Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Major Health Firms Invest In Fund To Drive Black-Founded Health Companies
Axios: Jumpstart Launches Fund For Black Founders
Nashville-based Jumpstart Health Investors launched Jumpstart Nova, the first U.S. venture fund to exclusively back Black-founded and led health care companies. Major players including Eli Lilly, HCA Healthcare and the American Hospital Association injected $55 million. (Brodwin, 1/13)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: MedPAC: Increase Hospital Pay, No Change For Physicians In 2023
Medicare payment advisors unanimously approved a recommendation Thursday to update hospital payment by 2% for fiscal 2023, and to keep physician fee schedule payment stagnant next year. But members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission continued to voice concerns about the long-term viability of the current physician fee schedule model, which they say isn't keeping up with inflation during a particularly volatile time for healthcare providers. (Goldman, 1/13)
The CT Mirror: AG, Lawmakers Review Implications Of Hospital Antitrust Suit
A competitor’s antitrust lawsuit against Hartford HealthCare comes as Connecticut already was struggling to explore one of its central issues: What does the purchase of physician practices by hospitals do to competition, costs and care? The lawsuit filed by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center accuses Hartford HealthCare of buying physician practices with the predatory intent of controlling the referrals that feed patients to its hospitals, surgical centers and other affiliates. (Pazniokas, 1/13)
Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente Joins Digital Health Company Graphite Health
Kaiser Permanente is joining Graphite Health, a digital health company run by major hospital chains that focuses on promoting interoperability among health records systems, the integrated health system announced Thursday. The Oakland, California-based not-for-profit company is the fourth health system to participate in Graphite Health after SSM Health of Madison, Wisconsin, Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services and Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. Prat Vemana, Kaiser Permanente's senior vice president and chief digital officer, will join Graphite Health's board. (Devereaux, 1/13)
Modern Healthcare: Aetna, Anthem Among Funders Of Aveneer Health's $50M Seed Round
A group of leading healthcare companies provided $50 million in seed funding to Avaneer Health, the data-exchange and blockchain startup announced Thursday. CVS Health subsidiary Aetna, Anthem, the Cleveland Clinic, Health Care Service Corp., Sentara Healthcare and PNC Financial Services all contributed to the venture and are Avaneer Health's first network participants. These funders represent 80 million covered lives and 14 million annual patient visits. Avaneer Health, founded in 2020, will use this money to prepare for the launch its network nationwide as a form of secure internet for healthcare, according to the company. (Devereux, 1/13)
AP: Oncology Unit Opens At Roane General Hospital In WVa
A West Virginia hospital has opened a new oncology and infusion center. The unit opened Thursday at Roane General Hospital in Spencer in partnership with the West Virginia University Cancer Institute and WVU Medicine Camden-Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg. (1/14)
