Wed.Nov 29, 2023

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WSJ: Cigna, Humana exploring insurance mega-merger

Fierce Healthcare

A health insurance megamerger is reportedly brewing. | The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Wednesday that payer giants Cigna and Humana are exploring a combination that could shake up the power dynamics of the industry.

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How behavioral healthcare can benefit from patient portals

Healthcare It News

Some behavioral healthcare practices have begun advancing their patient portal and mobile app offerings. Native telehealth integration was a rarity in patient portals not too long ago. But it has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic – and this trend is likely to continue. After telehealth appointments , patient portals can grant access to information about self-care and healthy habits between appointments, and also can be a vehicle for reporting patient health indicators over tim

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ACOs not shown to improve mental health outcomes: study

Fierce Healthcare

Accountable care organizations do not positively influence treatment and outcomes for chronic mental health conditions for Medicare patients, according to a study in Health Affairs. | A new study pours water on the belief that ACOs are well-suited to handle chronic mental health conditions its patients experience.

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Cigna, Humana in talks to merge: WSJ

Health Care Dive

The merger would have major effects for the makeup of the U.S. health insurance industry, and would almost certainly face a regulatory challenge.

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From Diagnosis to Delivery: How AI is Revolutionizing the Patient Experience

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Founder & CEO at Tattva Health Inc.

The healthcare landscape is being revolutionized by AI and cutting-edge digital technologies, reshaping how patients receive care and interact with providers. In this webinar led by Simran Kaur, we will explore how AI-driven solutions are enhancing patient communication, improving care quality, and empowering preventive and predictive medicine. You'll also learn how AI is streamlining healthcare processes, helping providers offer more efficient, personalized care and enabling faster, data-driven

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Mayo Clinic unveils $5B, 6-year renovation of its flagship Rochester campus

Fierce Healthcare

This week Mayo Clinic pulled back the curtain on a $5 billion, six-year plan to overhaul its flagship campus located in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. | The nonprofit will add five new buildings spanning 2.4 million square feet, two of which will be clinical facilities with designs intended to support continuous, tech-enabled care.

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Global medical costs to dip in 2024 — but respite may not last long, research finds

Health Care Dive

Medical costs will continue to rise over the next few years, according to WTW. Surveyed insurers blamed expensive medical technologies and an overuse of health services.

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Majority of Medicaid enrollees satisfied with plans, despite flaws, survey finds

Health Care Dive

Medicaid enrollees are more likely to understand and be satisfied with their plans, despite reporting poorer health outcomes, according to a new report from KFF.

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Analytics and risk management saves Franciscan Alliance $2.2M

Healthcare It News

With care management and engagement tools, the Franciscan Alliance healthcare ministry was able to generate $2.2 million in savings across multiple Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, according to an announcement Wednesday. The Franciscan health system leveraged the Innovaccer platform to reduce readmissions, automate emergency department workflows and improve the patient experience, the company said.

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Hospitals continue post-COVID recovery: Kaufman Hall

Health Care Dive

Margins and volumes are still stabilizing above pandemic levels, according to a new report from the consultancy.

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Here are the steps executives should take to build out a successful health equity strategy

Fierce Healthcare

To meaningfully advance health equity, companies should prioritize data, focus on internal diversity as well as external, seek community input and support coalitions of partners, according to a new | Companies that incorporate health equity into their core strategy and operations can encourage better patient outcomes while also improving financial outcomes, Bain & Company wrote in a recent brief.

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How to Make The Best Benefits Decisions for 2025's Workforce: An HR and Total Rewards Guide

Speaker: Kaitlin Ruby Carroll

Retaining top talent in 2025 means rethinking benefits. In a competitive job market, fertility benefits are more than just offerings - they are a commitment to your team’s well-being. Gain critical insights into the latest fertility benefits strategies that can help position your organization as an industry leader. Our expert will explore the unique advantages and challenges of each model, share success stories from top organizations, and offer practical strategies to make benefits decisions tha

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Highmark Health’s insurance business boosts earnings

Health Care Dive

The insurance arm pushed the healthcare parent company to positive results during the first nine months of 2023 after its provider arm, Allegheny Health, reported an operating loss.

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Charlie Health taps former Tinder, Optum execs to build out tech and product design teams as it looks to scale

Fierce Healthcare

Virtual mental health provider Charlie Health is making big investments in its engineering and design teams and has tapped former Tinder and Optum executives to lead its technology roadmap. | Virtual mental health provider Charlie Health is making big investments in its engineering and design teams and has tapped former Tinder and Optum executives to lead its tech roadmap.

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Middle-school minds in teenage bodies: The post-pandemic crisis in our high schools

Healthy Debate

The early years of the pandemic had a dramatic impact on kids. High schoolers are not okay. We need to find solutions to help them thrive.

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LHC Group Gets Center-Stage Treatment At UnitedHealth Group’s Investor Day

Home Health Care

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) had its annual investor day Wednesday. While the event has included much about home-based care in the past, this time, home health care gained an even brighter spotlight with LHC Group President and CEO Josh Proffitt presenting. Company leaders spent the day tying home-based care to all sorts of initiatives: to behavioral health care delivery, to value-based care strategy; and to medication adherence success, for example.

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Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.

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Ketamine is the New Viagra

Bill Of Health

By Vincent Joralemon Spravato, the first FDA-approved psychedelic therapy, just outsold Viagra. Johnson & Johnson’s ketamine-based formulation generated $183 million in Q3, surpassing Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction (ED) drug, which earned $110 million over the same period. Remarkably, a therapeutic made from ketamine, once dismissed as a “club drug” or “horse tranquilizer,” now sells more than one of the most notable 21st-century pharmaceuticals.

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Beyond The Cuts: What Else Home Health Providers Need To Know About CMS’ 2024 Final Rule

Home Health Care

This article is a part of your HHCN+ Membership Nearly a month after the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2024 final payment rule , the ins and outs of it have become more apparent. And there’s more to delve into than just blanket rate cuts. Aside from the headline-grabbing 0.8% aggregate payment increase and the permanent prospective adjustment of -2.890%, there are dozens of other notable changes to home health care that providers should be aware of.

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High-Performance Radiology Monitors: A New Era of Remote Work & Improved Care

HIT Consultant

Yoosoo Choi, Director of Product Management, Medical Monitors at LG Business Solutions USA Radiology monitors and the radiologists who use them form a critical part of both emergency and preventive healthcare services, and like most modern industry discussions, any need for new radiology equipment inevitably involves questions concerning cost, quality and benefits for radiologists or institutions.

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More Clarity Emerges Around HCBS Waiting Lists

Home Health Care

Waiting lists for home- and community-based services have long been a topic of discussion, despite the lack of clarity around them. It turns out they have included 700,000 people in most years since 2016, according to a new data analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). When changes in numbers have occurred over the years, it has been due to state policy decisions.

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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

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RSNA23: NVIDIA Launches Cloud Service for Medical Imaging AI

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – NVIDIA announced the launch of a cloud service for medical imaging AI, designed to streamline and accelerate the development of specialized AI models. – The NVIDIA MONAI cloud APIs, built on the open-source MONAI project, provide developers and platform providers with a streamlined path to integrate AI into their medical imaging offerings.

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Patients love Medicare Advantage, but do providers?

Healthcare ECONOMIST

Just this year a majority of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. While these plans are popular with patients, I recently wrote that some rural providers are refusing to accept Medicare Advantage due to low reimbursement. A recent article from Kaiser Health News finds that provider frustration with Medicare Advantage is spreading to urban areas as well, such as San Diego and Louisville. …more than 30,000 San Diego-area residents are looking for new doctors after tw

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Beyond QA: The Next Wave of Medical Chatbots

HIT Consultant

David Talby, CTO, John Snow Labs Chatbots have come a long way since inception. While we’ve long used them for shopping and to expedite customer service requests, with growing popularity and use cases, they’re now common in fields from finance to healthcare. In particular, medical chatbots can achieve everything from improving the efficiency and quality of care, to quickly connecting patients to important information or providers.

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Healthcare AI News 11/29/23

HIStalk

News Amazon announces Amazon Q, a generative AI assistant for.

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How To Empower Your Workforce With Modern Fertility Benefits

Speaker: Andrea Wuchiski

In an era where a workforce spans multiple generations, HR managers and Total Rewards leaders face the unique challenge of designing benefits packages that cater to diverse employee needs. This session will delve into how comprehensive fertility benefits can bridge generational gaps, support employees’ health, and enhance workplace satisfaction. Join us for an insightful session that highlights the strategic importance of fertility benefits in today’s competitive job market.

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RSNA2023: Aidoc Invests $30M to Develop Clinical AI Foundation Model

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – Aidoc , the leading provider of clinical AI solutions, announced a significant investment of $30M to create a groundbreaking comprehensive clinical AI foundation model. – This cutting-edge technology is poised to revolutionize the way medical imaging is used to diagnose and treat patients worldwide. Unleashing the Power of Clinical AI A recent study revealed that hospitals currently utilize only 3% of their available medical imaging data, leaving a wealth of u

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Before implementation, think about prehabilitation

Nordic

Most of us are familiar with the concept of rehabilitation. After a surgery or an injury, a patient typically works with a physical or occupational therapist to try to regain previous functionality or, at the very least, learn to minimize deficits. By definition, rehab occurs after some sort of insult has already happened to us. A lesser well-known concept is the up-and-coming idea of prehabilitation.

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RNSA23: GE Healthcare Awarded FDA Clearance for Pneumothorax Detection Algorithm

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – GE Healthcare (Nasdaq: GEHC) announced the US FDA 510K clearance of Critical Care Suite 2.1 , featuring an innovative pneumothorax (PTX) detection algorithm that helps clinicians quickly and accurately identify and localize PTX, a potentially life-threatening condition. – This industry-first technology represents a significant advancement in X-ray imaging, providing clinicians with real-time insights to expedite patient care and improve outcomes.

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8 Key Updates to Telehealth Reimbursement in 2024

Health Recovery

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its final rule for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), introducing significant changes that will impact healthcare providers across the country. These updates, effective on or after January 1, 2024, underscore the ongoing expansion of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) services, reflecting the increasing role of technology in healthcare delivery.

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Enhance Healthcare Efficiency With Top Payroll & HCM Services

Running a healthcare facility requires precision and care, not just for patients but also for your staff. Our guide, "A Buyer’s Guide to Payroll & HCM Services," helps healthcare providers choose the best provider. Efficient payroll management ensures timely, accurate payments, critical for maintaining staff morale and trust. Compliance support helps navigate complex healthcare regulations and avoid costly fines.

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RSNA23: Nuance Pioneers Generative AI in Radiology with PowerScribe Advanced Auto Impression

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – Nuance Communications, Inc., a Microsoft Company, announced significant advancements in its efforts to empower radiologists with the latest generative AI capabilities. – At RSNA23, the company unveiled PowerScribe Smart Impression, a revolutionary AI-powered solution that streamlines workflows, accelerates reporting, and enhances efficiency for radiologists amidst growing staffing shortages and clinician burnout.

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Morning Headlines 11/30/23

HIStalk

Tampa General and Synapse Florida Seek Innovation Solutions to Reduce.

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Cigna and Humana Merger Talks Could Face Antitrust Scrutiny

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – Cigna and Humana are in talks to merge in a deal that would create a US health insurance giant worth $140B and provide a significant test for antitrust authorities. – A combination between Cigna and Humana would help the companies compete with larger rivals such as UnitedHealth Group and Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem.

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St. Luke’s Health System and TytoCare Partner to Bring Virtual Care to Idaho

HIT Consultant

What You Should Know: – TytoCare , a virtual care company partners with St. Luke’s Health System , the largest healthcare provider and employer in Idaho. – This strategic partnership will give St. Luke’s employees and members of St. Luke’s Health Plan access to high-quality, convenient virtual care from the comfort of their homes. Benefits for St.

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Creating a Company Culture of Care: Integrating Mental Health, Wellbeing, and DEI in Benefits

Speaker: Sean Raible

Picture a workplace where physiological safety is not just an aim but a reality, driven by thoughtful employee benefits that prioritize mental health, wellbeing, and DEI. 🤔 ✨ Achieving this vision requires more than just occasional training sessions and employee assistance programs. Moving beyond the basics, this vision calls for a holistic approach that integrates these elements into your company culture as well as your HR and benefits strategy.