The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’s potential response to a Supreme Court decision that invalidated cuts to 340B payments spotlights the divide between providers that participate in the drug-discount program and those that don’t. While the informal policy proposal drew cheers from 340B hospitals for reversing payment cuts, some who don’t use the program described the agency’s road map […]
The University of Washington is planning a new behavioral health clinic and teaching facility on the UW Medical Center Northwest campus in Seattle. Located adjacent to an existing acute care hospital, the six-story, 184,000-square-foot building will feature a crisis stabilization unit, 50 medical/surgical beds, and separate service and public skybridges connecting to the hospital’s emergency department. A full continuum of […]
Amazon sent shockwaves through the health tech sector when it announced plans to buy primary care network One Medical in a deal valued at $3.9 billion. The acquisition, which brings almost 190 clinics, a subscription telehealth service, an electronic health record and contracts with thousands of employer clients under Amazon’s umbrella, should fast-track the e-commerce giant’s goal of assembling a […]
Last Christmas, as the Omicron variant was ricocheting around the United States, Mary Carrington unknowingly found herself at a superspreader event—an indoor party, packed with more than 20 people, at least one of whom ended up transmitting the virus to most of the gathering’s guests. After two years of avoiding the coronavirus, Carrington felt sure that her time had come: […]
The pandemic upended every aspect of our lives, taking a massive toll on our collective mental and behavioral health. With most of us confined to our homes during the early stages of the pandemic, telehealth demand spiked. Telehealth utilization for office visits and outpatient care reached 78 times its prior levels. With both providers and patients initially slow to show […]
So much of the success of infection control and prevention teams is the establishment of routines that promote best practices: Easy-to-access hand hygiene stations, checklists, terminal cleaning protocols, and a built environment that supports a lower bioburden all work together to help reduce transmission of pathogens. Disruptions to those routines open gaps where opportunistic microorganisms can sneak in and wreak […]
Congressional Republicans are eagerly floating investigations into Anthony Fauci and the Biden administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic if they win back control of the House or Senate in the midterm elections. “One way or another, if we are in the majority, we will subpoena his records and he will testify in the Senate under oath,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who […]
How a patient identifies across racial and ethnic lines can be a greater indicator of their health than their insurance status, a new study suggests. Health inequities and access issues exist among individuals who receive health insurance through their employer, despite arguments that access to commercial insurance acts as a great equalizer among patients, according to a study published Monday […]
Fran Seeley, 81, doesn’t see herself as living on the edge of a financial crisis. But she’s uncomfortably close. Each month, Seeley, a retired teacher, gets $925 from Social Security and a $287 disbursement from an individual retirement account. To make ends meet, she’s taken out a reverse mortgage on her Portland, Maine, home that yields $400 monthly. So far, […]
Elevance Health Inc. (NYSE: ELV) is committed to expanding its at-home care offerings as the insurer solidifies its growth plans for 2022 and beyond. By scaling myNEXUS programs around the country, Elevance hopes to be on the right side of health care by giving patients access to services in the most appropriate setting. “Certainly, home is a critical component in […]