Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
4 Months After Cyberattack, VA Grapples With Paying Providers
Military.com: After Crippling Ransomware Attack, VA Is Still Dealing With Fallout, Trying To Pay Providers
Four months after a crippling cyberattack on a company that manages prescription processing and community provider payments for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA continues to address the fallout, with officials saying Tuesday they are taking steps to clear a backlog of payments to pharmacies and medical providers. A Feb. 21 ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group that serves as a clearinghouse for insurance payments and pharmacy prescriptions, disrupted operations at hospitals and clinics nationwide, including the Defense Department and VA. (Kime, 6/25)
Stat: Stop Letting MA Plans Deny Care Using AI Tools, Lawmakers Urge CMS
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging the Biden administration to prohibit Medicare Advantage insurers from using artificial intelligence tools to deny care until it completes a systematic review of their accuracy and effects on patients. (Ross and Herman, 6/25)
Modern Healthcare: AHA Backs Bid To Repeal Nursing Home Staffing Rule
The American Hospital Association is throwing its clout behind a push to overturn the regulation that established minimum staffing levels for nursing homes. On Monday, the AHA sent a letter to Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) endorsing his plan to subject the rule to a congressional vote that would void it. (McAuliff, 6/25)
CBS News: Trauma Unit Doctors At Chicago Hospital Say Declaration Of Gun Violence As Public Health Crisis Is Overdue
The doctors at the hospital saw 771 gunshot victims last year, and their trauma center is one of the busiest in the country. Stroger Hospital doctors called the public health crisis declaration a long time coming. They also emphasized that gun violence is felt by more than just the gunshot victims they treat directly—which is the approach they say the advisory addresses. (Molina, 6/25)
Houston Chronicle: Baylor Surgeon Continues To Treat Patients Despite Whistleblower Suit
One of three Houston heart surgeons accused of improperly performing overlapping surgeries continues to treat patients in his leadership role at Baylor College of Medicine, which maintained on Tuesday that the doctor “did nothing wrong.” Dr. Joseph Coselli, a 71-year-old Houston native, was first appointed to a leadership post at Baylor in 2004 and now serves as executive vice chair in the surgery department. Having trained under legendary surgeons Drs. Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley, he is recognized by peers as a pioneer in the field. (Gill, 6/25)
In mergers and acquisitions —
Modern Healthcare: Saint Peter's Signs Definitive Agreement To Join Atlantic Health
Saint Peter's Healthcare System has signed a definitive agreement to join Atlantic Health System. If the deal is approved by regulators and the Catholic Church, Morristown, New Jersey-headquartered Atlantic would become Saint Peter's "sole corporate member," according to a Tuesday news release. (Hudson, 6/25)
Modern Healthcare: UAB Health To Acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s For $450M
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Authority signed an agreement to acquire Ascension St. Vincent's for $450 million, the nonprofit systems announced Tuesday. UAB Health would acquire St. Vincent's five hospitals, a specialty care and rehabilitation center, a freestanding emergency department, imaging centers and clinics that are part of Ascension Medical Group under the proposed deal, according to a news release. (Hudson, 6/25)
Modern Healthcare: Hackensack Meridian, Medically Home Partner To Expand Hospital-At-Home
Hackensack Meridian Health is going big on hospital-at-home care, with plans to roll out the service in its 18 hospitals within six months. The health system is partnering with Boston-based Medically Home, which will provide a command center, technology and logistics support. Health system employees will be trained on hospital-at-home protocols, CEO Robert Garrett said Tuesday. (Eastabrook, 6/25)
Modern Healthcare: Vizient To Acquire Kaufman Hall
Vizient plans to take full ownership of Kaufman Hall, the organizations said Tuesday. Vizient in 2021 made a minority investment in Kaufman Hall, which offers healthcare consulting and analytics including a monthly report on hospital financial data. The group purchasing and consulting organization exercised its option to acquire the remaining interest in Kaufman Hall from private equity firm and majority owner Madison Dearborn Partners. (Kacik, 6/25)
KFF Health News: Closing Of Rural Hospitals Leaves Towns With Unhealthy Real Estate
In March 2021, this town of about 2,000 residents in the hills of east Tennessee lost its hospital, a 54-bed acute care facility. Campbell County, where Jellico is located, ranks 90th of Tennessee’s 95 counties in health outcomes and has a poverty rate almost double the national average, so losing its health care cornerstone sent ripple effects through the region. (Sisk, 6/26)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital Mergers Could Raise Prices, Lower Tax Revenue: Study
Hospital mergers can mean rising prices for individual patients, but there also may be implications for the larger economy, including higher unemployment costs and reduced tax revenue, according to a study published Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study on the effects of hospital mergers, compiled by researchers from four universities including Yale and Harvard as well as the Treasury Department, concluded that resulting price increases hurt employers and workers outside the healthcare industry. (Hudson, 6/25)
