false or inaccurate information. Disinformation: false or inaccurate information deliberately intended to mislead.
More than 6 in 10 (61%) physicians reported their patients were influenced by misinformation and/or disinformation at least a moderate amount over the past year.
Rural physicians appear to experience a higher frequency of patients influenced by misinformation and/or disinformation. 

About healthcare personnel

The next ‘major workforce crisis’ systems are tackling: Health systems are taking on what one leader has called the “next major workforce crisis”: a shortage of nurse educators.
In 2024, U.S. nursing schools turned away 80,162 qualified applications. Within that total, 65,398 applications from entry-level baccalaureate were turned away, 1,530 from RN-to-BSN, 7,603 from master’s, 5,366 from DNP and 265 from PhD nursing programs 

About health technology

FDA approves first-ever glucose monitoring system for weight loss from Signos: KEY POINTS

  • The Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever glucose monitoring system specifically for weight loss from the startup Signos, a new option for Americans to manage their weight. 

  • Any patient can now purchase a Signos membership to access its system, which uses an AI platform and an off-the-shelf continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, from Dexcom to offer personalized, real-time data and lifestyle recommendations for healthy weight management. 

  • The system can be used in combination with or after other existing weight loss treatments such as GLP-1s or bariatric surgery. 

Today's News and Commentary

Read today’s Kaiser Health News

In other news:

Trump revokes executive order on competition: Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson said the repeal removes “top-down competition regulations” that were hostile toward mergers and acquisitions. He said the Trump administration will instead focus on enforcing existing antitrust laws passed by Congress. 

About health insurance/insurers

Top Medicare Advantage plans for member satisfaction in 2025: J.D. Power FYI

Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings: A federal judge in Texas struck down Elevance Health’s lawsuit that argued the government unfairly lowered its Medicare Advantage quality ratings — a decision that could cost Elevance $375 million in bonus revenue. 

Removing Duplicate Enrollees From Medicaid, ACA Plans Is Not as Easy as You'd Think: A good discussion of this issue.

Healthcare billing fraud: 10 recent cases FYI

UnitedHealth’s SCA Health acquires U.S. Digestive Health: UnitedHealth subsidiary SCA Health acquired one of the largest gastroenterology physician group practices in the U.S. in early 2025 from a private equity firm, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Aug. 19. 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Novant offers debt-free pre-paid tuition to 41,000 employees: Novant Health Future Forward, a new debt-free education initiative, is now available to eligible team members at Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health.
Beginning Aug. 18, the system will cover up to $5,250 in annual pre-paid tuition for full-time employees and $2,625 for part-time employees, according to an Aug. 18 health system news release shared with Becker’s. Team members can apply on their first day and pursue a high school diploma, college degrees, certifications and English-language courses through partner institutions, most of which offer virtual instruction. 

About pharma

Merck KGaA latest to bet on Skyhawk's RNA platform with $2B deal: Skyhawk Therapeutics added another high-profile name to its growing list of partners, announcing Monday a deal with Merck KGaA potentially worth over $2 billion to develop novel RNA-targeting small molecules in neurological indications. Under the agreed terms, Skyhawk will use its SkySTAR platform to identify small molecule candidates directed at specific RNA targets designated by Merck. The collaboration aims to expand the potential of RNA modulation in diseases where traditional approaches have proven challenging.

US patients can now get Ozempic for half price if they can pay cash: Novo Nordisk announced Monday that US patients can now get a month’s supply of Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes drug, for $499, for those who pay for medications on their own and don’t go through insurance…
The drugmaker earlier this year launched the direct-to-consumer pharmacy, offering Wegovy, its in-demand weight loss drug, for $499 a month. Rival Eli Lilly has also slashed the price of its GLP-1 weight loss drug, Zepbound, for self-pay patients.
 The discounted Ozempic price is also available on other platforms, including Novo Nordisk’s website and through a partnership with GoodRx, which offers discounts on prescriptions at many pharmacies. The offer is open to eligible patients with an Ozempic prescription, the drugmaker said.

About healthcare IT

How to develop AI policies that work for your organization’s needs A helpful document from the AMA.

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

Conflicts of Interest in Federal Vaccine Advisory Committees: US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has expressed concerns about conflicts of interest (COIs) in HHS vaccine advisory committees. He has stated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is “plagued” with COIs and that “97% of the people on [ACIP] had conflicts,” citing a 2000 congressional report on a single vaccine.
We analyzed the prevalence of reported COIs among attendees at 2000-2024 meetings of ACIP and the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC)…
Although annual prevalence rates of reported COIs were high in the early 2000s, reaching 43% for ACIP and 27% for VRBPAC, they were considerably lower in 2016-2024 for both committees, at 6.2% for ACIP and 1.9% for VRBPAC. The most frequently reported COI was research support, reflecting members’ expertise, with the prevalence of conflicts that were related to personal income (consulting, stock/royalties/ownership) less than 1% for both committees since 2016. Policy changes placing caps on FDA advisory committee COI rates in 2007 and greater awareness and scrutiny of COIs in agency decision-making may have spurred these large declines.
Comment: The short version is RFK Jr’s COI statements are largely unfounded. 

About health insurance/insurers

CBO report warns of nearly $500B in potential Medicare cuts: Medicare could see deep cuts through 2034 under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed on July 4, according to an Aug. 15 Congressional Budget Office letter.
The S-PAYGO Act, enacted under former President Barack Obama, requires Congress to ensure new legislation is budget neutral. Should lawmakers pass legislation that increases the deficit, the law enforces the threat of sequestration — or spending cuts — to counterbalance excess costs. 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Hospital cash flow on the rise: 10 notes from Moody’s: Nonprofit hospital financial performance improved in the 2024 fiscal year, with median operating cash flow margins hitting 6.3%, up one percentage point from the previous year, according to Moody’s report released Aug. 14.
“Improved revenue was supported by stronger volumes, both inpatient and outpatient,” the report noted. “While stable compared with fiscal 2023, expense growth remained high and was driven by permanent wage increases and supply inflation.” 

About the public’s health

It’s now possible to give yourself a flu vaccine at home: AstraZeneca’s FluMist, the only nasal spray flu vaccine in the US that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is now available for home delivery in 34 states under the brand name FluMist Home. It can be self-administered by adults under 50 and to children as young as 2 with the help of a parent or caregiver. 

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

Draft ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report treads lightly on pesticides, processed foods: The Trump administration’s strategy to “Make America Healthy Again” will bypass aggressive action on farm-used pesticides or regulatory crackdowns on ultraprocessed foods, according to a draft document obtained by CNN.
The MAHA Commission, led by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is set to release in the coming weeks its finalized recommendations for addressing chronic diseases among American children.  

 About health insurance/insurers

Employers expect 10% rise in healthcare costs for 2026: 4 notes: Employers are expecting a median healthcare cost increase of 10% in 2026, according to a survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Comment: Great summary of trends.

Is short-term health insurance back on the menu? Feds may allow more options: The U.S. Labor Department joined with the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services to put out a statement Thursday that blesses use of "short-term, limited-duration insurance" policies that last more than three months. 

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Complaints against hospitals grow 79% in 5 years: CMS: More than 14,500 complaints were lodged against hospitals in fiscal 2024, a 79% increase in complaints compared to fiscal 2019, according to a CMS report… 

 About pharma

Lilly, Superluminal ink $1.3B pact targeting hard-to-crack GPCRs: Eli Lilly will pay Superluminal Medicines up to $1.3 billion under a collaboration to discover and develop small-molecule drugs for cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.
The deal gives Lilly exclusive rights to compounds arising from the alliance, which focuses on undisclosed G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, a class long considered challenging to drug. GPCRs play central roles in a range of biological processes, but their structural complexity has stymied past drug discovery efforts. 

AstraZeneca launches at-home option for FluMist flu vaccine in US: As the number of drugmakers exploring direct-to-consumer (DTC) models in the US increases, AstraZeneca announced on Friday the launch of its at-home delivery service for the seasonal influenza vaccine FluMist. And while the majority of similar DTC initiatives aim to lower the price of drugs by eliminating middlemen in the supply chain, FluMist Home is designed to reverse the trend in declining flu vaccine rates, especially among younger people.

About healthcare IT

Understanding Model Drift and Its Impact on Health Care Policy: Model drift is when the performance of an initially accurate model degrades over time. Currently, model drift often goes unmeasured, and its impact is underappreciated…
 …2 main types of model drift that have different causes and different policy implications. The first type, dataset drift, describes either a shift in the distribution of a model’s input variables or predictors (also known as feature drift) or the distribution of a model’s output variable or outcome of a model (also known as label drift). The second type, concept drift, describes a shift in the causal relationship between the model’s input and output variables (ie, how the predictors affect the outcome). 
Comment: Read the entire article.

About healthcare personnel

States with the most, fewest licensed nurses FYI

Patient perception of physician attire: a systematic review update: This study demonstrates that physician attire consistently and significantly impacts patients’ perceptions of professionalism, trust and communication. The collective findings provide robust evidence that these perceptions are highly context-dependent, necessitating adaptable dress codes tailored to clinical environments and patient expectations to enhance trust and patient satisfaction. 

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

About pharma

Lilly, Superluminal ink $1.3B pact targeting hard-to-crack GPCRs: Eli Lilly will pay Superluminal Medicines up to $1.3 billion under a collaboration to discover and develop small-molecule drugs for cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.
The deal gives Lilly exclusive rights to compounds arising from the alliance, which focuses on undisclosed G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, a class long considered challenging to drug. GPCRs play central roles in a range of biological processes, but their structural complexity has stymied past drug discovery efforts. 

Eli Lilly ramps up UK price of weight loss jab Mounjaro after Trump demands: Eli Lilly said Thursday that it would increase the prices of medicines in Europe and other developed markets “in order to make them lower” in the U.S., in an apparent response to the Trump administration’s calls to do so. It singled out the list price of its popular weight-loss drug in the U.K. as part of that effort. 

About healthcare personnel

9 generational trends shaping hospital workforce planning FYI (Really worth reading)

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

About health insurance/insurers

CMS’ latest ACA enrollment data: Effectuated ACA enrollment has increased 13% since 2024 and nearly 93% of enrollees qualify for enhanced premium tax credits, according to an August report from CMS.

Judge blocks HHS from sharing Medicaid data with ICE: A California federal judge has blocked Trump administration health officials from sharing people’s individual health data with the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement purposes while litigation plays out, Bloomberg reported Aug. 12.

 About hospitals and healthcare systems

2025 US NFP Hospital & Health System Medians Begin Recovery; Longer-Term Uncertainty: U.S. not-for-profit hospital medians show anticipated continued improvement in operating margins alongside stable-to-strong liquidity and leverage metrics, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings.
The sector’s median operating margin rose to 1.1% from 0.4% the prior year, with gains supported by easing labor market pressures, reduced reliance on contract labor, and higher patient volumes. Operating EBITDA margins improved across all rating categories, with the ‘AA’ category at 7.2%, ‘A’ at 5.9%, and ‘BBB’ at 4.7%, illustrating a broad-based recovery, though credit quality continues to diverge at sector extremes. 

About pharma

Bayer expands oncology pipeline with $1.3B Kumquat deal: Bayer signed a deal potentially worth $1.3 billion to partner on Kumquat Biosciences' experimental KRAS G12D inhibitor, which was cleared last month by the FDA to enter clinical testing. The agreement, announced Tuesday, is the latest move by Bayer to expand its precision oncology pipeline.

Cardinal Health builds out urology focus with $1.9B deal for Solaris Health: Cardinal Health acquired Solaris Health as it continues to build out its multispecialty management services organization platform.
The pharmaceuticals and specialty products distributor announced Tuesday that its multispecialty MSO platform, called The Specialty Alliance, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Solaris Health, a urology MSO, from Lee Equity Partners and Solaris Health physician owners.
Cardinal Health said it will provide about $1.9 billion in cash and new debt financing to The Specialty Alliance to support the acquisition.

About healthcare personnel

Physician Flash Report (2nd Q): Key Takeaways:
1.Net patient revenue per provider increased overall.
However, revenue per provider unit of work (wRVU) decreased slightly for surgical and hospital-based specialties, reflecting a shift toward more outpatient care.
2. Physician productivity rose. Corresponding increases in revenue and expenses indicate that physicians are working more, and the rise in wRVUs is not solely due to the 2021 code changes.
3. Medical support staff levels are decreasing in relation to wRVU generation. This may indicate ongoing hiring/retention challenges and could become a hindrance to future growth.

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

About hospitals and healthcare systems

8 called-off hospital deals  FYI

National Hospital Flash Report: Key Takeaways
1. Revenue on a volume adjusted basis increased.
Increases in outpatient revenue indicate that hospitals that are performing well are leveraging their outpatient footprint and diversifying services.
2. Bad debt rose in June compared to May, outpacing the growth rate in previous months. This trend may reflect shifts in insurance enrollment.
3. Non-labor expenses and purchased services continue to drive increased expenses. Though revenue is rising, expenses are also increasing on a volume adjusted basis.

About pharma

Most expensive drugs in the US in 2025 The top spots are held bt gene therapy treatments.

About healthcare IT

9,200 healthcare organizations join interoperability network:  Over 9,200 healthcare organizations have joined a national network for EHR interoperability.
See the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/ONC blog post.

Misinformation about cholesterol ‘widespread’ on TikTok: “Our study highlights the extent of cholesterol-related misinformation on TikTok — over 40% of the top-viewed videos were inaccurate and more than a third were potentially harmful,” Khush M. Kharidia, MD, a third-year internal medicine resident at UT Southwestern, told Healio. “These findings underscore how much misleading content patients encounter online.”

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

ICYMI: Trump signs order to boost federal oversight of grantmaking: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 7 that gives political appointees oversight of all federally funded grants.
The order aims to ensure award decisions undergo “more rigorous evaluation by political appointees and subject matter experts,” the White House said in a fact sheet.

How retirees can manage rising healthcare costs: Health care costs for retirees just keep rising. A 65-year-old retiring in 2025 can expect to spend $172,500 on health care costs and medical expenses throughout retirement, according to a new survey from Fidelity. Financial advisors say ignoring that number can be a costly decision for retirees.
Since Fidelity began tracking retiree health care costs in 2002 — when the estimated expense for a 65-year-old was just $80,000 — projected costs have steadily climbed, far outpacing inflation. In the past year alone, Fidelity reported a 4% increase in total expected health care spending for retirees.  

About health insurance/insurers

Nearly 6,500 providers reject $2.8B Blue Cross antitrust deal: Mayo Clinic, LifePoint Health and Trinity Health are among nearly 6,500 providers opting out of a major settlement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurers.
In December, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama approved a $2.8 billion agreement with providers that sued the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in 2013 over allegations it and its member companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct.

Health insurance brokers to pay $145M to settle deceptive practice allegations: Two health insurance brokers agreed to pay a combined $145 million to resolve allegations from the Federal Trade Commission that they misled millions of consumers seeking to buy comprehensive health insurance.  

About hospitals and healthcare systems

Kaiser Permanente posts $1 billion operating income in Q2: Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente recorded an operating income of $1 billion (3.2% operating margin) in the second quarter of 2025, up from $908 million (3.1% margin) during the same period last year, according to its Aug. 8 financial report. 

290 hospitals with 5 stars from CMS: CMS publishes its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings annually. Star ratings reflect a hospital’s performance across five quality measures: mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. Read more about how CMS calculates star ratings here. 

About pharma

Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Health Care Expenditures Among Patients Prescribed Semaglutide: These findings suggest that, while semaglutide initiation is associated with improved cardiovascular risk profiles in clinical populations, its initiation is also associated with higher health care expenditures, underscoring the need to assess its long-term cost-effectiveness. 

About healthcare personnel

10 most in-demand physician specialties FYI

Today's News and Commentary

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In other news:

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees: A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants by giving President Trump’s political appointees unprecedented power over the projects agencies fund.  
The order issued Thursday night, titled “Improving Oversight Of Federal Grantmaking,” aims to fundamentally rewrite the rules that for decades have guided grant decisions. Instead of experts and career civil servants setting funding decisions and priorities, the order places that authority with presidential appointees who, in coordination with the White House, are directed to use their “independent judgment” and “advance the President’s policy priorities.”  

About Covid-19

Cost-Effectiveness of 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccination in US Adults: Findings  This decision analytic modeling study in a simulated cohort projected that cost-effectiveness for a 2023-2024 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine using base case assumptions was cost saving for individuals older than 65 years, $25 787 per quality-adjusted life-year gained for those aged 50 to 64 years, and $115 588 per quality-adjusted life-year gained for those aged 18 to 49 years. Results were robust to changes in parameter inputs for the older age groups but sensitive to inputs for the younger age group.
Meaning  These findings suggest that vaccination is economically attractive for older adults but only under certain conditions for younger adults. 

HHS cites list of studies as scientific justification for cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts: Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provided only a brief explanation for the decision earlier this week, arguing the mRNA vaccines are not effective and not as safe as alternatives, and referencing a review of scientific research on mRNA by “experts,” without identifying them. On Friday, when asked if the Department of Health and Human Services had a scientific justification, a spokesperson provided a link to a 181-page list of studies compiled by a number of people, including a current Trump administration adviser who served in the president’s first administration and was the subject of controversy for pushing unproven Covid-19 treatments.

 About health insurance/insurers

Employers shifting to self-insurance will still face soaring costs, Voya says: Heather Lavallee, the chief executive officer of the New York-based company, and other Voya executives told securities analysts Wednesday that the company is continuing to fight a surge in claims that began a year ago by taking a tough approach to pricing.
Reinsurance costs are also predicted to surge. 

More insurers expect to pull some Medicare Advantage plans from the market: Aetna is the latest insurer to announce it will pull the plug on some of its Medicare Advantage plans next year.
The company said it will close approximately 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states in 2026, according to Modern Healthcare. Most of the plans are PPOs, the publication said.
The news follows UnitedHealthcare’s announcement that next year it will exit some Medicare Advantage PPO plans that impact about 600,000 members. Humana revealed in its first quarter 2025 management remarks that it is likely to lose 550,000 Medicare Advantage members by the end of the year as it leaves plans and markets that aren’t profitable.

About pharma

Prescription Drug Utilization and Spending by Race, Ethnicity, Payer, Health Condition, and US State: Findings  In this cross-sectional study of 143 health conditions among persons in 50 states and Washington, DC, per capita pharmaceutical use was highest among White populations and lowest among Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations. However, after standardizing for age and disease prevalence (for 52 conditions with available data), prescription fills were substantially lower for Black populations relative to the all-population mean.
Meaning  Disparities in medication use relative to disease burden persist—especially underutilization among Black populations—highlighting the need for targeted efforts to advance pharmacoequity.

 About healthcare IT

77% of healthcare orgs targeted by ransomware in past year: More than three-quarters of healthcare survey respondents said their organizations were targeted by ransomware in the past 12 months, and 53% of those attacks were successful, highlighting the ongoing challenge of combatting healthcare cyberattacks. 

KFF Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll: Health Information and Advice on Social Media: Just over half (55%) of adults, including larger shares of young adults and Black and Hispanic adults, say they use social media to find health information and advice at least occasionally and most adults report seeing health-related content in the past month on social media, with the largest shares saying they’ve seen content about weight loss, diet, or nutrition (72%) and mental health (58%)…
Most adults are skeptical of the health information and advice they see across social media platforms. When asked to assess the health information and advice on various social media platforms, fewer than half say they find “most” or “some” of the information they see on each platform trustworthy, and less than one in ten say “most” of the information is trustworthy…
About one in six (15%) social media users (14% of the public overall) say they regularly get health information and advice from social media influencers. Among those who report regularly getting health information and advice from influencers on social media, six in ten (61%) say health influencers are mostly motivated by their own financial interests, while about four in ten (39%) say health influencers are mostly motivated by serving the public interest.