Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida's HCA Hospitals Slam Brakes On Non-Emergency Surgeries
Modern Healthcare: Florida HCA Hospitals To Pause Elective Surgeries Again
The announcement follows other Florida health systems including BayCare Health System, Jackson Health System, Memorial Healthcare and Baptist Health that have halted non-urgent procedures again. But responses to spikes in COVID-19 cases across the country have varied by organization as doctors and administrators weigh the impact of delayed care and steep revenue losses versus strict containment efforts. (Kacik, 7/9)
Modern Healthcare: Oscar Tells Members It Won't Cover Most Antibody Tests
Oscar told members of its health insurance plans in an email last week that it may not cover costs associated with COVID-19 antibody testing. It had cited those costs in a May filing as a reason it would need to raise premiums in 2021. The email informed members that the insurer would cover the tests, which can show that a person has been exposed to COVID-19, only for specific reasons. (LaMantia, 7/9)
Modern Healthcare: UHF Warns Student Debt Makes Health Coverage Unaffordable
New York could make health insurance more affordable for people with student loan debt if it allows them to deduct their student loan payments from the ACA's tax credit calculation when they seek coverage on the state marketplace, the not-for-profit United Hospital Fund said in a report Thursday. Experts worry that recent graduates are losing health coverage because they're entering a tightening job market and losing school-sponsored insurance at the same time. Without the ability to secure coverage through an employer, many young adults could forgo insurance. That's especially true for graduates who are too old to be covered by their parent's insurance or whose parents recently lost their jobs. (Brady, 7/9)
Modern Healthcare: Judge Denies Sutter's Request To Delay Antitrust Settlement Hearing
A San Francisco judge on Thursday denied Sutter Health's request to further delay approval of an antitrust settlement, but said she'd consider allowing more time if COVID-19 cases overwhelm the health system's hospitals in the coming weeks. The decision follows Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter's filing in June arguing that the pandemic had led to significant financial losses for the health system and it needed an extra 90 days before the preliminary settlement approval to determine whether things would get worse. Sutter said it had lost $168 million on operations in the month of April alone. The class-action lawsuit accused Sutter of anticompetitive business practices that drove up the cost of healthcare in Northern California. (Bannow, 7/9)
Modern Healthcare: Teladoc Sued Over Alleged Robocalls For Telehealth Subscriptions
Two individuals sued telemedicine giant Teladoc Health on Wednesday for repeated robocalls selling health insurance and memberships to its services. Plaintiffs April Hale and Len Cline accused Teladoc of hiring Health Insurance Innovations to make telemarketing calls on the company's behalf. The calls allegedly violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which requires telemarketers to get consent from consumers before contacting them with automatic dialing systems or pre-recorded voice messages, according to the complaint. The plaintiffs, who filed their complaint in a New York federal court are seeking class action status. (Cohen, 7/9)
