Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kaiser Permanente To Shut California Nursing Home, Lay Off 249 Staff
San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser Permanente To Close California Nursing Home, Sees 249 Layoffs
Kaiser Permanente has announced the closure of its last free-standing company-owned skilled nursing facility — also known as a nursing home — in California, leading to 249 job losses. Regulatory filings reveal that the Kaiser Permanente Post Acute Care Center at 1440 168th Ave. in San Leandro will be permanently closed by mid-November, affecting a range of employees including administrators, physical therapists, dietitians, licensed vocational nurses and, primarily, certified nursing assistants. (Vaziri, 9/10)
The CT Mirror: Athena Nursing Home In Waterbury Loses Federal Funding
The federal agency that oversees long-term care facilities has informed Athena Health Care that it will no longer be getting federal Medicare funding for nearly 200 residents living at the Abbott Terrace Health Center in Waterbury. (Altimari and Carlesso, 9/10)
The Boston Globe: Boston Nurses Union Approves New Contract, Averts Strike
Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital “voted overwhelmingly” on Tuesday to ratify a new contract that will increase wages and avert a threatened strike, union officials said in a statement. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union for 4,000 nurses, negotiated a wage increase of up to 30 percent over the next two and a half years for Brigham nurses, and a quadrupled hourly rate for some on-call nurses, the statement said. (Alanez, 9/10)
Health News Florida: A Bankruptcy Judge OKs Orlando Health's Purchase Of Steward's Space Coast Hospitals
Orlando Health’s bid to purchase three Space Coast hospitals from the financially ailing Steward Health Care was approved Tuesday by a Texas-based bankruptcy judge. Orlando Health will pay $439 million for Melbourne Regional Medical Center and Rockledge Regional Medical Center in Brevard County and Sebastian River Medical Center in Indian River County. The sale also includes certain Steward Medical Group practices in Florida. (Mayer, 9/11)
Also —
Axios: Aetna's Denial Of Gender-Affirming Care Taken To Court
A class-action complaint claims Aetna violated federal non-discrimination law by denying coverage of certain gender-affirming surgeries. The lawsuit filed Tuesday cites civil rights protections in the Affordable Care Act that are currently being challenged by conservative-led states. (Goldman, 9/11)
Modern Healthcare: Why Medicare Advantage Plans Are Losing More Providers
Medicare Advantage enrollment and profitability surged in recent years as a growing number of seniors sought plans with minimal copays and extra benefits not offered in traditional Medicare. However, Medicare Advantage enrollment growth has slowed and insurance companies' earnings per member have declined over the past year as insurers grapple with stiffer competition, higher medical costs and utilization, lower reimbursement rates and stricter regulatory oversight. (Kacik, 9/10)
Stat: Medical Debt Forgiveness Could Mean Big Paydays For Hospitals
The largest health system in North Carolina simply wasn’t interested in canceling its patients’ medical debt. That is, until the state government dangled billions of dollars in incentive payments. (Zhang, 9/11)
Modern Healthcare: AMA Releases New CPT Codes For 2025
The American Medical Association released its updated list of Current Procedural Terminology codes for 2025, adding 270 new universal codes used for billing healthcare services and reimbursing providers. The organization announced 420 updates to its list Tuesday, with several revisions and additions for genetic testing, digital health services like remote patient monitoring and care involving artificial intelligence. (DeSilva, 9/10)
KFF Health News: Longtime Head Of L.A. Care To Retire After Navigating Major Medi-Cal Changes
For nearly a decade, John Baackes has led L.A. Care Health Plan, a publicly run insurer primarily serving low-income Los Angeles County residents on Medi-Cal. It is by far the largest Medi-Cal plan in the state. Baackes, 78, who will retire after the end of the year, helped transform L.A. Care into a major market player following its expansion under the Affordable Care Act. He implemented a new administrative structure and promoted a new internal culture. (Wolfson, 9/11)
