The headline on 18 Feb 2020
The Nevada caucuses are the next step in the ongoing Democratic primary. Here’s what you need to know from USA Today. Source: What you need to know about the Nevada Democratic caucuses
Humana CEO Bruce Broussard discussed the insurer’s new primary care venture at a conference last week. Tina Reed has more on what he had to say about how company officials think when it comes to building up the healthcare — rather than the insurance — side of their business.
Will surprise billing solutions be more provider- or payer-friendly? Robert King dove into three possible paths under consideration in Congress.
The Nevada caucuses are the next step in the ongoing Democratic primary. Here’s what you need to know from USA Today.
Hospitals that are financially better off spend proportionally less — way less — than their peers on charity care, according to a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine. Take a look at their numbers. Source: JAMA Network > Charity Care Provision by US Nonprofit Hospitals
A new study in JAMA finds private equity firms are buying up more physician practices. Find out which specialties generated the most interest. Source: JAMA Network > Private Equity Acquisitions of Physician Medical Groups Across Specialties, 2013-2016
A Georgia doctor is going to prison for 20 years after being found guilty of dispensing controlled substances, sometimes in exchange for cash or sex. Source: DoJ > Pill-mill doctor gets decades in prison for healthcare fraud, illegally dispensing massive amounts of drugs
The headline on 14 Feb 2020
In Florida, Walgreens and CVS filed a third-party complaint that says that 500 anonymous physicians are responsible for fueling the opioid crisis — not the pharmacies that filled the prescriptions for the pain drugs. Source: Ohio Court > In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation
As politicians in Washington look at how to address the problem of surprise bills, researchers examined claims data from a large health insurer to examine how often patients unexpectedly received out-of-network bills after having in-network elective surgery. Source: JAMA Network > Out-of-Network Bills for Privately Insured Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery With In-Network Primary Surgeons and Facilities
Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) compared compensation packages before and after the 2008 financial collapse for executives in different sectors of insurance—including health plans. There were some big changes. Source: Biz.News.flu.edu > Insurance industry CEO pay tied more closely to firm performance following the financial crisis.
The Health Care Cost Institute released its annual look at costs and utilization in employer-sponsored plans, and found price growth is starting to slow. Source: HCCI > Health Care Cost and Utilization Report (HCCUR)
Research from the CDC found that 14% of Americans struggle to pay their medical bills. Robert King has more from the study. Source: NCHF Data Brief > Problems Paying Medical Bills, 2018
A survey of U.S. physicians finds they aren’t confident about the country’s preparedness to cope with the novel coronavirus. See what else they are saying. Docs don’t feel the U.S. is prepared to contain a large coronavirus outbreak, Joanne Finnegan reports. Source: InCrowd > US Physicians Aren’t Confident About US Coronavirus Preparedness, According to InCrowd Data
The headline on 13 Feb 2020
CMS proposed a slew of changes in Part D and Medicare Advantage in a rule last week, and experts say the regs could offer new negotiation tools for Part D plans. Robert King has more. Source: Annual Advance Notice governing Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans
The recession led insurance companies to rethink their approach to how they pay executives. A new study digs into how—and why. Source: BizNews.fiu.edu > Insurance industry CEO pay tied more closely to firm performance following the financial crisis.
The headline on 12 Feb 2020
CVS’ reported big jumps in its earnings and revenue last year. Here’s more on what CEO Larry Merlo had to say about the company’s turnabout. CVS Health pulled a 180 on profit last year, bouncing back from losses in 2018. We dig further into their financial results. CVS bounced back in 2019, reporting on Wednesday healthy earnings for the fourth quarter and the year after posting losses a year prior. Paige Minemyer has more. Source: CVS Health > CVS Health Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Results, Reflecting Strong Execution Across the Enterprise
National Coordinator for Health IT Donald Rucker pushed back on industry opposition to an upcoming data-sharing rule. He said lawsuits against patients to collect unpaid bills prove that hospitals don’t care about privacy. Source: CNBC > Epic and about 60 hospital chains come out against rules that would make it easier to share medical info
Technology startups are jumping into the social determinants of health space. Read more about how these companies are coming up with innovative solutions to address patients’ social needs. Source: Academy Health > Health Datapalooza
The headline on 11 Feb 2020
A new study in JAMA puts a number on just how many patients receive surprise medical bills after elective surgery. See how painful the average bill is. Source: JAMA Network > Out-of-Network Bills for Privately Insured Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery With In-Network Primary Surgeons and Facilities
Physical therapists are supposed to take a major cut to Medicare reimbursements in 2021 under the physician fee schedule. They hope to convince CMS officials to reconsider.
An Alabama hospital is the latest health system identified in the U.S. to have a track record of suing hundreds of its own patients — including some that owed just $150, AL.com reports. Source: This Alabama hospital sued more than 1,000 patients last year. Some owed just $150
Anthem has several pilots using blockchain technology in the works. Heather Landi takes a deep dive into their plans. Source: Anthem Will Use Blockchain To Secure Medical Data For Its 40 Million Members In Three Years
The Trump administration finalized a survey of hospitals to acquire the payment rates for drugs purchased under the 340B discount program, much to the dismay of the hospital industry. Source: Notice from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Consumer DNA testing companies 23andMe and Ancestry have laid off employees amid a sales slump. CNBC’s Chrissy Farr looks at how the companies can survive. Source: CNBC > Consumer DNA testing is a bust: Here’s how companies like Ancestry and 23andMe can survive
There’s been an uptick in interest by hospitals on addressing issues like food or housing among their patients. A new study took a look at just how much spending health systems are actually putting in to address those social factors. Source: Health Affairs > Quantifying Health Systems’ Investment In Social Determinants Of Health, By Sector, 2017–19
NYC Health + Hospitals is teaming up with a startup to use an e-prescribing platform to tackle food and housing insecurities among millions of patients. With the help of a grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, University of Chicago physician Stacy Lindau developed a technology tool to link patients to community services. It was the seed that led to the startup NowPow, which has commercialized the e-prescribing tool she developed and most recently built a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals. Source: NYC Health + Hospitals > OneCity Health Awards Community Partners $4.3M to Address Food and Housing Insecurities Among NYC Health + Hospitals’ Patients
The headline on 07 Feb 2020
As competition from digital rivals continues to grow, CVS and Walgreens are fast expanding their strategies to win healthcare customers. A new report examines how. Source: Coresight Research > US Drugstores Adapt to a Digital Age within Healthcare and Beauty
The number of nurse practitioners in the U.S. more than doubled in just seven years and that’s creating a problem for hospitals, according to a new study. Source: Health Affairs > Implications Of The Rapid Growth Of The Nurse Practitioner Workforce In The US
Anthem has several pilots using blockchain technology in the works. Heather Landi takes a deep dive into their plans. Source: Forbes > Anthem Will Use Blockchain To Secure Medical Data For Its 40 Million Members In Three Years
Anthony Fauci, M.D., has some simple advice for clinicians faced with a patient with respiratory symptoms and a fever—the signs of coronavirus. Joanne Finnegan has more on the one question NIH’s Anthony Fauci, M.D., says docs should be asking patients about coronavirus. Source: JAMA Network > The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
The headline on 06 Feb 2020
The number of nurse practitioners in the U.S. more than doubled in just seven years — and that’s creating a big problem for hospitals. Joanne Finnegan has more. Source: Health Affairs > Implications Of The Rapid Growth Of The Nurse Practitioner Workforce In The US
Cigna’s profits nearly doubled last year, hitting $5.1 billion, and you can probably guess what’s behind it. (Hint: It’s Express Scripts). Source: Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics Collaborate to Deliver More Affordable Care to More Than 100 Million Americans
The Bipartisan Policy Center wants to chart a conciliatory path forward for health reform. Robert King picks out the parts of their plan you’ll hate. Source: Bipartisan Rx for America’s Health Care
The NIAID’s Anthony Fauci offers advice to physicians faced with a patient worried about exposure to coronavirus. Source: The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Some horrifying new details emerge at the trial of four Detroit-area physicians found guilty of healthcare fraud. Source: DoJ > Four Detroit-Area Physicians Found Guilty of Health Care Fraud Charges for Role in Over $150 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
More doctors are using digital health tools, according to an AMA survey. Find out which are most popular. Source: American Medical Association > Digital health tools gain momentum among physicians
The headline on 05 Feb 2020
Check out health IT funding deals in January, including Virta Health landing a $93 million in Series C funding and Komodo Health closing a $50 million funding round, led by Andreessen Horowitz.
A study in the latest issue of Health Affairs found that nearly half of antibiotics dispensed to Medicaid recipients are missed by existing US antibiotic stewardship policies. Source: Health Affairs > Non-Infection-Related And Non-Visit-Based Antibiotic Prescribing Is Common Among Medicaid Patients
Humana released its fourth-quarter and year-end earnings Wednesday morning. Robert King dives into the trends driving the insurer’s financial performance. Source: Humana Reports Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial Results; Provides Full Year 2020 Financial Guidance
As Cerner reported year-end earnings, executives took some time to discuss the company’s partnership with Amazon and why they see it as key to Cerner’s future growth. As Cerner reported year-end earnings, officials took some time to describe their plans to leverage Amazon’s “deep competencies around the consumer” and “strong interest in being a part of the healthcare ecosystem.” Heather Landi has more. Cerner sees its partnership with Amazon as an opportunity for more than simply moving its services to the cloud. Heather Landi has more on why. Source: Cerner Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2019 Results
The headline on 04 Feb 2020
Former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini says he’s being pushed out of his role on CVS Health’s board of directors. Source: CVS Health Announces Upcoming Changes to Board of Directors
Help may be on the way for physicians and patients when it comes to the time it takes to get a prior authorization from a health insurer. Source: CAQH CORE Approves Two-Day Rule to Accelerate Prior Authorization Process
It sounds like all good news that the number of nurse practitioners has more than doubled in a seven-year period. But, find out the problem it raises for hospitals. Source: Health Affairs > Implications Of The Rapid Growth Of The Nurse Practitioner Workforce In The US
A federal court lifts a limit on fees physician practices can charge for third-party access to patient records. Heather Landi has the story. Source: Memorandum Opinion (PDF) by U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta
Former Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini says he’s being pushed out of his role on CVS Health’s board of directors. Source: CSVHealth > CVS Health Announces Upcoming Changes to Board of Directors
Centene saw significant revenue growth in 2019. Here’s what the company attributes that revenue growth to. (Hint: It’s not its latest acquisition of WellCare Health Plans.) Source: Centene Corporation Reports 2019 Results
The headline on 03 Feb 2020
CMS unveiled policy proposals Friday seeking to curb ACA tax credits. Paige Minemyer has more. Source: CMS.gov > CMS Releases Proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters Rule for 2021
The novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China — and which prompted U.S. officials to declare a public health emergency — seems to be impacting more adults than children. Source: Time > Why Coronavirus Seems to Be Striking More Adults Than Kids
OptumRx released its latest look at the drug development pipeline. Find out why its experts are warning payers to pay close attention to the growing wave of orphan drug approvals. Source: Optum > Trends to watch in 2020
How bad could the ongoing coronavirus outbreak get? The New York Times examines six critical factors. Source: The New York Times > How Bad Will the Coronavirus Outbreak Get? Here Are 6 Key Factors
Meditech is taking steps to grow its sales even as it faces strong headwinds from hospital consolidation and competition from the likes of Cerner and Epic. Source: Meditech year-end financials report
Despite objections from companies like Epic, more than a few dozen organizations are ramping up pressure for the federal officials to finalize proposed data-sharing regulations. Source: Multistakeholder letter to OMB and HHS on API Access
There’s a deadly virus spreading from state to state, preying on the most vulnerable, striking the sick and the old without mercy. The virus is influenza, and it poses a far greater threat to Americans than the coronavirus currently grabbing headlines around the world. Source: KHN > Something Far Deadlier Than The Wuhan Virus Lurks Near You
![[Solved] How to Fix "OneDrive Cannot Connect to Windows" Error](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HAv1AqBUnmcw9qLJ1Rmmz-AE1SUsjyZMx_AOKoJ-RnyQtE1LKIRCTYgv36m-GBvNzMF1aKd5Itqqpo9UUb-wchOhFc1TeWd2ePxj5HqzN1cxwYu3wifDCdVQ0bQ_b4X4z_8XGR2iiVttg1u1M1__8L30ZCKlcFmBQDi4rud7XlnTJw_6Vgj5Z4hgmWlTEmLlR8xZQccdSqLJaJYr_jK7yPIr0xXAKYFHmM3HIU30IizjSiTjAjhbdOaC7QLZirOVxvlcVFED2wr4aXwG0xAVfazUiFS-FRqAQ8JcFBc18aNnsIf3B0lhoA5gsImWZrYHD9hDXClbh2phrxJw8B4xXW1wvyo0UQZ5U8VJ2iAxnm9HSg6S5gAun-mKb9v0HxP14koRlqUV2dNCZidGV7d4e7FO5d6YXYuZvM5UXX0QS0sjnlHpan4AVX6YJnSnhNZ8_Ux0XoE3hWLOEMr6NdFKe1Ju8YnNPYnUT8I4YXMJpY6fiWUgtChvTGlXNz1nE5xAHzY4v6GHvxJ9wSkVol2xzafboTBREqZRG9L4h9LCvLjNW0HZsgN5vHjGhVGFRjwe6UM2JSILWNvi9Q9sNcOU0ovuQR1_ujDuiyupm8x9tdAHDFA_dfd7l3QDVBddu2OS_ejKVhQb8j-CTdpwT5Xt6_0p-amgrSG-NXRE968Af7SvT5aej9vX_YcgoSS6TwAnjXnp8riqfWDF4mYjbFCawT2hKwtiG0p09_uol2sxr7YZ7JF3=w529-h354-no)
![[Solved] How to Fix Windows 10 BSoD "UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION" Error](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Oj77my27D-U1feDuQzEl1le6XTePPZXqjJP-UeUwa_Nyjkxf2vMm5h2eTyFJSdVtLtXOLmnqJBdRMM7RJ7V6xH2s9tYYcvviw6pXjhmc8J5zzVs4z8pYld9Ir5vAXk3gE64ato70OIvkdgV4qmyP7wMREtwZZ9rsrgLdwZLiQGtHupXJis3_b1mKvyl7FP2fSKG_ImBT_KutwFSavTpP_tcTy6V5_LkGoX-7FFsIQrY59lMu_67V-Cp-Dw9ATwItV6LhMYse_XTIGLx4R7fUuvVh5MUZ9tIN_wkjdrrBY4gy33ha3tkyYZx2aIENw060SBt1Wwj0gAZPFGHg1xHGNgcGrHRDm60EbZ2iAqSaXC5QcHXA245RpEUAInRepKiNPgQwX7iCyNhAH1p5unkaihOF_8edSeb38iK7ePCuxjXdGgPLxwIV1qYDwVviX8wzwY7KhrMhBgmmxmXOQ6Y_mu4WnMQZU3-1ggHttSgze7fitRSJbh30IYv7DSlSFdXlumnhhuWk-IXI7RHu8jv-6Sh-5gafHXYhhuAXIGItiCVUpRh8Jfxnh_BjH9uq9XyMsIaxYZtanaE-2DAu3eB1xhrzplr6XLEgqrjyiMsTBm0fhZk8kyTbuhXheRFMDCROCWUZ75RygWOga6GE_Q7yxOBKWUFYZ_ZJDpgPaa3mWtYIDLFjpXtspXr1O_6aA0DUiMlPEEmzXoP137FDAEt3l76cjgu6UbP8hp4XMMdkgQR98bex=w537-h260-no)