About health insurance/insurers
Where does each health care dollar go? “Total hospital costs account for 40.7 cents of each dollar, according to AHIP.”
Read the rest of the article for the breakdown of payments.
Justice Department sues UnitedHealth over Amedisys deal The U.S. Justice Department has sued UnitedHealth Group over its planned purchase of home health company Amedisys for $3.3 billion, Bloomberg reported Nov. 12.
According to the report, the lawsuit was filed in a Maryland federal court Nov. 12 and comes over concerns of lessened competition in the home health market. UnitedHealth representatives have met with DOJ officials in recent weeks to make the case for the acquisition.
The lawsuit claims the purchase could increase home healthcare prices across 23 states and in Washington, DC. Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York attorney generals have also joined the complaint.”
31 health systems dropping Medicare Advantage plans | 2024 FYI
Major payers saw mixed results in Q3. Here's a look at how each fared “Profits in the third quarter shrunk year over year for all but two of the payers included in Fierce Healthcare's review of quarterly earnings reports. Industry juggernaut UnitedHealth Group came out on top yet again with nearly $6.1 billion in profit, up from $5.8 billion.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems “CHS' $1B divestiture plan Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has completed or lined up multiple hospital sales this year as part of its divestiture plan, which aims to take in about $1 billion this year after offloading hospitals across various markets.
CHS has sold 29 hospitals since 2020, but its long-term debt still stands at about $11.5 billion, with its debt exposure driving its M&A strategy. Despite recent reductions, CHS still has one of the highest debts among health systems, and remains focused on deleveraging its balance sheet.”
CDC Data: Uninsured Rate In US Steadies At 7.6% “The latest numbers collected from April to June show that about 25.3 million Americans don't have health insurance — numbers consistent with the 2023 all-time low uninsured rate. Nearly 40% of people are insured under public programs like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or military plans.”
About the public’s health
Online Retailer Nonadherence to Age Verification, Shipping, and Flavor Restrictions on E-Cigarettes “These results demonstrated pervasive nonadherence to age verification, shipping, and flavored tobacco restrictions among online tobacco retailers.”
Obesity-Linked Heart Deaths Nearly Tripled in U.S. Over Past Two Decades “Key Takeaways
Obesity-related heart disease deaths have nearly tripled over the past two decades
These deaths increased 2.8-fold between 1999 and 2020
Middle-aged men, Black adults, Midwesterners and rural residents are most at risk
About healthcare technology
23andMe shutters cancer drug research programs, lays off 40% of staff “23andMe is shutting down its therapeutics development division and plans to seek out buyers to find a new home for its in-house pipeline of DNA-informed immuno-oncology antibody drugs.
The consumer genetics company said it would lay off more than 200 employees, or about 40% of its workforce, to instead focus on the personalized DNA and ancestry tests that first made it famous as well as its telehealth platforms and the research services it provides for other drugmakers.”