Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Takes Death Penalty Off The Table In UnitedHealthcare CEO Slaying
The New York Times: Mangione No Longer Faces Death Penalty in Federal Case
A Manhattan federal judge on Friday ruled that prosecutors would not be able to seek the death penalty at the trial of Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in 2024. The judge, Margaret Garnett of Federal District Court, said the case would still proceed to trial on two other counts, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole, in the killing of the executive, Brian Thompson. (Meko, Weiser and Bayya, 1/30)
More health care industry developments —
The CT Mirror: CT Officials Approve UConn Acquisition Of Prospect-Owned Hospital
The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy on Friday evening approved a $13 million deal for the state’s flagship medical institution — the University of Connecticut Health Center — to purchase Waterbury Hospital, one of three struggling hospitals owned by bankrupt hospital operator Prospect Medical Holdings. (Golvala, 1/30)
Modern Healthcare: Cleveland Clinic, CommonSpirit Push AI For Claim Denials, Coding
Health systems are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to limit claim denials and streamline prior authorization processes as providers look to boost revenue and get paid quicker. Providers and insurers are gearing up in an AI arms race in pursuit of controlling reimbursement. Health systems have automated claims management to free up clinicians and counteract insurers that are looking to lower reimbursement. (Kacik and Broderick, 1/30)
KFF Health News: Your Next Primary Care Doctor Could Be Online Only, Accessed Through An AI Tool
When her doctor died suddenly in August, Tammy MacDonald found herself among the roughly 17% of adults in America without a primary care physician. MacDonald wanted to find a new doctor right away. She needed refills for her blood pressure medications and wanted to book a follow-up appointment after a breast cancer scare. She called 10 primary care practices near her home in Westwood, Massachusetts. None of the doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants was taking new patients. A few offices told her that a doctor could see her in a year and a half or two years. (Bebinger, 2/2)
Modern Healthcare: How Atrium, Northwell Health Are Using Wearables For Patient Care
Early lessons are emerging for health systems using wearables to manage patients’ care remotely. Physicians are increasingly using wearables from consumer companies such as Apple, Fitbit and Samsung for everything from sleep monitoring to treating cancer. Experts say health systems must collaborate with clinicians and device manufacturers when adopting these tools. (Famakinwa, 1/30)
Verite News New Orleans: Xavier Receives $3 Million To Launch Med School Scholarship
Xavier University’s Ochsner College of Medicine announced on Monday (Jan. 26) that the Kentucky-based health insurance company Humana has established a $3 million scholarship fund for medical students at Xavier interested in pursuing primary care, internal medicine or maternal care in Louisiana. Xavier and Ochsner Health founded the college of medicine in 2024 as the fifth medical school in the country at a Historically Black College and University. (Yehiya, 1/30)
The New York Times: When The Doctor Needs A Checkup
He was a surgical oncologist at a hospital in a Southern city, a 78-year-old whose colleagues had begun noticing troubling behavior in the operating room. During procedures, he seemed “hesitant, not sure of how to go on to the next step without being prompted” by assistants, said Dr. Mark Katlic, director of the Aging Surgeon Program at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The chief of surgery, concerned about the doctor’s cognition, “would not sign off on his credentials to practice surgery unless he went through an evaluation,” Dr. Katlic said. (Span, 1/31)
In obituaries —
Modern Healthcare: Meditech Founder A. Neil Pappalardo Dies At 83
Meditech founder and chair A. Neil Pappalardo died Tuesday at the age of 83, the electronic health record company said in a Friday statement. Pappalardo, who started Meditech in 1969, is widely considered to be one of the EHR industry’s pioneers. He served as CEO of the Canton, Massachusetts-based company until 2010 and was acting chair at the time of his death. The cause of his death was not released. (Perna, 1/30)
The New York Times: Morris Waxler, F.D.A. Official Who Switched Stance On Lasik, Dies At 88
Dr. Morris Waxler, who as a federal health official was instrumental in approving laser eye surgery as a quick fix to replace eyeglasses or contact lenses, then reversed himself a decade later after concluding that the operation could actually impair a patient’s vision, died on Jan. 2 in a hospital in Madison, Wis. He was 88. The cause was a stroke, his wife, Carolyn Zahn-Waxler, said. (Roberts, 1/31)
