In other news:
Elevance Health, Centene donated to Trump inaugural fund, key lawmakers “Companies spanning many industries donated to Trump’s fund, hoping to soften or improve relationships and advance organizational priorities in the new administration.
In healthcare, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer all donated $1 million. Abbott Laboratories donated $500,000. The National Association of Manufacturers, which also represents pharmaceutical interests, donated $1 million. So did Amazon, with its executive chairman and founder Jeff Bezos attending the indoor inauguration in person.
Others in healthcare donated to the fund, albeit to a lesser degree. HCA Healthcare, the country's largest for-profit hospital chain, gifted $250,000 to the cause. Insurers Elevance Health and Centene donated $150,000 and $50,000, respectively. Elevance and Centene did not respond to a request for comment.”
About hospitals and healthcare systems
National Hospital Flash Report: December 2024 Data (Published 2/4/2025)
“Key Takeaways − 2024 Year in Review
1. Hospital performance improved compared to 2023. Outpatient revenue increased and over the year, there was a decrease in patient observation days.
2. Expenses rose in 2024 but did not outpace inflation on a volume-adjusted basis. The workforce continues to be competitive.
3. Bad debt and charity care rose in 2024. This trend may reflect the continued Medicaid redetermination process and increase in the rate of payer denials.”
About the public’s health
Dietary Sodium- and Potassium-Enriched Salt Substitutes—The Tipping Point? “Regulatory agencies including the US Food and Drug Administration should work in collaboration with consumers, scientists, and the food industry to reexamine the level of existing evidence to consider implementation of mandatory sodium limits in processed foods. If the conclusion of those discussions is that more evidence is necessary before taking steps toward mandatory limits, strong consideration should be given to examining existing observational evidence using evolving contemporary rigorous statistical approaches to offer the necessary confidence for decisions. Delaying the crucial step of limiting dietary sodium in the American diet is predicted to cost hundreds of thousands of quality-adjusted life-years.”
10 Things to Know About U.S. Funding for Global Health A great review of the topic. Not the least revelation is that: “U.S. global health funding totals approximately $12 billion but only represents less than 0.1% of the federal budget.”
About healthcare IT
Press Ganey partners with Microsoft in generative AI expansion “Press Ganey inked a strategic partnership with Microsoft to leverage the tech giant's artificial intelligence and cloud computing capabilities.
The patient experience monitoring company plans to bring new generative AI tools to market, including ambient listening for patient satisfaction, the company said.”
Teladoc to buy home testing company Catapult for $65 million “Teladoc Health will buy at-home testing company Catapult Health for $65 million in cash as it aims to grow its business around care for chronic diseases, the company announced Wednesday.”