Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
UnitedHealth Group Chooses Tim Noel To Replace Slain CEO
Stat: UnitedHealth Group Names Noel As Head Of Health Insurance Business
UnitedHealth Group has named Tim Noel as the next CEO of UnitedHealthcare, replacing Brian Thompson, who was killed in New York City in December. (Herman, 1/23)
The Daily Pennsylvanian: 2020 Penn Graduate, Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Detailed Health Impact Of Fraternity ‘Hell Week’
2020 Engineering graduate Luigi Mangione was affiliated with Phi Psi, a University-affiliated fraternity. He suffered from mental and physical health problems while at Penn, which he claimed in a social media post was exacerbated by his fraternity’s “hell week" — the final week of intense pledging ahead of initiation. Mangione also posted frequently on Reddit about his difficulty maintaining focus amid exhaustion and brain fog. His posts also attributed his decline in academic success to these issues, citing their negative impact on his overall well-being. (Mahtani and Grantland, 1/25)
On the high cost of health care —
Modern Healthcare: High Cancer Costs Drive Employers To Focus On Screenings, Tests
Employers faced with rising cancer rates among working-age people and costly new treatments are adding specialized programs to their employee benefits in hopes of containing costs. Businesses are offering more screening options and hiring vendors such as Color Health that promise to help workers identify the disease early, thus giving them their best chance and potentially saving money. (Berryman, 1/23)
CIDRAP: Analysis Shows Significant Financial Burden Of Long COVID In US
Managing long-COVID cases could cost US employers $1.99 billion to $6.49 billion annually, according to a new model published yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The model estimates current and future financial burdens related to long COVID, which affects an estimated 44.7 million to 48.0 million Americans. The model took into account the clinical course, health effects, and associated costs of a person with long COVID for 1 year. ... Approximately 92.5% to 95.2% of these costs come from productivity losses. (Soucheray, 1/23)
The CT Mirror: Amid Prospect Medical Bankruptcy, Lamont Proposes Oversight Bill
Connecticut officials gathered at the state Capitol Thursday to announce a proposal backed by Gov. Ned Lamont enhancing state oversight of major mergers, acquisitions and asset transfers in the health care sector. (Golvala, 1/23)
Fierce Healthcare: Healthcare Bankruptcies Dip In 2024, Report Finds
Though not quite reaching 2023’s highs, healthcare bankruptcies remained elevated across 2024 with a six-year high among physician practices as well as “the largest hospital sector bankruptcy by far in the last 30 years,” according to new research from Gibbins Advisors. The restructuring advisory firm’s Thursday report outlined 57 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings among healthcare companies with more than $10 million in liabilities. This was down from the high of 79 filings during the prior year but remains above the average of 42 filings seen from 2019 to 2022, per the report. (Muoio, 1/23)
KFF Health News: A Program To Close Insurance Gaps For Native Americans Has Gone Largely Unused
A few years before the covid-19 pandemic, Dale Rice lost a toe to infection. But because he was uninsured at the time, the surgery at a Reno, Nevada, hospital led to years of anguish. He said he owes the hospital more than $20,000 for the procedure and still gets calls from collection agencies. “It can cause a lot of anxiety,” Rice said. “I can’t give you what I don’t have.” (Orozco Rodriguez, 1/24)
On AI in health care —
Politico: Boosting AI At The VA
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wants to know whether VA secretary nominee Doug Collins, a former Republican congressman from Georgia, will use artificial intelligence to process the massive backlog of people applying for VA disability benefits. Cassidy pressed Collins on the VA’s AI capabilities during a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday. ... As it turns out, the department started using AI to tackle its claims backlog at least five years ago. (Reader, Payne and Paun, 1/23)
Newsweek: Texas May Change Rules For Health Insurance Companies
Texas lawmaker is trying to push for the state to tighten controls on health insurance companies using artificial intelligence (AI) to handle patient claims. Newsweek has contacted Texas Senator Charles Schwertner, who filed the new legislation, via email for comment. (Laws, 1/23)
