Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nursing Associations Sue Department of Education Over Student Loan Limit Rule
MedPage Today: Nurse Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Rule That Limits Graduate Loans
Over the last 9 months, nurses have been protesting a federal regulation that they say would drive up student loan debt, exacerbate workforce shortages, and threaten patient access to care. Last week, they put their words into action by suing the Department of Education (DOE) over that rule. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and nine other national nursing organizations filed a lawsuit against the department and Secretary Linda McMahon last week. (Firth, 6/2)
CIDRAP: Nursing-Home Study Finds Reduced Staffing In Those In States Giving Them Immunity From COVID Lawsuits
A study of more than 13,000 US nursing homes concludes that those in states that adopted laws granting them immunity from COVID-related lawsuits operated with 2.5% less daily staff than those in states without those protections, potentially compromising patient care. Northwestern University researchers led the study, publishing their findings yesterday in JAMA Health Forum. (Van Beusekom, 6/2)
More health industry developments —
CBS News: Upcoming Billing Change Could Make Pregnancy Pricier
Having a baby in the United States is about to get more complicated. Under new billing codes that take effect in January, doctors who manage maternity care will start charging à la carte for visits and services related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. It's an about-face from recent years, when doctors have often received a single "bundled" payment for maternity care they provided. (Andrews, 6/3)
Modern Healthcare: Ascension Must Sell 7 Facilities To Buy Amsurg: FTC
The Federal Trade Commission is ordering Ascension to divest seven ambulatory surgery centers as a condition of the health system’s pending Amsurg acquisition. Under the terms of the FTC’s proposed consent order, Ascension would have to sell the Amsurg facilities in markets where the deal would threaten competition. The sales must take place within 10 days after the acquisition’s completion. The divestitures would affect centers in Nashville, Tennessee; Panama City, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Waco, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas. (Hudson, 6/2)
KFF Health News: At A Tennessee Hospital, A Nurse Stole Fentanyl And AI Missed It, State Records Say
About a year ago at Erlanger Baroness, the largest hospital in Chattanooga, anesthesia staff noticed that a nurse was slurring his words and struggling to stay awake while on duty in the surgery center, according to a Tennessee Board of Nursing consent order. In the days that followed, the nurse failed a drug test and was fired, the order states. The nurse later admitted that for months he had pilfered and abused fentanyl left over after surgeries, sometimes daily, according to the order. (Kelman and Tahir, 6/3)
Modern Healthcare: Ardent Health's Marty Bonick To Leave, Dave Caspers Named CEO
Marty Bonick is out as Ardent Health’s president and CEO. Ardent named Dave Caspers as his replacement, effective immediately. Caspers joined the health system in 2025 as chief operating officer. Bonick, who became president and CEO in 2020, left to pursue other opportunities, according to a Tuesday news release. (Hudson, 6/2)
Regarding medical school —
Honolulu Civil Beat: Program Offers Free Med School For 5 Years In Rural Hawaii
Molokaʻi native Misty Kahale completed her first year of medical school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Friday. By the time she graduates, she expects to have $300,000 in student debt. With final exams behind her and a mountain of tuition bills ahead, she plans to apply for a breakthrough new Hawaiʻi grant program that would cover the rest of her medical school expenses — a prospect that she said would instantly diffuse her financial stress. (Lyte, 6/2)
South Dakota Searchlight: Proposed Indigenous Medical School Aims To Boost Native Physician Numbers
As of 2024, 0.3% of practicing physicians in the nation were Native American. A proposed Indigenous School of Medicine in Rapid City could help change that. The school would be the first of its kind in the nation, said Donald Warne, a physician, co-director for the Center for Indigenous Health at Johns Hopkins, and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. (Huber, 5/31)
