Becker’s Hospital Review - Latest News and Information
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Every morning
Weekly
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Special needs plans (SNPs) are emerging as the primary growth engine for Medicare Advantage, with KFF estimating they will account for roughly half of enrollment gains between 2024 and 2025. By 2025, SNPs will cover about 21% of all MA members, spanning chronic‑condition, dual‑eligible, and institutional segments. Insurers such as UnitedHealthcare, Alignment Health, and regional players are investing in high‑touch, condition‑specific care models to improve outcomes and curb institutional costs. However, state‑level Medicaid integration and provider network alignment remain key operational hurdles.
Adam Grant warned that healthcare excels at thinking but lags at rethinking, causing organizations to fall behind disruptive forces. He urged leaders to foster psychological safety so frontline staff can surface problems without immediate solutions. The talk highlighted the need...
North Star Health Alliance announced additional job cuts as part of its Chapter 11 restructuring, following a January reduction of more than 100 positions. The health system did not disclose the exact number of employees affected in this latest round....
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek sent a letter to PeaceHealth demanding a 180‑day delay in the system’s plan to shift emergency‑room staffing from its long‑standing local physicians to Atlanta‑based ApolloMD. The request follows concerns that the deal may breach Oregon’s strict...
A recent JAMA Health Forum viewpoint warns that upcoming federal budget changes could cripple the U.S. nursing faculty pipeline. Proposed cuts to the Nurse Faculty Loan Program and a new $200,000 cap on federal loans for professional degrees threaten to...
CMS finalized a rule that phases out fax machines and snail‑mail for healthcare claims documentation, establishing national standards for electronic exchange of clinical records. The Administrative Simplification Final Rule is projected to save the industry about $781 million each year, though...
Healthcare IT teams are increasingly pivotal in software assessment, purchase, and implementation, yet friction often arises when clinical and IT priorities clash. Early involvement of IT can surface technical constraints—such as data transfer protocols—before contracts are signed, avoiding costly redesigns....
Artificial intelligence is gaining traction in hospital pharmacy operations, yet many health systems remain stuck in small pilots. Dr. Bickkie Solomon argues that treating AI as a narrow IT project overlooks broader operational and governance needs, causing initiatives to stall....
ECU Health in Greenville, North Carolina, received conditional state approval for a $138 million expansion of its medical center. The project will add five new operating rooms—four dedicated to C‑sections and one trauma suite—and renovate existing surgical spaces. The expansion is...
A University of Pennsylvania study links higher hospital advertising spend to increased emergency‑department visits and Medicare costs. A 10 percent rise in ad impressions—about 150 extra spots—adds nine admissions per 100,000 beneficiaries, indicating a 6 percent advertising elasticity. The research combines traditional...
University of Missouri System has appointed Jody Mitori as its chief marketing and communications officer. Mitori, who most recently served as executive director of strategic communications at Washington University School of Medicine and previously held five years of marketing leadership...
Providence, the 51‑hospital system, announced it is evaluating strategic options for its insurance subsidiary, Providence Health Plan, including a possible sale. The move comes as the plan reported a $102 million loss on $2.5 billion revenue last year and a dip to...
Aspen Valley Health, a Colorado critical access hospital, has become an Epic host for other rural providers through Epic’s Community Connect program. After abandoning a large‑system partnership in 2017, the hospital implemented Epic independently and now ranks near the top...
Fitch Ratings upgraded Tenet Healthcare’s credit rating to BB from BB‑, citing a stronger competitive position and improved liquidity. The for‑profit system posted double‑digit revenue growth in its high‑margin ambulatory surgery segment and sold 14 hospitals, funding a $2.1 billion debt...
Health systems face a "perfect storm" of falling reimbursements, rising costs and physician burnout, prompting leaders to seek new revenue streams. Keith Elgart of Concierge Choice Physicians explained that flexible, hybrid concierge programs can generate additional income while fitting into...
