About Covid-19
A Positive Covid Milestone “The United States has reached a milestone in the long struggle against Covid: The total number of Americans dying each day — from any cause — is no longer historically abnormal.”
About health insurance/insurers
CMS halts Medicaid redeterminations in 'half-dozen states' “One of the most common issues the agency has identified is enrollees not being matched with the correct data to automatically re-enroll them in Medicaid…”
Medicare Households Spend More on Health Care Than Other Households “Medicare households spent an average of $6,557 on health care, accounting for 15% of their total household spending ($44,686), while non-Medicare households spent $4,598 on their health care, accounting for 7% of their total household spending ($67,769)… Health care expenses include health insurance premiums, medical services (e.g., hospital and physician services), prescription drugs, and medical supplies (e.g., crutches, eyeglasses, hearing aids).
The larger burden of health care spending among Medicare households than non-Medicare households is a function of both lower average total household spending for Medicare households than non-Medicare households and higher health care use, which results in higher health care spending by Medicare households.”
High Rates of Prior Authorization Denials by Some Plans and Limited State Oversight Raise Concerns About Access to Care in Medicaid Managed Care From the HHS OIG: “Three factors raise concerns that some people enrolled in Medicaid managed care may not be receiving all medically necessary health care services intended to be covered: (1) the high number and rates of denied prior authorization requests by some MCOs, (2) the limited oversight of prior authorization denials in most States, and (3) the limited access to external medical reviews.”
Making Care Primary (MCP) Model Applications will be open next month for this previously announced program.
About hospitals and healthcare systems
Private equity takeovers are harming patients “Study findings on quality and outcomes were similarly skewed toward worse results for patients at providers acquired by private equity firms. Among 27 studies that measured quality of care, 12 reported worse quality scores associated with private equity ownership, nine reported mixed results (some quality measures declined, some improved), and three reported neutral results after private equity acquisition….
Although study methodologies varied widely, eliminating the possibility of formal meta-analysis, the preponderance of evidence clearly suggests that quality and outcomes deteriorate after a private equity takeover.”
About pharma
Blue-state doctors launch abortion pill pipeline into states with bans “A new procedure adopted in mid-June by one of the largest abortion pill suppliers, Europe-based Aid Access, now allows U.S. medical professionals in certain Democrat-led states that have passed abortion ‘shield’ laws to prescribe and mail pills directly to patients in antiabortion states.”
Medicine is plagued by untrustworthy clinical trials. How many studies are faked or flawed? Well-worth reading!
About healthcare IT
1.2 million Tampa General patients' data breached in cyberattack Another instance of why the public is reluctant to trust institutions with sensitive information.
About healthcare finance
TPG strikes $1.4B deal to buy EHR, practice management software firm Nextech “Asset management firm TPG is buying healthcare IT company Nextech from Thomas H. Lee Partners for $1.4 billion, the company announced Wednesday.
Tampa, Florida-based Nextech provides electronic medical record and practice management software to specialty physician practices. The company services more than 11,000 physicians and over 60,000 office staff members in the clinical specialties of dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and medical spa practices, according to a press release.”