Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Survey Reveals Widespread Racism Inside Nursing Industry
Stat: New Survey Shows Racism Is A Huge Problem In Nursing
A family nurse practitioner in New York City, Jose M. Maria has come to expect overt racism from patients. “I’ve been called the N-word, I’ve been called, you name it,” he said. A triple minority in nursing — Black, Latino, and male — he often gets mistaken for a janitor. More subtle racist behavior has come from supervisors and fellow nurses in past jobs, too — uncomfortable looks in the break room, extra questioning from supervisors over narcotics errors he’s responsibly reported and been cleared for. “I’ve felt I’ve had a target on my back.” (McFarling, 5/31)
More health care industry news —
Modern Healthcare: Hospital Expenses Remain High As Systems See Profits In 2023
“Organizations have taken a really hard stance at how they’re going to improve margin, and they’ve gone through and looked at every opportunity,” said Rick Kes, healthcare partner at professional services firm RSM. “Now it’s like… we have to make these decisions, and there’s no other choice. I think everyone in the ecosystem understands that.” Here are four key takeaways from the latest round of earnings reports. (Hudson, 5/30)
Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Redeterminations Shouldn't Be Rushed: CMS Official
"Our priority and commitment is to do everything within our power to help keep people covered for the coverage that they're eligible for," Center for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Services Director Dan Tsai said at a news conference Tuesday. "We are deeply concerned when we see large termination numbers—in particular with non-response—because our concern is that they're eligible kids and families, he said. (Turner, 5/30)
KFF Health News: How A Medical Recoding May Limit Cancer Patients’ Options For Breast Reconstruction
The federal government is reconsidering a decision that breast cancer patients, plastic surgeons, and members of Congress have protested would limit women’s options for reconstructive surgery. On June 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to reexamine how doctors are paid for a type of breast reconstruction known as DIEP flap, in which skin, fat, and blood vessels are harvested from a woman’s abdomen to create a new breast. (Pradhan, 5/31)
Modern Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente Invests $10M In Denver Health
The Oakland, California-based integrated health system will give a $5 million grant to Denver Health and another $5 million in matching funds if area organizations or other health systems financially support the safety-net hospital. Denver Health, which cares for about 30% of the city's population each year, including many indigent and uninsured residents at its 555-bed hospital and affiliated outpatient network, reported a $23.8 million operating loss in 2022 as its uncompensated care costs increased and its labor and supply costs swelled. (Kacik, 5/31)
In biotech and pharmaceutical news —
The New York Times: Elizabeth Holmes Reports to Prison to Begin More Than 11-Year Sentence
Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced entrepreneur who was convicted of defrauding investors at her failed blood testing start-up, Theranos, reported to a federal prison in Texas on Tuesday to begin her 11-year, three-month sentence. Ms. Holmes surrendered to F.P.C. Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp for women roughly 90 minutes from Houston. She pulled up in a Ford Expedition that appeared to be driven by her mother, Noel Holmes. Her father, Christian Holmes, appeared to be inside. (Griffith, 5/30)
Modern Healthcare: OptumRX Unveils Rural Pharmacy Programs Amid PBM Crackdown
The PBM, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, will work with pharmacies in seven states to connect pregnant women and patients with diabetes with housing, transportation and food support, the company said Tuesday. OptumRx will rely on community pharmacists to connect members with Unite Us, a software company that will link members in Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and Texas with local resources beginning in June. Plans call for the program to expand nationally in the fall. (Tepper, 5/30)
