Discord Among Oregon Lawmakers, Docs, Corporate Health Care Deepens
State lawmakers had tried to prevent national chains from moving in and replacing local physicians, but nonprofit PeaceHealth tapped an Atlanta-based company to staff its Oregon emergency rooms, STAT reports. Doctors, lawmakers, and others are pushing back on that decision.
Stat:
PeaceHealth Swaps Oregon ER Doctors For ApolloMD, Prompts Backlash
A nonprofit health system’s decision to replace some of its Oregon physicians with a national chain presents an early test of a new state law designed to restrict such deals. (Bannow, 3/9)
Modern Healthcare:
Providence Plans To Sell Hospital To NorthBay Health
NorthBay Health has signed a letter of intent to acquire Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center. The proposed transaction involving the facility in Napa, California, and related assets is expected to be completed by the end of the year, pending a definitive agreement and regulatory approval. Financial terms were not disclosed. (DeSilva, 3/6)
Stat:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Study Says AI Upcoding Is Driving Up Prices
Since last summer, health insurers have been telling investors that hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence tools for medical coding and billing is driving up the cost of health care. (Trang, 3/9)
Stat:
Health Tech Company Says It Will Join Medicare’s New Chronic Care Experiment
Health tech company Cadence said Monday it will be among the first to participate in an experimental Medicare program that will pay providers set amounts to manage their patients’ chronic conditions — and only pay them full price if their patients’ conditions improve by certain margins. The model is meant as an alternative to paying for individual services. (Aguilar, 3/9)
Modern Healthcare:
Rural Hospital Race Clock For $50 Billion Transformation Fund
Rural hospitals fear a narrowing application window and stiff competition could cut them out of the first tranche of the federal $50 billion rural health fund. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in late December awarded each state an average of $200 million for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. States must allocate the funds by the end of September, and federal officials plan to start assessing progress in late summer. (Kacik, 3/6)
