Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Walmart Ends Its Primary Care Effort, Will Shut All Clinics Friday
Modern Healthcare: Walmart Health To Close All Clinics Friday
All Walmart Health clinics will close Friday, ending the retail chain's yearslong effort to build its own primary care network. Walmart announced April 30 it would shut down Walmart Health, including the virtual care platform and all 51 clinics across five states. The company did not provide closing dates for individual centers, but at the time a spokesperson said some clinics would be open for up to 90 days, or the end of July. (Hudson, 6/26)
In news about home health —
Modern Healthcare: Home Health Agencies Face 1.7% Medicare Pay Cut In 2025 From CMS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing a net 1.7% Medicare pay cut to home health agencies for 2025. The proposed reduction is the sum of several factors: The agency proposes a 2.5% payment update, which is offset by a proposed 0.6% fixed-dollar loss cut and a 3.6% spending cut tied to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model. (Early, 6/26)
Modern Healthcare: Skilled Nursing Facilities Compete For Labor With Home Health
Home health companies fear care delivery could get harder as a federal nursing home staffing mandate forces them to vie for a limited pool of talent with skilled nursing facilities. Demographics, consumer preference and Medicare Advantage are driving more post-acute care into the home and increasing the demand for home healthcare workers. But companies offering home health services worry the nursing home staffing mandate ... will make it even harder for them to recruit enough workers to meet rising demand. (Eastabrook, 6/26)
Other health industry developments —
The Wall Street Journal: CEO In Major Health-Advertising Fraud Gets 7.5-Year Prison Sentence
Tech entrepreneur Rishi Shah was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison Wednesday for his part in what prosecutors called a billion-dollar fraud scheme centered on video advertisements in doctors’ offices. Federal Judge Thomas Durkin said Shah, former chief executive and co-founder of startup Outcome Health, had undermined the integrity of the markets. (Keilman and Winkler, 6/26)
Chicago Tribune: Ken Griffin Donates $10 Million To Northwestern Medicine Esophageal Center
Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, who took his investment firm and largesse to Miami two years ago, is once again making a name for himself in Chicago philanthropic circles. Griffin Catalyst, a civic engagement initiative he launched last year, announced a $10 million donation Wednesday to Northwestern Medicine to fund advanced research and treatment into esophageal diseases. (Channick, 6/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Northwest Hospital ER To Get $6 Million Renovation
The emergency department at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown is getting a “much needed” $6 million face-lift, according to LifeBridge Health, the health system that owns the medical center. (Roberts, 6/26)
