Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Trump Administration Rules Promise More Transparency On Healthcare Prices
Stat: Trump Pushes New Transparency In Coverage Rules For Price Disclosures
The Trump administration released new regulations Monday that will force health insurance companies to publish cleaned-up spreadsheets of the prices that they pay hospitals and doctors, while stripping out meaningless data that clogged up the files. (Herman, 10/5)
Modern Healthcare: FTC Warns Hospitals On Price Transparency Data
The Federal Trade Commission admonished two dozen large healthcare companies to review their price transparency data on Monday. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson’s round of warning letters is another attempt by the federal government to compel hospitals to comply with a regulation that went into effect in 2021 requiring providers to post accurate pricing data on their websites. (Kacik, 10/5)
More updates from the healthcare industry —
Modern Healthcare: Texas AG Ken Paxton Probes UnitedHealth Over Coverage Denials
UnitedHealth Group is under investigation for allegedly illegally denying access to medically necessary care, the state of Texas disclosed Monday. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued administrative subpoenas, or civil investigative demands, to the UnitedHealthcare parent company. The office is collecting evidence on whether the insurer has delayed or denied care by superseding a physician’s medical judgment. For example, the insurer has been accused of bribing nursing homes to delay hospitalizations for patients, the state said. (Tong, 10/5)
Bloomberg: Oracle 2025 Health Breach Compromised Data Of 20 Million People
A cybersecurity breach last year of Oracle Corp.’s healthcare unit compromised personal information belonging to nearly 20 million people, according to information released by the Texas attorney general. In a report issued Friday, the Texas AG said the company disclosed that Social Security numbers, addresses and medical information of almost 20 million people, including about 3 million Texans, were taken in the hack. Oracle in March 2025 alerted some customers to the cyberattack, saying it occurred sometime after Jan. 22, although the Texas-based company didn’t release the number of patients’ electronic health records that were affected. (Fozi, 10/6)
The Washington Post: A Push To Update Airplane Medical Kits Takes A Surprise Turn
Kim Blumenthal, a Yale-trained immunologist, had no idea that U.S. airlines were required to carry emergency medical kits on most flights. But when she needed to treat a young child suffering a severe allergic reaction on a plane, a flight attendant brought out a kit filled with a strict list of drugs and diagnostic tools. Blumenthal then responded to a medical emergency on another flight. And it happened again. (Frankel, 10/4)
KFF Health News: Before Saying Yes To The Medical Test, Know The Risks And Benefits
When Lori Baute first learned about precautionary full-body MRI scans, she dismissed the idea. “ I heard Kim Kardashian got one, and some other wealthy people,” Baute said. But at 59, she was worried about her long-term health. She has a family history of cancer, and she’s a critical caregiver for her aging mom and her adult brother with special needs. After a close friend was diagnosed with bladder cancer, Baute decided to make an appointment with a clinic that offers full-body scans near where she lives in Ocala, Florida. Her results came back a week later. One major finding: She has lesions on her pancreas. “When I got that, I was really petrified,” she said. (Farmer, Anthony and Ruppelt, 10/6)
In pharma and tech news —
Modern Healthcare: GE HealthCare To Acquire Sofie Biosciences For $945M
GE HealthCare announced a definitive agreement Monday to acquire Sofie Biosciences, which makes the radioactive drugs used in PET scans, for $945 million. The company is purchasing the manufacturer from private equity firm Trilantic North America. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027. This acquisition would expand GE HealthCare’s presence in the U.S. radiopharmaceutical market, according to the company. It also expands GE HealthCare’s capabilities in theranostics, an emerging targeted treatment approach for conditions such as cancer. (Dubinsky, 10/5)
Chicago Tribune: UChicago Medicine Plans $328 Million Lab Facility
UChicago Medicine plans to spend nearly $328 million to construct a four-story laboratory facility about a mile from its flagship hospital — a building that will be part of a larger partnership with the University of Chicago and City Colleges of Chicago to expand job training on the South Side. (Schencker, 10/5)
Stat: Optogenetics, Awarded Nobel Prize, Is Moving From Lab To Therapies
It is probably impossible to overstate how complex a brain is: A network of billions of intertwined neurons forming an intricate anatomy, capable of working on the millisecond scale to perceive reality, detect sensations, create plans, and take actions. (Merelli and Molteni, 10/5)
