Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mayo Clinic Cuts Off Some 9/11 Cancer Patients In Exit Of Federal Program
Modern Healthcare: 9/11 Cancer Patients Say Mayo Clinic Cut Off Their Treatment
The Mayo Clinic is exiting a federal program that covers medical care for people sickened from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to two patients and an organization that advocates for 9/11 responders and survivors. The cancer patients had been getting treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, for years through the World Trade Center Health Program, which pays providers to treat people who contracted cancer, respiratory illnesses, injuries and other ailments during or in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. (McAuliff, 3/25)
Modern Healthcare: ACOs In Shared Savings Program Wary As CMS Halts Pay Models
Accountable care organizations and healthcare providers are closely watching for changes to Medicare’s permanent value-based payment program as the Trump administration begins putting its stamp on Medicare policy. Weeks into President Donald Trump's second term, stakeholders are assessing whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is committed to the Medicare Shared Savings Program or if the agency will heed calls from conservatives to scrap or diminish the ACO initiative, which the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 playbook for the administration says should be terminated. (Early, 3/25)
Becker's Hospital Review: MD Anderson, UT Austin Partner To Accelerate Cancer Research
Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas at Austin have launched a partnership in support of research projects designed to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survival. The partnership will function under a joint initiative called the Collaborative Accelerator for Transformative Research Endeavors, according to a March 25 news release from MD Anderson. (Gregerson, 3/25)
Modern Healthcare: How Easing State Oversight Spurred A Construction 'Arms Race'
Healthcare construction has ramped up in states that repealed or narrowed certificate of need laws. Health systems have built an increasing number of inpatient and outpatient facilities in states such as Florida and South Carolina that significantly limited the scope of certificate of need laws. More states are expected to follow suit, spurring building booms and increasing competition. (Kacik, 3/25)
Pharma and tech —
Crain's Chicago Business: Walgreens Settles Illinois Medicaid Fraud Lawsuit
Walgreens Boots Alliance will pay $5 million to settle allegations that it violated U.S. and Illinois false claims statutes by improperly billing Medicaid and Medicare. The settlement, disclosed in court filings yesterday, marks the end of the dispute, which began 11 years ago when two whistleblowers claimed Walgreens’ practices violated statutes. (Davis, 3/25)
Modern Healthcare: Ambient Scribes Need More Research To Prove ROI: Peterson Health
The verdict is still out on one of the most popular early use cases of artificial intelligence in healthcare. A report published Tuesday from digital health research group Peterson Health Technology Institute found many claims by ambient AI vendors need additional research. Peterson's researchers, who spoke to around 60 providers, industry experts and vendors for the report, said while there are benefits of the technology in reducing physicians' cognitive load, some vendor claims may be overstated. (Turner, 3/25)
Modern Healthcare: Navina Lands $55M From Goldman Sachs
Navina, a clinical intelligence company, closed a $55 million Series C funding round. The round was led by a division of investment bank Goldman Sachs. Other investors in the round included venture capital firms Vertex Ventures Israel, Grove Ventures and Alive Israel HealthTech Fund. The New York City-based company develops artificial intelligence tools to help providers with chart reviews, risk adjustments and data processing. Navina said in a news release it will use the capital to help the company scale. (Turner, 3/25)
Also —
Military.Com: Not Just For US Veterans: 7 Medical Breakthroughs The VA Gave To The World
When someone at the Department of Veterans Affairs messes up, it usually makes national news. When the VA is found to be either consistently more efficient than private health care or generally outperforming private hospitals, however, it generally turns fewer heads. Many might ask why it's important to notice when the VA does what it's supposed to do. With the VA facing more than 83,000 job cuts this year, it's important to remind not only veterans, but also lawmakers, health officials and the American population at large just how much the country -- and the world -- benefits from the work of the department's doctors and researchers. (Stilwell, 3/25)
Politico: Can RFK Jr. Ban Pharma TV Ads?
If you believed everything you read on social media, you’d think HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had issued a sweeping proclamation Monday morning to ban prescription drug advertising on TV. That was the chatter on social media platform X from a prominent retail trader account, prompting Prescription Pulse sources to reach out and wonder what they were missing. Turns out, it wasn’t much. “The social chatter you are hearing that HHS banned pharmaceutical advertising is not accurate,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told us. (Lim and Gardner, 3/25)
