WeightWatchers Files For Bankruptcy Protection To Ease Shift To Telehealth
Their overall revenue has declined 10%, while their weight-loss medication revenue has increased 57% year over year. Also in the news, the Joint Commission suffers layoffs; elevated medical costs affect insurers through Q1; AI beat doctors in empathy test; and more.
AP:
WeightWatchers Files For Bankruptcy Protection To Eliminate Debt Burden
WeightWatchers said Tuesday it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to eliminate $1.15 billion in debt and focus on its transition into a telehealth services provider. Parent WW International Inc. said it has the support of nearly three-quarters of its debt holders. It expects to emerge from bankruptcy within 45 days, if not sooner. (5/7)
In other developments —
AP:
A Philadelphia Woman Is The 8th Person To Die From The January Crash Of A Medical Plane
An eighth person has died months after the crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia, city officials said Tuesday. Dominique Goods-Burke, who was in a vehicle hit by debris when the plane crashed in northeast Philadelphia, died on April 27, the city Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed. ... Goods-Burke died at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, a spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s Office said. She was 34. (Dale, 5/6)
Modern Healthcare:
The Joint Commission Lays Off 55 Administrative Employees
The Joint Commission said Tuesday it laid off 55 administrative employees last week as the organization navigates structural changes to improve its operational efficiency. All affected employees worked at the organization’s central office in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. The Joint Commission declined to say whether those employees could apply for other roles or if additional cuts are planned. (DeSilva, 5/6)
CBS News:
This Pennsylvania Business Is Helping Crozer Health Employees Who Lost Their Jobs With Care Packages
Sadness and disappointment marked the end of Delaware County's largest health care system, which collapsed amid bankruptcy. A business in Collingdale is now stepping up to help the 2,600 employees who lost their jobs when Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital shut down. Justin West, co-owner of Bulk Foods Delco, a subsidiary of What a Crock, is spearheading the initiative. His employees are assembling care packages containing 10 pounds of chicken, three pounds of frozen hash browns, three pounds of curly fries, two pounds of Jimmy Dean sausage, frozen onion rings and pasta. (Wright, 5/6)
Modern Healthcare:
Northwell Health Acquires Nuvance Health
Northwell Health said Wednesday it has acquired Nuvance Health. The deal, which closed May 1, forms a nearly $23 billion system with more than 104,000 employees across 28 hospitals, as well as more than 1,050 ambulatory care sites and 73 urgent care locations, according to a Wednesday news release. (Hudson, 5/6)
AP:
Columbia, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Settle Hundreds Of Sex Abuse Claims Involving Ex-Doctor
Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital have agreed to a $750 million settlement of hundreds of sexual abuse claims by patients of disgraced and imprisoned former gynecologist Robert Hadden, bringing total legal payouts in civil cases involving the ex-doctor to over $1 billion, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer. Hadden, now 66, was accused of molesting patients during a decades-long career at prestigious New York City hospitals including Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian. (Collins, 5/6)
Fierce Healthcare:
Elevated Medical Costs Continued To Drag Insurers In Q1 2025
Each of the six major national insurers turned a profit in the first quarter of 2025, though financial pressures related to government programs—particularly Medicare Advantage (MA)—once again reared their ugly heads. As it so often does, UnitedHealth Group set the tone for the industry with a rare miss, falling short of Wall Street analysts' predictions on both earnings and revenue. The company's top brass called the performance "unacceptable," attributing the struggles to challenges in MA. (Minemyer, 5/6)
MedPage Today:
AI Topped Docs In Quality, Empathy Of Responses To Patient Questions On GI Cancers
Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) included studies on the quality and empathy of artificial intelligence (AI) responses versus physician responses to patient questions about gastrointestinal cancers, the stigmatizing terms used in media coverage of cirrhosis, and a meal that may be okay to eat the evening before colonoscopy bowel prep. ChatGPT outperformed physicians in the quality and empathy of responses to patient questions about gastrointestinal cancers, researchers said. (Haelle, 5/6)
The Hill:
Luigi Mangione's Fundraiser Exceeds $1 Million
The fundraiser for Luigi Mangione, the man who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson late last year, has topped $1 million. The GiveGoSend fundraiser has brought in more than $1,042,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, with the goal of raising $1,500,000. The fund has received funding from more than 28,000 individual donors. The average donation is around $20, according to the organizers, who said the money will be used for expenses related to all three of Mangione’s criminal cases. (Timotija, 5/6)
