Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: 38% Of Surgical Patients Have Complications, 1 In 5 Are Preventable
CNN: More Than 1 In 3 Surgical Patients Has Complications, Study Finds, And Many Are The Result Of Medical Errors
Despite decades of calls for more attention to patient safety in hospitals, people undergoing surgery still have high rates of complications and medical errors, a new study finds. More than a third of patients admitted to the hospital for surgery have adverse events related to their care, and at least 1 in 5 of these complications is the result of medical errors, the researchers found. (Goodman, 11/15)
In other health care industry updates —
AP: CVS Health Bulks Its Board Up To 16 Members, Adds Hedge Fund CEO
CVS Health has added four new board members, including the CEO of a hedge fund that has been critical of the struggling health care giant. The company said Monday that it expanded its board to 16 members following “productive discussions” with shareholder Glenview Capital Management. The hedge fund holds about a 1% stake in the company according to the data firm FactSet. Glenview has said CVS Health, which has cut its forecast several times this year, is operating well below its potential. (Murphy, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare: Ascension Wisconsin To Close Waukesha Micro-Hospital
Ascension Wisconsin plans to close a hospital in Waukesha and consolidate a few lines of service among other facilities in the southeast region of the state. The Waukesha "micro-hospital," which offers emergency and low-acuity care services, is slated to shut down in January, said Ascension Wisconsin Senior Director of External Relations Mo Moorman on Monday. (DeSilva, 11/18)
Chicago Tribune: Endeavor Health Spending Up To $453M To Settle Sexual Abuse Claims
Endeavor Health is spending up to $453 million to settle patients’ claims alleging one of its former doctors sexually abused them, the Chicago-area hospital system disclosed in its latest financial statement Monday. (Hoerner, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare: Aveanna Healthcare, Addus Homecare Plan For Acquisitions In 2025
Acquisitions in the home care industry are poised to take off in 2025, fueled by lower interest rates and President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. Large home care providers including Addus HomeCare, Aveanna Healthcare and the Pennant Group said during third quarter earnings calls they would aggressively look for deals next year to gain scale and better compete for hospital referrals. The interest in deal-making is an about-face for an industry that has been burdened by labor shortages, rising costs and battles with Medicare Advantage organizations over better rates. (Eastabrook, 11/18)
ProPublica: How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk
United’s practices were deemed illegal in three states. But that hasn’t stopped the company from policing mental health care with arbitrary thresholds and cost-driven targets. (Waldman, 11/19)
Modern Healthcare: Shared Savings ACOs To See Prepaid Savings Option In 2025
Accountable care organizations in Medicare’s permanent value-based care program are saving more than ever. But they’re looking for more tools from the government to boost their savings. The Medicare Shared Savings Program saved $2.1 billion in 2023, the highest level since the program launched more than a decade ago and up 16.7% from last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in late October. (Early, 11/18)
Crain's Grand Rapids Business: Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan Drops Humira Coverage
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan intends to drop coverage for Humira, AbbVie's popular but costly autoimmune drug, in favor of a lower-cost alternative. The move represents the first coverage change to the state’s largest health insurer plans as high-cost specialty drugs come off patent in the years ahead and new, lower-cost biosimilar medications come to market to treat the same conditions. (Sanchez, 11/18)
