‘Feeling A Pinch’: Tariff Uncertainty Wobbles Hospitals’ Purchasing Plans
Axios points out that the health care supply chain is already difficult to navigate, with some essentials regularly experiencing shortages. Other industry news is on Headspace, Hinge Health, Ascension, and more.
Axios:
Hospital Purchasing Still Buffeted By Trade Winds
Tariffs and supply chain uncertainty are playing havoc with hospitals' purchasing plans, especially for lower-margin products like gloves, gowns and syringes. The uncertainty is in some cases delaying spending decisions, including capital improvements, as health system administrators wait to see the effect of increased duties and whether manufacturers win exemptions from the Trump administration. (Reed, 6/18)
Fierce Healthcare:
Providers Still Topping Health Plans In Most OON Pay Disputes
A much higher volume of out-of-network pay disputes were being filed and processed through the first half of 2024 than during the year preceding it, though cases remain concentrated among a small handful of states and large provider groups, according to an analysis of the most recent data released by the federal government. The review of Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) cases, published in Health Affairs Forefront, outlined a continuation of plans’ low win rates: 14% of resolved cases in Q1 2024 and 18% of resolved cases in Q2 2024. (Muoio, 6/17)
KFF Health News:
Nurse Practitioners Critical In Treating Older Adults As Ranks Of Geriatricians Shrink
On Fridays, Stephanie Johnson has a busy schedule, driving her navy-blue Jeep from one patient’s home to the next, seeing eight in all. Pregnant with her second child, she schleps a backpack instead of a traditional black bag to carry a laptop and essential medical supplies — stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and pulse oximeter. Forget a lunch break; she often eats a sandwich or some nuts as she heads to her next patient visit. (Arvin, 6/18)
In corporate news —
Modern Healthcare:
Headspace Launches Direct-To-Consumer Therapy Service
Virtual mental health provider Headspace is rolling out a direct-to-consumer therapy service, the company said Tuesday. The move signifies another pivot from an enterprise-based to a consumer-centric business model for Headspace, which started a direct-to-consumer coaching service in April 2024. (Perna, 6/17)
Modern Healthcare:
Hinge Health Launches In-Person Care With Provider Network
Hinge Health is expanding its clinical network by partnering with in-person musculoskeletal care providers, the company said Tuesday. Less than a month after its initial public offering. Hinge said it will launch partnerships with third-party clinicians who can offer in-person care to supplement and augment its existing platform. It is also giving patients the option to complete an intake or have a consolation with a doctor specializing in orthopedics through its telehealth platform. (6/17)
Bloomberg:
Samsung Building Hub For Patients To Share Data With Doctors
Samsung Electronics Co. plans to develop a hub for users to share health data directly with doctors in between visits, stepping up competition in the technology-driven health care race. During appointments, doctors often share recommendations or fitness suggestions — but it’s not always easy to remember the guidance. In an interview, Samsung health executive Dr. Hon Pak said the company is working on tools to cut down that disconnect, port data collected on watches into a central location and nudge users to stay on top of goals provided by doctors. (Kelly, 6/16)
Modern Healthcare:
Ascension To Acquire Amsurg Outpatient Centers For $3.9B
Ascension has entered a definitive agreement to acquire ambulatory surgery provider Amsurg. The transaction would add more than 250 ambulatory surgery centers across 34 states to Ascension’s footprint. The centers offer gastroenterology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and other services, according to a Tuesday news release. (Hudson, 6/17)
Chicago Tribune:
Ex-Loretto Hospital CFO Hit With New Charges Alleging Massive $290 Million COVID Testing Fraud Scheme
A former top executive of Loretto Hospital on Chicago’s West Side has been charged in a massive $290 million fraud scheme that allegedly used stolen patient data to bill nearly a billion dollars worth of bogus COVID-19 tests for purportedly uninsured patients at the height of the pandemic. (Meisner, 6/17)
