2 Patient-Assistance Charity Groups Merge To Form $800M Foundation
The merger of the Patient Advocate Foundation and the Patient Access Network Foundation will allow them to better serve low- and middle-income patients facing rising health care costs, leaders say. Also: Insurers react to CMS' proposed 2027 Medicare Advantage rates.
The Wall Street Journal:
Two Of The Biggest Patient-Assistance Charities Are Combining
Two of the largest charities that provide hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to help Americans pay for medical treatments merged in one of the biggest combinations in the nonprofit healthcare sector. The Patient Advocate Foundation combined with the Patient Access Network Foundation, and will operate as the Patient Advocate Foundation, the groups said Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Tuesday that an announcement of the deal was imminent. (Loftus, 3/3)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS' 2027 Medicare Advantage Rate Proposal Leaves Insurers Vexed
Medicare Advantage insurers warn that a plan to hold their federal payments virtually flat next year will have negative consequences for the program and its beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed raising Medicare Advantage rates by just 0.09% in 2027 as the agency continues a multiyear effort to rein in Medicare Advantage spending. The draft regulation issued last month also would tighten the Medicare Advantage risk-adjustment program, costing insurers revenue. (Early, 3/3)
Stat:
UnitedHealth Promised Transparency. Instead, It’s Cutting Back Key Disclosures
Amid financial and reputational turmoil, top executives at UnitedHeath Group have promised to bring more transparency. A new reporting policy from the health care giant is doing the opposite. This week, UnitedHealth listed just 10 subsidiaries in its annual report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A year ago, the company disclosed nearly 3,100. (Herman, 3/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Why CommonSpirit Health Sold Its Stake In Tenet’s Conifer
CommonSpirit Health is betting it will save money from cutting ties with Conifer Health Solutions, Tenet Healthcare’s revenue cycle management subsidiary. Chicago-based CommonSpirit said in February it sold its 24% stake in Conifer back to Tenet and would move its revenue cycle functions in-house over the course of 2026. CommonSpirit agreed to pay $1.9 billion to Dallas-based Tenet over the next three years, offset by $540 million Conifer will pay for CommonSpirit’s stake. (Hudson, 3/3)
NBC News:
ChatGPT Health 'Under-Triaged' Half Of Medical Emergencies In A New Study
ChatGPT Health — OpenAI’s new health-focused chatbot — frequently underestimated the severity of medical emergencies, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature Medicine. In the study, researchers tested ChatGPT Health’s ability to triage, or assess the severity of, medical cases based on real-life scenarios. (Ozcan, 3/3)
On health care personnel —
The New York Times:
Columbia Is Investigated For Handling Of Sex-Abuse Claims Against Doctor
The New York attorney general is investigating Columbia University for its handling of allegations against Robert Hadden, a former university gynecologist who continued to work at one of its hospitals for weeks after his 2012 arrest on sex crimes. A spokeswoman for the attorney general, Letitia James, confirmed the investigation into the university on Monday. About 1,000 women have accused Mr. Hadden of sexually assaulting them during medical exams between 1993 and 2012. So far, Columbia has settled about $1 billion in claims. (Meko, 3/3)
MedPage Today:
Doctors' Mistrust Of Insurers Is Holding Up Instant Prior Authorization, Dr. Oz Says
Doctors' distrust of insurers is one reason instantaneous prior authorization hasn't happened yet, according to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA. "When I ask insurance companies about why they don't accelerate prior authorization and do it instantaneously, the answer they give me -- and we've done this with all the big players -- is that doctors won't share data," Oz said here Tuesday at a conference sponsored by Accountable for Health, an advocacy group that promotes the adoption of accountable care programs. (Frieden, 3/3)
Bloomberg:
Cigna Names Brian Evanko CEO As David Cordani Moves To Executive Chair
Cigna Group Chief Executive Officer David Cordani is stepping back from the top job on July 1 and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Brian Evanko, who will execute the insurer’s business overhaul that spooked investors when it was announced last year. Evanko, 49, has long been seen as CEO-in-waiting. (Tozzi, 3/3)
Also —
The New York Times:
How Kennedy Is Trying To Revamp Medical School
Under pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dozens of American medical schools have agreed to rework their curriculums to teach more about nutrition, according to federal officials, records and interviews with medical leaders. Mr. Kennedy, who has made healthy eating a centerpiece of his campaign to address what he calls an epidemic of chronic disease, has spent months pressuring medical schools to adopt his ideas, threatening funding cuts and promising public recognition. (Blinder, Callahan and Stolberg, 3/4)
