UnitedHealth Group CEO Resigns ‘For Personal Reasons’; Shares Keep Falling

Axios: UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty Leaves "For Personal Reasons"
The CEO of the health care giant whose insurance leader was killed in New York in December is abruptly leaving the company. (Bomey, 5/13)

North Carolina Health News and Charlotte Ledger: Atrium Health Executives Get Hefty Pay Raises Amid Record Revenues
The total compensation of Atrium Health’s top executives soared by an average of 41 percent last year, according to newly released data from the hospital system, but information about the salary of Eugene Woods, CEO of Atrium parent Advocate Health, was not included in the release. (Crouch, 5/14)

MedPage Today: Doctors, Other Healthcare Workers Strike In Washington State
Physicians and other healthcare workers at PeaceHealth facilities in Washington state are on strike this week, calling for better working conditions and wages, among other demands. The group includes about 40 physicians and 100 advanced practice clinicians, who are represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), as well as hundreds more healthcare workers -- such as certified nursing assistants, housekeeping workers, phlebotomists, and imaging technicians -- who are represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. (Henderson, 5/13)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Cleveland Clinic’s Controversial New Policy: Pay Copays Upfront Or Lose Your Appointment 
Starting in June, Cleveland Clinic patients who can’t pay their co-pay on the spot will have nonemergency appointments rescheduled or cancelled, the health system said. The new policy could make it harder for low-income people who prefer to be billed to see a Clinic doctor, and create delays that could lead to medical emergencies down the road, health policy experts said. (Washington, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Point Solutions Make A Comeback With Employers
Point solutions, two dirty words in employer healthcare, are making a comeback thanks to the rise of care navigation platforms. Employers, consultants and investors have long treated point solutions, the industry term for digital health vendors focused on a single area of medical care, with skepticism, even derision. While many vendors still avoid the phrasing, they’re back to offering products that focus on a sole, and often costly, area of medical care as employers deal with ballooning healthcare expenses that are expected to rise to next year. (Perna, 5/13)

Chicago Tribune: Bill Aims To Encourage Illinois Therapists To Take Private Insurance
Lawmakers are taking aim at a common problem for Illinois residents who seek mental health care — many therapists don’t take private insurance. In Illinois and across the country, a number of therapists have stopped accepting private insurance, saying health insurers don’t reimburse them enough money for their services and force them to jump through too many hoops to give patients the care they need. (Schencker, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare: Scan Group Buys Remaining Equity In PACE Operator MyPlace Health
Scan Group said Tuesday it is now the sole owner and operator of myPlace Health, a Los Angeles-based Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly operator. Scan Group purchased the remaining equity in myPlace Health from Boston-based healthcare services provider Commonwealth Care Alliance in March for an undisclosed sum, Scan Group President and CEO Sachin Jain said. He said myPlace CEO Robbie Pottharst will continue to lead the organization, which opened its first center serving about 100 people in Los Angeles last year. (Eastabrook, 5/13)

The Texas Tribune: Bill To Tally Undocumented Hospital Patients In Texas Dies
A Republican-backed measure that would have forced Texas hospitals to report each year how many undocumented immigrants they treat failed to make it through the House Tuesday night following a successful parliamentary challenge from a Democratic lawmaker. (Langford, 5/13)

In pharma and tech news —

Stat: Scientists Call For 10-Year Ban On CRISPR For Germline Gene Editing
Leading trade organizations representing the makers of cell and gene therapies are calling for a 10-year international moratorium on the use of CRISPR and other DNA-editing tools to create genetically modified children, according to a draft of the declaration provided to STAT. (Molteni, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: GSK Buys Liver-Disease Treatment From Boston Pharmaceuticals For Up To $2 Billion
GSK will acquire liver-disease treatment efimosfermin from Boston Pharmaceuticals for up to $2 billion to expand its portfolio. The British pharma giant said Wednesday that it will pay the U.S. biotech company $1.2 billion up-front, and that the deal includes potential success-based milestone payments of $800 million. (Smolak, 5/14)

CBS News: Weight Loss Drugs Have "No End Game" Amid Lack Of Data On Long-Term Use, Former FDA Commissioner Warns
Weight loss drugs have transformed how Americans lose weight, including former commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Dr. David Kessler. But, Kessler warns there are unknowns about long-term use of the drugs and how to get people off them. "There is no end game," he said on "CBS Mornings Plus" Tuesday. "FDA allowed these medicines out without a long-term strategy." Kessler faced unexpected weight gain while serving in his role co-leading Operation Warp Speed, the coronavirus vaccination program at the height of the pandemic, which had him working extensive hours a day at his computer. (Moniuszko, 5/13)