Alignment Health Plan CEO: Sometimes When MA Plan Is Pulling Out, the Provider Is to Blame
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are retreating from markets as hospitals demand excessive reimbursement, prompting a "fundamental reset" in the sector. Alignment Health Plan CEO Dawn Maroney argued that hospital systems, not insurers, are the primary cause of plan pull‑outs, citing contracts that charge up to 200% of Medicare rates. She proposes automatic MA participation for hospitals that already serve traditional Medicare patients to curb costs. The trend has already seen UnitedHealthcare exit 109 counties and 40 health systems drop MA contracts in 2025, leaving patients vulnerable.
Lupin Launches Generic Diabetes Drug in US After USFDA Approval
Indian pharma Lupin Ltd received FDA approval for its generic dapagliflozin‑metformin extended‑release tablets and launched them in the United States. The product matches the brand Xigduo XR in bioequivalence and is offered in four strength combinations. The launch adds a lower‑cost...
From Brain Implant to Lifelong Companion: Michel Maharbiz Unveils Epia Neuro
Epia Neuro, a stealth‑mode neurotechnology startup co‑founded by Michel Maharbiz, announced its public debut at the Bioelectronic Medicine Forum. The company, now 45‑strong and backed by venture and pharma investors, is developing a skull‑mounted, dura‑sparing neural interface designed for outpatient...
Purdue’s $5.5B Sentencing for Opioid Charges Delayed After Victims Show at Court
A federal judge postponed Purdue Pharma's criminal sentencing by a week to accommodate in‑person victim testimony after protesters arrived at the courtroom. The delayed hearing will still consider Purdue's 2020 guilty plea, which carries a $3.5 billion criminal fine and $2 billion...
From Governance to Enablement: How Healthcare CIOs Can Stop Killing AI Innovation
Healthcare CIOs risk stifling AI projects by treating governance as a barrier. Tony Pastorino argues that rebranding oversight as data enablement and forming cross‑functional teams can unlock responsible innovation. He advises separating idea generation from compliance checks and focusing on...
Shanghai Alcohol Warning Label Trials in Full Swing Across Online and Offline Sales
Shanghai's Municipal Health Commission has launched a citywide pilot requiring warning labels on every alcoholic beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol by volume. The regulations mandate eye‑level, rectangular signs of specific dimensions in physical stores and prominent electronic warnings on...
Radiologists Collect $90M in Research Funding From Imaging Industry, with Overall Share of Pie Falling
Radiologists secured just over $90 million in industry‑sponsored research payments in 2024, but their slice of the roughly $8.5 billion imaging‑industry funding pool shrank to about 1.1 % from 1.3 % in 2019. The payments, spread across nearly 5,800 transactions, were dominated by oncology...
The Vigil of Care: Kathryn Jenzer and the Courage to Stand Beside Suffering
Kathryn Jenzer, RN, CCRN, serves as the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Coordinator at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where she designs evidence‑based pathways that speed surgical recovery and lower complications. Her journey from a teenage volunteer in Togo...
Re: Accuracy of Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimation Based on Creatinine and Cystatin C for Monitoring Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease in...
A prospective longitudinal cohort study by Scandrett et al. evaluated creatinine‑only, cystatin C‑only, and combined creatinine‑cystatin C equations for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adults with moderate chronic kidney disease. The dual‑marker equations showed superior performance in tracking GFR decline compared with...
Why Eating Disorder Recovery Is About More than What You Eat or Weigh
A recent study of 234 adults with eating disorders reveals a stark gap between clinical definitions of recovery and patients' own sense of progress. While only 22.6% met traditional symptom‑based criteria, 52.1% described personal recovery, citing self‑acceptance, hope and stronger...
SynbioTech's L. Plantarum FS4722 Emerges as a Potential Preventive Approach for Hyperuricemia
SynbioTech announced that its probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FS4722 markedly lowers serum uric acid in mouse models, matching the efficacy of conventional uric‑lowering drugs while showing no kidney toxicity. The strain works through a multi‑mechanism gut‑liver‑kidney axis: it reduces intestinal purine...
UnitedHealth Stock Jumps as Earnings and Outlook Top Expectations
UnitedHealth Group reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $111.7 billion, up 2% year‑over‑year, and earnings of $6.90 per share, with adjusted EPS of $7.23. The company lowered its medical‑care ratio to 83.9%, signaling better cost control. It also raised its full‑year EPS...
Multi-Regional Trials Have yet to Become the Norm
BioCentury’s website outlines a comprehensive cookie policy that categorises cookies into strictly necessary, functional, marketing, advertising, and analytics types. Strictly necessary cookies are always active and essential for authentication and site navigation, while functional cookies enable enhanced personalization. Marketing and...
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Defends Spending Cuts to Health Agencies
President Trump’s FY 2027 budget proposes a $111.1 billion allocation for HHS, a 12.5% cut from the current year that would slash NIH research grants and programs for women and children. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the reductions, arguing that many...
Urine Biomarker May Predict Bladder Cancer Treatment Response, Study Finds
Stanford researchers have created a urine‑based liquid biopsy that detects tumor DNA to predict which non‑muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients will benefit from BCG immunotherapy. In a Cell‑published study, patients with detectable tumor DNA after BCG had a high...
Noxopharm SOF-SKN Data Shows Prolonged Skin Retention with Minimal Systemic Absorption
Australian biotech Noxopharm announced preclinical pharmacokinetic results for its SOF‑SKN candidate, showing a skin half‑life of roughly 3.5 days with negligible systemic exposure. The active moiety, SOF‑16, demonstrated consistent dermal concentrations across normal and disease‑like skin and remained confined to...
NIH-Funded AI Model Predicts Cancer Survival From Single-Cell Tumor Data
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, funded by the NIH, unveiled scSurvival, an AI model that predicts cancer patient survival from single‑cell tumor data. The tool was evaluated on clinical datasets from more than 150 melanoma and liver cancer...
Dr. Jonathan M. Green Selected as CEO of the NIH Clinical Center
Dr. Jonathan M. Green, M.D., MBA, has been appointed CEO of the NIH Clinical Center, the world’s largest hospital dedicated to clinical research, effective May 17, 2026. He will oversee a 200‑bed, 870,000‑square‑foot facility with an annual operating budget of roughly $700 million....
Lakeridge and Partners Go Live on Sectra Cloud
Lakeridge Health and six regional partners have launched Sectra One Cloud, a cloud‑based diagnostic imaging platform that unifies access to X‑rays, CT scans and MRIs across 13 sites in Ontario’s Central East Region. The system handles roughly one million imaging...
AGE-WELL Creates AI & Aging Council
AGE-WELL has launched an AI & Aging Council to steer the responsible development and governance of artificial intelligence for Canada’s aging population. The council brings together leaders from industry, academia, care organizations, older adults and caregivers to advise on AI...
VHA Launches AI-Driven Client Portal
VHA Home HealthCare has added the Evha AI Assistant to its myVHA client portal, offering real‑time navigation and service information. The tool answers questions about portal use, VHA programs, and caregiver support while adhering to strict AI governance. VHA’s leadership...
Michael Dell Funds ‘AI Native’ Medical Centre with $750M
Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell have pledged a $750 million gift to the University of Texas at Austin to create the UT Dell Medical Center, slated to open in 2030 as the nation’s first “AI‑native” hospital. The donation, the largest ever...
Barrie’s RVH Acquires EBUS for Lung Exams
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie has launched Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) with Rapid On‑Site Evaluation (ROSE), a minimally invasive day procedure for lung and lymph‑node assessment. The addition expands the hospital’s endoscopy suite with a fourth procedure room, boosting...
Problems with Robotic Knee Replacement: Study
A population‑based study from Sunnybrook examined 75,000 total knee arthroplasties in Ontario between 2019 and 2023, including 1,613 robotic‑assisted procedures. The analysis found a major complication rate of 2.0% for robotic‑assisted surgery versus 1.0% for conventional techniques. Robotic cases also...
Healthcare Services Group Inc (HCSG) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Healthcare Services Group reported Q1 revenue of $407.8 million and net income of $24.7 million, delivering earnings of $0.33 per share. Direct costs fell to 82.6% of revenue, improving segment margins to 13.1% and 10.4% while SG&A stayed under 10%. The board...
Boston Scientific Corp (BSX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Boston Scientific reported $20.74 billion in full‑year 2025 operational revenue, a 19% increase, and adjusted EPS of $3.06, up 22% versus guidance. Organic growth hit 15.8% for the year, driven by double‑digit expansion in electrophysiology (73% organic) and the WATCHMAN franchise...
#AAN26: Roche’s Multiple Sclerosis Pill Delays Relapse, but Liver Toxicity Could Need Monitoring
Roche’s experimental multiple sclerosis pill fenebrutinib, a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, more than doubled the relapse‑free interval compared with Sanofi’s oral therapy Aubagio in a late‑stage trial. The Phase 3 data showed roughly 68% of patients remained relapse‑free at...
STAT+: With Successful Trials, Roche Takes Its MS Drug to Regulators, but Safety Questions Loom
Roche presented data on its experimental multiple‑sclerosis drug fenebrutinib, which showed efficacy in three late‑stage trials by cutting relapse rates and slowing disability progression. The Swiss firm is now seeking regulatory approval, but analysts highlight liver‑safety signals and two drug‑related...
CMS Orders Medicaid Audits in Data-Driven Fraud Crackdown
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ordered all 50 states to submit a provider revalidation plan within 30 days, aiming to verify Medicaid providers and target high‑risk areas for waste, fraud and abuse. Administrator Mehmet Oz emphasized data‑driven...
Insufficient Contingency Funds Risk New Hospital Programme Delays, MPs Warn
The Public Accounts Committee warned that the UK government’s £60 billion (≈$76 billion) New Hospital Programme lacks sufficient contingency funding, allocating only 3% of the £8.9 billion (≈$11.3 billion) budget for projects through 2029/30. This shortfall could trigger cost overruns and push back the...
‘Smart Fabric’ Turns Sweat Into Real-Time Health Data
Researchers at South Korea’s DGIST have created a wearable smart fabric that analyzes sweat chemistry in real time without any electronic components. The textile incorporates a flexible semiconductor fiber within a biodegradable, porous matrix that wicks sweat into the material...
STAT+: Kyverna Therapeutics Plans to Submit Cell Therapy for Stiff Person Syndrome for FDA Approval
Kyverna Therapeutics announced that its personalized CAR‑T cell therapy improved mobility and reduced disability in patients with stiff person syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder. The company plans to file an FDA submission by mid‑2026, which would make it the...
Optum CEO: Value-Based Care Drives Sharp Drop in Nursing Home Admissions
Optum’s value‑based care (VBC) program is driving a steep decline in skilled nursing facility (SNF) admissions, with a reported 35% drop in the first month compared to a year earlier. The company attributes the reduction to more data‑driven clinical management,...
Examining Racial Disparities in Health Care
Recent studies highlight pervasive racial disparities in Canadian health care, showing BIPOC patients experience longer emergency department wait times, delayed non‑urgent appointments, and frequent discrimination from providers. The article cites that over a quarter of Indigenous Canadians wait two weeks...
The Great Ozempic Experiment
GLP‑1 medications such as Ozempic and Zepbound have moved beyond weight‑loss to treat a spectrum of conditions, from traumatic brain injury to long Covid and addiction. An interactive New York Times report highlights that roughly one in eight Americans have tried these...
Walz: ‘Next Democratic President Better Figure Out a Way to Get Universal Health Care’
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told MS NOW’s “The Weeknight” that the next Democratic president must find a way to enact universal health care, warning that failure would leave the party stuck in a status‑quo cycle. He framed the push as a...
Zymeworks Presents New Phase 1 Data for ZW191, a Folate Receptor Alpha-Targeting ADC at AACR Annual Meeting 2026
Zymeworks unveiled Phase 1 data for ZW191, a folate‑receptor‑α‑targeting antibody‑drug conjugate, at the AACR 2026 meeting. In platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer the drug showed a confirmed objective response rate of 61% at 6.4‑9.6 mg/kg, with a median progression‑free survival of 7.6 months and responses...
UnitedHealth Group Investing Billions in AI
UnitedHealth Group announced a $1.5 billion investment in artificial intelligence to modernize its internal operations and launch commercial AI products. The spend targets member and patient engagement tools, workflow automation, and productivity gains across its health‑care and insurance divisions. In Q1...
First Set of Research Teams Announced in Effort to Transform Behavioral Health
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA‑H) unveiled the first cohort of research teams under its EVIDENT initiative, allocating up to $139.4 million to accelerate rapid‑acting behavioral‑health therapies. At least $50 million is reserved to match state investments in psychedelic studies...
HHS Secretary Testifies on FY 2027 HHS Budget Before House, Senate Subcommittees
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before two congressional subcommittees on the FY 2027 HHS budget, which seeks $111.1 billion in funding. The morning hearing was with the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, and the afternoon...
A Natural Protein May Protect the GI Tract From Infection
MIT researchers have identified the natural lectin protein intelectin‑2 as a dual‑action defender of the gastrointestinal tract. The protein binds galactose on bacterial membranes, trapping and destabilizing pathogens while also reinforcing the mucus barrier by attaching to mucins. Laboratory tests...
STAT+: Key GOP Senators Push Back on Trump’s Plan to Cut NIH, Reorganize HHS
During a Senate appropriations health subcommittee hearing, bipartisan senators questioned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the White House’s 2027 budget proposal that would slash the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by 12%. The plan calls for...
The Future of Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment: Technology, Policy, and Collaboration
On April 20, HHS convened a roundtable to explore how health‑IT can close gaps in mental health and substance‑use care. Officials highlighted the SUPPORT Act reauthorization and the Great American Recovery Initiative, which together channel billions into overdose prevention and treatment....
UnitedHealth to Expand Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot Program
UnitedHealth Group announced the expansion of its Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot, targeting faster Medicare Advantage reimbursements for rural hospitals. The initiative will extend accelerated payments to additional independent facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia immediately, and aims to...
AHA Chair Speaks at Politico Health Care Summit
Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and 2026 AHA board chair, addressed Politico’s Health Care Summit on April 21, 2026. He warned that the recent budget reconciliation bill is driving patients off insurance and into emergency rooms, inflating hospital...
Dietary Supplement Listing Bill Introduced in the House
Representative Maxine Dexter (OR‑03) introduced a House bill that would require dietary supplement manufacturers to submit detailed product information to the FDA, including names, full ingredient lists, labels, allergen statements, and health claims. The legislation calls for a searchable database...
Medicare Indefinitely Delays Pilot Plan to Cover Weight Loss Drugs
Medicare’s Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced an indefinite postponement of its pilot program to cover prescription weight‑loss medications. The pilot, originally slated to test coverage for drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, was halted after participating insurers raised...
Interventional Radiologist Launches AI-Powered, IR-Specific Decision Support Platform
Interventional radiologist Dr. Syed Aziz Rahman unveiled VIRad.AI, an AI‑powered clinical decision‑support platform tailored for interventional radiology, at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s annual meeting. The tool combines an IR‑specific question bank, procedure reference library, device catalog, and an integrated...
STAT+: Insurers Refuse to Join Medicare Pilot Offering Weight Loss Drugs to Seniors at Steep Discount
The Trump administration negotiated a $245‑per‑month price with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk for obesity drugs, intending to offer seniors a $50 monthly copay through a Medicare pilot called BALANCE. Insurers refused to join, arguing the program would strain their finances. Consequently,...
Rep. Richard Neal and Steve Walsh Discuss Role of Hospitals, Future of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
Republican? Actually Neal is a Democrat. He discussed hospitals' community role and the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) with Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association CEO Steve Walsh. Neal criticized the December 2025 EPTC cuts as ill‑timed and signaled...