Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CareTrust To Acquire Nursing Homes In Tennessee, Alabama In $500M Deal
Modern Healthcare: CareTrust REIT To Buy 31 Skilled Nursing Facilities In 2 States
CareTrust REIT and a joint venture partner inked a $500 million deal to buy 31 skilled nursing facilities in Tennessee and Alabama from American Health Partners in Franklin, Tennessee, the company announced Tuesday. The San Clemente, California-based real estate investment trust said in a news release the acquisition will include 3,290 licensed beds across 30 locations in Tennessee and one in Alabama. CareTrust expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2024. (Eastabrook, 10/30)
The Mercury News: Nurses Blasts Good Samaritan Hospital, HCA Over Staffing Shortages
Accusing Good Samaritan Hospital and its parent company HCA Healthcare of jeopardizing patient care, registered nurses protested outside the facility on Wednesday, asserting the healthcare provider is failing to address staffing shortages and inadequate meal breaks. The California Nurse Association said the hospital’s management has yet to adequately address more than 100 instances of unsafe staffing conditions or missed breaks, claiming the healthcare agency is putting profits over people. (Patel, 10/30)
The Boston Globe: Union Workers At R.I. Hospital Plan To Protest Staffing Shortage
Workers at Women & Infants Hospital plan to protest outside the facility on Nov. 12, citing staffing shortages as a key reason for their action. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 1199, which represents 4,000 employees, said on Wednesday more than 70 percent of its members voted to approve the protest. Workers plan to stand outside the hospital, chant, and hold signs to advocate for their issues, but have so far held back from a strike. (Mohammed, 10/30)
Houston Chronicle: Over 1,600 Patients To Lose Insurance Coverage At MD Anderson
About 1,600 patients covered by Medicare Advantage plans are expected to lose insurance coverage at MD Anderson Cancer Center by the end of this week, officials at the cancer hospital said Wednesday. The patients have been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, which previously announced that its Medicare Advantage members would no longer receive "in-network" access to the hospital as of Nov. 1. That means those patients could not receive care at heavily discounted rates. The number of impacted patients has not been previously reported. (Gill, 10/30)
Modern Healthcare: Aetna To Cut Some Broker Commissions For Medicare Advantage Plans
Aetna will no longer pay brokers for enrolling new members in some Medicare plans starting Friday. The CVS Health subsidiary notified third-party marketers on Tuesday that it will not compensate them for signing up customers for 25 Medicare Advantage products in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New York, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia, or for any Medicare Part D plans, said Ronnell Nolan, president and CEO of the trade group Health Agents for America. (Tepper, 10/30)
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs Cut Costs In 2023
Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations generated $5.2 billion in savings last year, the highest level since the program launched more than a decade ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Tuesday. These ACOs saved Medicare $2.1 billion in 2023, up 16.7% from the $1.8 billion in savings recorded the previous year, CMS said in a news release. (Berryman, 10/30)
On medical debt and health care costs —
NBC News: How Medical Debt After Birth Is Impacting Even Financially Stable Families
Jessica Hurley eyed the stack of medical bills in her purse as she held one of her twin babies, blue from lack of oxygen, in the neonatal intensive care unit. She prayed that the boys, Perry and Kinser — born prematurely at 32 weeks — would survive. ... On top of that was another source of dread: How would they afford the mounting costs of the birth? And why were the bills already so high when they had insurance? (Bendix, 10/30)
Bankrate.com: Study: Care For One Infant Costs At Least 10% Of A Family’s Yearly Income In 48 States
Child care has become one of the biggest expenses for parents no matter where they live in the country. A new Bankrate analysis finds that full-time center-based care for one infant costs at least 10% of a typical family’s annual income in 48 states and the District of Columbia. In some states, like New York and Hawaii, infant care costs can take up roughly 20% of a typical family’s yearly income. And some of the more affordable states in the country, such as New Mexico and Kansas, are surprisingly expensive when it comes to infant care. (Gailey, 10/30)
KFF Health News: Ghosts, Ghouls, And Ghastly Drug Prices In Winning Halloween Haikus
Entries for our sixth annual Halloween haiku contest gave us shivers. Based on a review by our panel of judges, here’s the winner and runners-up — plus the original artwork they inspired. (10/31)
