Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GOP Advances Bill To Consider Alternative Data For Medicare Advantage Spending
Stat: GOP Aims To Change Medicare Adviser’s Math So It’s More Favorable To Health Insurers
Normally, discussions about how congressional advisers study Medicare spending are quite dry. Not so at the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday. In a party line vote, committee Republicans pushed forward a bill that seeks to change how the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission studies Medicare Advantage spending. In particular, this bill would direct the nonpartisan agency to study the topic of overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans in a manner that’s more favorable to insurers. (Wilkerson, 9/16)
Bloomberg: Walmart And Insurer Scan Health To Sell Medicare Advantage Plan
Walmart Inc. and nonprofit insurer Scan Health Plan are partnering to sell Medicare Advantage plans to seniors, betting that they can use the big-box retailer’s data to push down the cost of healthcare. Prices for medical care have risen steeply in recent years, making it more difficult for health insurers to profit by selling Medicare Advantage plans, which are a private version of Medicare. Insurers have been pulling back and closing some plans, forcing millions of people to find other coverage. Scan hopes their plan may help fill some of that gap. (Swetlitz, 9/16)
CIDRAP: Meant To Cut US Prescription Drug Prices, Proposed Medicare Policies May Do The Opposite—With Global Implications
The Trump administration’s proposed Medicare “Most-Favored Nation” pricing policies could drive up prescription drug prices and slow drug launches around the world, a modeling study published this week in The Lancet concludes. The policies are aimed at lowering the prices of drugs in the United States, which are an estimated three to five times higher than in European countries. But manufacturers’ ability to strike confidential deals with the Trump administration and challenges in implementing the policies could cancel out any savings, the study authors say. (Van Beusekom, 9/16)
Healthcare Dive: More Health Plans Score 5 Stars On NCQA Ratings, But For-Profits Underperform
Health plans are generally performing better on quality and performance ratings, though nonprofit insurers continue to surge past their for-profit peers. The National Committee for Quality Assurance released its 2026 ratings on Tuesday, which score commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans across a range of measures of clinical quality, patient experience and health outcomes. Eighteen plans nabbed the standards organization’s highest 5-star rating, up from 11 last year. All of them are nonprofits. (Parduhn, 9/16)
More healthcare industry updates —
Valley News: Dartmouth Health Lays Off 124 Employees, Cuts 303 Positions
Dartmouth Health has laid off 124 employees and eliminated 303 open positions across Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Southern Region. (Ebrahimi, 9/16)
Modern Healthcare: How Hospitals Are Leaning On Philanthropy As Pressures Mount
Hospitals and health systems are doubling down on seeking philanthropy partners as they navigate growing financial challenges. A worsening payer mix, a rise in uncompensated care and higher labor and supply costs are threatening margins and requiring hospitals to look to their foundations to help fund clinical operations. The successful organizations are investing in their philanthropy teams and looking to clinical leaders to more effectively sell their story to potential donors. (DeSilva, 9/16)
Modern Healthcare: Medtech Mergers And Acquisitions Rose 36% In Q2 2026: PMCF
Medtech mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. Deals rose 36% in the second quarter from the previous quarter, as buyers gained confidence amid improving financing conditions, according to a recent report by investment bank PMCF. The uptick reflects continued interest in medtech companies and contract development and manufacturing organizations, and pent-up demand for deals that were held back in 2025, said Mike Brooks, a director at PMCF. (Dubinsky, 9/16)
In news about health care personnel —
Modern Healthcare: AAMC CEO David Skorton To Retire
Dr. David Skorton, president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges, plans to retire by next June, the trade group announced Tuesday. Skorton, a cardiologist, joined the AAMC in 2019. The association has tapped consulting firm Spencer Stuart to assist in recruiting a successor, it said in a news release. (DeSilva, 9/15)
MedPage Today: Aging Doctors Face A Patchwork Of Cognitive Screening Policies, Study Shows
Policies addressing cognitive decline in aging physicians were uncommon in the U.S. and similar countries, a comparative policy analysis showed. Unlike safety-critical fields in other industries, healthcare has historically relied on self-regulation and peer review rather than proactive cognitive screening, though some hospital systems screen physicians independently, reported Nathan Stall, MD, PhD, of the University of Toronto, and co-authors. (George, 9/16)
Healthcare Dive: 70% Of Gen Z Healthcare Workers Say They’re Going To Quit Within The Next Year
Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z healthcare workers intend to find a new role in the next year, according to a new poll of more than 1,500 U.S. healthcare employees. The survey, commissioned by the Harris Poll found that less than half of Gen Z healthcare workers feel very loyal to their current employer, in part because professional development and career advancement feel out of reach. (Health, 9/16)
The Baltimore Sun: Nurse Who Diverted Pain Meds From Child Patient Sentenced
A former University of Maryland Medical Center nurse was sentenced to 30 days in jail for diverting morphine intended for a 10-year-old patient, the Maryland attorney general’s office said Wednesday. (Byrne, 9/16)
WUSF: After Selling 2,900 Fake Nursing School Diplomas, She Gets A 7-Year Prison Sentence
The former owner of a Broward County nursing school who helped run a scheme that sold thousands of fraudulent nursing diplomas has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison. (Mayer, 9/17)
Medical Xpress: Caregivers Worldwide Often Sacrifice Their Own Well-Being, 20 Years Of Research Further Confirms
Caregivers of people with cancer, heart problems and other long-term illnesses report needing more psychological support but often stop short of accessing it. While that statement may not be surprising to people who have been in the position of caring for a loved one, it is a stark conclusion that follows a comprehensive review of 20 years of research involving more than 80,000 people. The findings are published today by experts at the Australian institutions the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland in the journal Psychology & Health. (9/16)
