Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sanders: Big Nonprofits Do Too Little Charity Work; Hospital Lobby Disagrees
Axios: Sanders, Hospital Lobby Clash Over Nonprofits' Service
Sen. Bernie Sanders and one of the biggest hospital lobbies on Tuesday offered clashing views on how much nonprofit health systems benefit the communities they serve. Sanders (I-Vt.), who chairs the Senate HELP Committee, issued a report that found six of the biggest nonprofit hospital systems dedicated less than 1% of their total revenue to charity care in 2021 — a key criteria for maintaining their tax-exempt status that Sanders wants tightened. (Goldman, 10/11)
On wages and health benefits —
The Wall Street Journal: Healthcare Strikes Threaten To Prolong Wage Pressure On Hospitals
Because of a confluence of factors such as political support from the White House and a tight labor market, Americans across a variety of industries are walking off the job at a rate not seen in years. In the healthcare sector, those broader factors have converged with industry-specific grievances, such as nursing shortages, that were exacerbated by the pandemic. (Wainer, 10/10)
Reuters: Walmart Expands Online Healthcare Benefits For US Employees
Walmart said on Tuesday it will expand online primary care benefits as part of its employee health insurance plan to its workers in 28 U.S. states. The retailer employs more than 2 million people, according to a regulatory filing, and is the largest private employer in the United States. (10/10)
Fox News: Veterans Plagued By Errors In Health Benefit System Due To Computer Mishap
An automated Veterans Affairs system meant to help accelerate claims decisions actually helped contribute to inaccurate ratings on 27% of high blood pressure claims. A VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report published last week found that more than a quarter of the 60 reviewed high blood pressure claims that were handled by the Automated Benefits Delivery System resulted in wrongful claims decisions for veterans, according to a report from Military.com. (Lee, 10/11)
In other health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Cigna To Buy Bright.Md, Integrate It With Evernorth Health’s MDLive
Cigna Group will pay an undisclosed sum for digital health company Bright.md, the companies announced in a news release Tuesday. Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services unit will integrate Bright.md’s asynchronous digital services into MDLive, a telehealth platform that covers 60 million commercial, Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. MDLive supports about 2 million virtual urgent care, behavioral health, tele-dermatology and primary care visits annually, MDLive Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eric Weil said during an interview at the HLTH conference. (Tepper, 10/10)
The Boston Globe: Dana-Farber, Beth Israel Unveil $1.68 Billion Cancer Hospital Project
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said its planned collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will include construction of a $1.68 billion, 300-bed cancer hospital, a project that would fulfill a longstanding vision the cancer hospital has had about how to deliver care. Dr. Laurie Glimcher, chief executive of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Dr. Kevin Tabb, chief executive of Beth Israel Lahey Health, outlined their plans in an editorial board meeting with the Globe on Tuesday, with Dana-Farber executives saying they tried diligently to continue working with Brigham and Women’s Hospital before seeking a new partner. (Bartlett, 10/10)
Modern Healthcare: Walgreens To Launch Virtual Care Services In 2023
Walgreens will launch an on-demand virtual care service later this month, Tracey Brown, chief customer officer and president of retail, announced at a HLTH conference keynote Monday. The company will offer dermatology, primary care, urgent care, women’s health and men’s health services, Brown said. Patients can set up video visits with providers, attend virtual consultations with a doctor or nurse practitioner and have prescriptions shipped to their home, she said. (Hudson and Tepper, 10/10)
CNBC: Walgreens Names Veteran Health-Care Executive Tim Wentworth As Next CEO
Walgreens Boots Alliance has chosen veteran health care executive Tim Wentworth as the company’s new chief executive. Wentworth is the former CEO of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits management company, Express Scripts, which was acquired by Cigna in 2018. He stayed on and served as chief of Cigna’s health services, before retiring in 2021. (Coombs, 10/10)
Bloomberg: US Rural Nursing Homes Are Closing, Hollowing Out Small Towns
Urben Gratz first heard it at the post office. The Good Samaritan nursing home where his wife lived was closing. In Mott, a community of almost 700 in southwestern North Dakota, there were no other options. Gratz eventually found a place for Irene at a home in Dickinson, 60 miles away. She moved in on June 1, 2022, their 69th wedding anniversary, and died there three months later at age 90. Some families had to take their loved ones as far as Fargo, 300 miles east. “It was a big blow to the town,” Gratz says. “Everybody was not prepared for that.” (Coleman-Lochner and Braun, 10/11)
