Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
UHS Admits To Cherry-Picking Patients With Higher-Paying Insurers
Stat: UHS Says Company Favors Patients Whose Insurance Pays More
The country’s largest private psychiatric hospital operator cherry-picks patients whose insurance will pay more, its finance chief said on an earnings call Wednesday. It’s no secret that such hospitals, especially when run by for-profit companies, base admission decisions on how much they’ll get paid, but it’s rare to hear the practice described so bluntly. (Bannow, 7/26)
In hospital news —
Axios: Report Finds Hospitals Still Struggle To Discharge Patients
Hospitals are struggling to discharge recovering patients to less intensive settings amid staffing shortages at nursing homes and home health agencies, a new report from WellSky finds. Patients who remain hospitalized longer than necessary can reduce the overall capacity of the facility, limit the ability to treat new patients and even cause canceled or delayed procedures, the report noted. (Dreher, 7/26)
CIDRAP: Israeli Study Links Spread Of Resistant Bacteria To Hospital Water Sources
A single-center study in Israel highlights the roles that hospital sinks and showers may play in spreading carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), researchers reported yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control. (Dall, 7/26)
Billings Gazette: St. Vincent Healthcare Earns Five-Star Rating For Quality
St. Vincent Healthcare, part of Intermountain Health, has earned a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in its latest quality review of more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide. CMS developed Star Ratings to help consumers make more informed decisions. CMS evaluates hospitals on their performance in areas such as safety, readmissions, patient experience, and mortality after heart attack or pneumonia. Hospitals receive one to five stars, with more stars indicating better performance in the areas evaluated. (7/26)
Health News Florida: Tampa General Hospital Agrees To Purchase Three CHS Hospitals In Hernando And Citrus Counties
With the purchase of three hospitals from Bravera Health, Tampa General is expanding its “geographic footprint” into Hernando and Citrus counties. The agreement, estimated at $290 million, includes Bravera Health Brooksville, Bravera Health Spring Hill and Bravera Health Seven Rivers. The purchase, announced Tuesday, also includes clinics and outpatient services, according to Bravera’s parent company, Community Health Systems. (Mayer, 7/26)
KFF Health News: Home Sweet Parking Lot: Some Hospitals Welcome RV Living For Patients, Families, And Workers
Jim Weaver has had two major surgeries in the past decade: one to remove cancerous tumors from his bladder and another to clear a blocked artery. Weaver, 70, knew that after he emerged from surgery, he’d want privacy. But because he and his wife drove more than 150 miles from Bend, Oregon, to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland, immediately returning home was not an option. (Saint Louis, 7/27)
More health care news —
Bloomberg: Amazon Enters Health Care Generative AI Market, Adds Chatbot Tools
Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud unit, determined to take on Microsoft and Google in the burgeoning market for generative artificial intelligence, has unveiled a range of new AI products, including a service that helps health care providers summarize doctor visits and software that let companies create their own chatbots. (Bass, 7/26)
Modern Healthcare: Headspace Health Closes $105M In Senior Debt With Oxford Finance
Headspace Health, a digital mental health "unicorn," closed a $105 million senior debt facility Wednesday. Headspace Health CEO Russell Glass said in a written statement the company began conversations with Oxford Finance, a firm that provides loans to public and private life science and healthcare companies, in January. He said the company looked for ways to “proactively reduce risk given the current economic landscape.” (Turner, 7/26)
