Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amazon Adds Behavioral Health To Amazon Care
Modern Healthcare: Amazon Expanding Amazon Care With Behavioral Health
Amazon is adding behavioral health services to Amazon Care, a medical care service it sells to employer health plans. Care coordinators will refer patients to in-network behavioral health specialists for acute and moderate behavioral health concerns, according to an Amazon Care webpage that describes the program. (Kim Cohen, 8/11)
Bloomberg: Head Of Amazon Health Care Initiative Kristen Helton On Extended Break
Kristen Helton, who ran one of Amazon.com Inc.’s most important healthcare initiatives, is on a break that began earlier this summer. “After more than 5 years at Amazon, Kristen decided to take some well-deserved time off to spend the summer with her family,” an Amazon spokesperson said Thursday in a statement. It wasn’t clear when she would return. (Soper, 8/12)
In other news from the health care industry —
Stat: One Medical’s Offers From Amazon, CVS Signal Health Tech Bidding Wars
It’s health tech hunting season for some of America’s biggest brand names. Over the last year, companies like Amazon, CVS Health, and Walmart have made significant plays to beef up their health care infrastructure. (Herman and Palmer, 8/11)
Stat: Federal Judge Dismisses Doctor’s Case Against Surprise Billing Law
A federal judge has ruled that the federal law outlawing many types of surprise medical bills does not violate the constitutional rights of a New York surgeon. (Herman, 8/11)
Houston Chronicle: UnitedHealthcare Donates $2.5 Million In Grants To Texas Nonprofits
The funding will go to organizations that address social determinants, which are nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. These factors influence about 80 percent of a person’s physical health, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (Carballo, 8/11)
In hospital updates —
New Hampshire Public Radio: Following A Long Line Of N.H. Hospitals, Frisbie Memorial Hospital In Rochester Announces Plans To Close Birth Center
Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester recently announced plans to close its birth center, citing financial problems. The move is on hold pending a review from the New Hampshire Attorney General, which said the hospital promised to keep its birthing center open for at least five years after it was acquired by HCA Healthcare in 2020. (Bratton, 8/11)
AP: Seattle Hospital To Refuse Some Patients Due To Capacity
Harborview Medical Center in Seattle will temporarily stop accepting less acute patients and will divert them to other health care systems as capacity challenges worsen, according to the hospital’s CEO. “All hospital systems (are) very much over capacity with very high census numbers, particularly because of an inability to discharge patients into post-acute care settings,” Harborview CEO Sommer Kleweno Walley said in a media briefing Thursday. “This morning … Harborview reached an unprecedented census level.” (8/12)
Crain's Chicago Business: Northwestern Memorial Hit With Meta Pixel, Patient Data Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Northwestern Memorial allows Meta’s Pixel tracker to “unlawfully” collect private medical information from the hospital’s patient portal to use for its own profit. (Davis, 8/11)
And Johns Hopkins is offering a free course on infectious disease transmission —
Becker's Hospital Review: Johns Hopkins Debuts Free Course On Infectious Disease Transmission
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched a free virtual course on infectious disease transmission models for public health officials and practitioners who make policy decisions. The three-hour course is available for free on Coursera, and those who pass the exam will receive a certificate. (Carbajal, 8/11)
