Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Details More Hospitals At Risk From Future Flooding
Inside Climate News: Amid The Devastation Of Hurricane Ian, A New Study Charts Alarming Flood Risks For U.S. Hospitals
It was a scene that played out in cities and towns along the path of Hurricane Ian as it roared ashore last week: nurses, physicians and other medical personnel working feverishly to evacuate hospitals that were at risk of flooding or worse. According to a team of Harvard researchers, that harrowing reality may become even more commonplace in the decades to come. Scientists have found that roughly a third of the metropolitan areas on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at risk of seeing at least half of their hospitals experience some form of flooding during a hurricane. (St. Martin, 10/3)
In corporate and legal news —
Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare Complete $13B Merger
The healthcare conglomerate and the technology company had agreed to wait 10 days to finalize the deal after a federal judge last month declined the Justice Department’s challenge to the merger over antitrust concerns. The Justice Department technically has 60 days after that ruling to submit an appeal, but now would face the challenge of breaking up the combined company. (Tepper, 10/3)
Modern Healthcare: Trinity Health's Losses Near $1.5B In 2022
Trinity Health recorded a $1.43 billion net loss for the fiscal year that ended June 30, a steep drop from $3.85 billion in net earnings the prior year, the not-for-profit Catholic health system disclosed last week. (Hudson, 10/3)
Reuters: Anthem Must Face U.S. Government Lawsuit Alleging Medicare Advantage Fraud
A federal judge ordered Anthem Inc to face a U.S. government lawsuit claiming it submitted inaccurate diagnosis data, enabling the health insurer to fraudulently collect tens of millions of dollars in annual overpayments from Medicare. In a decision released on Monday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter in Manhattan said the total alleged overpayment to Anthem appeared to be well over $100 million, making the government's financial costs "substantial and not merely administrative." (Stempel, 10/3)
Bloomberg: Tenet Healthcare Names Former US Senator Bob Kerrey As Chairman
Tenet Healthcare Corp. named former US Senator and Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey as its chairman after Ronald Rittenmeyer stepped down from the role due to health reasons. (Lauerman, 10/3)
In other health industry updates —
Axios: Home Health, Nursing Homes Look For Year-End Breaks In Spending Deal
Long-term care and home health providers are ramping up pleas for financial relief in a year-end congressional spending deal, testing their influence against a other health interests trying to tuck favorable provisions in the must-pass bill. (Knight and Dreher, 10/4)
KHN: Nursing Home Surprise: Advantage Plans May Shorten Stays To Less Time Than Medicare Covers
After 11 days in a St. Paul, Minnesota, skilled nursing facility recuperating from a fall, Paula Christopherson, 97, was told by her insurer that she should return home. But instead of being relieved, Christopherson and her daughter were worried because her medical team said she wasn’t well enough to leave. “This seems unethical,” said daughter Amy Loomis, who feared what would happen if the Medicare Advantage plan, run by UnitedHealthcare, ended coverage for her mother’s nursing home care. The facility gave Christopherson a choice: pay several thousand dollars to stay, appeal the company’s decision, or go home. (Jaffe, 10/4)
Post Bulletin: Medical Bills Can Be Crippling. Mayo Clinic’s Charity Care May Be Lacking
Every nonprofit hospital, including Mayo Clinic, is required by the Affordable Care Act to establish free or discounted care policies, known as “charity care” or “financial assistance,” for eligible, often low-income patients in order to maintain and justify the hospital’s tax-exempt status. With support from Dollar For, a nonprofit that works with patients to relieve medical debt, Bass applied for charity care through Mayo Clinic and was approved. However, only half of her bill was covered, so Bass submitted an appeal and awaits Mayo Clinic’s decision. Mayo Clinic responded that it cannot comment on an appeal in process. (Castle Work, 10/2)
