Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Insurers Want To Move Beyond Being 'Warranty Cards' For People, And Catch Problems Before They Happen
The Washington Post: CVS-Aetna Wants To Be In Your Neighborhood Because Zip Codes Powerfully Shape People’s Health
Aetna chief executive Mark Bertolini heads one of the biggest health insurers in the country and is on the cusp of a $69 billion megadeal to merge his company with pharmacy giant CVS. He says the future of health care is going to depend, mostly, on the time people spend outside the grasp of the traditional medical system. Health-policy experts increasingly talk about the effect of Zip codes on health — an acknowledgment of a growing body of research showing that where and how people live can have a bigger influence on their health than interactions with the medical system or even genetics. That means health insurance has to evolve, Bertolini said in an interview — away from acting only as a payment system for procedures and drugs when people are ill and toward interventions to help people stay healthy in their everyday lives. (Johnson, 3/26)
In other health industry news —
Bloomberg: As Flu Subsides, So Does Interest In Hospital Stocks
Investors may be rotating out of hospital stocks after a flu-fueled rally and moving back into insurers. Facilities were the lone underperformers among health-care stocks on Monday, with a Bloomberg gauge of hospitals shares falling as much as 2.2 percent intraday. Health insurers, on the other hand, rose as much as 2.7 percent along with a rebound in the broader market. CDC data shows that this year’s flu season peaked in early February and influenza activity continues to decline. (Darie, 3/26)
Modern Healthcare: Ascension To Hire Chief Digital Officer
Ascension has created a new position for a chief digital officer who will start later this year, the health system told Modern Healthcare on Monday during the American College of Healthcare Executives' 2018 Congress on Healthcare Leadership. The new executive, who will join the St. Louis-based system from a major publicly traded technology company, signals Ascension's increasing investment in its digital platform and its enthusiasm to meet consumer needs. (Kacik, 3/26)
Modern Healthcare: Tenet And Its Largest Shareholder Glenview Sign Governance Agreement
Tenet Healthcare Corp., and its largest shareholder, Glenview Capital Management, reached an agreement on Tenet's bylaws, settling some simmering issues that otherwise would have been raised at the hospital chain's upcoming annual shareholder meeting.The two organizations had several disagreements on governance that emerged after New York City-based Glenview had given up its representation on Tenet's board. As part of the agreement, Tenet's board will change its bylaws to "further align" its governance with best practices, according to a news release from Dallas-based Tenet. (Barr, 3/26)
