Uninsurance Rate Holds Flat in 2025: CDC
The CDC’s preliminary 2025 report shows the uninsurance rate holding steady at 8.3%, or roughly 28 million Americans, matching 2024 levels. Adults ages 18‑64 remain the most exposed group at 11.6% without coverage, while children and seniors sit at 5.6% and 0.7% respectively. Federal health‑spending cuts enacted in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” together with the expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies, are projected to push the uninsured count up by an additional 10 million in the coming years. Early Medicaid work‑requirement pilots could further erode safety‑net enrollment.
Teladoc Adds Virtual Care Services to Walmart Digital Health Platform
Teladoc Health announced a partnership with Walmart to embed its virtual care services—urgent care, dermatology and nutrition support—into Walmart’s Better Care Services platform. The integration lets consumers access 24/7 urgent care for a cash price of $89 per visit, alongside...
Judge Dismisses BCBS Texas’ Surprise Billing Lawsuit Against HaloMD
Federal Judge Robert W. Schroeder III dismissed Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas’s lawsuit against billing intermediary HaloMD, ruling that courts lack authority to review arbitration decisions under the No Surprises Act. The ruling marks the fourth federal dismissal in...
UHS, George Washington University Ink Deal to Stabilize Struggling Physician Group
Universal Health Services (UHS) agreed to absorb George Washington University’s financially troubled physician practice, Medical Faculty Associates (MFA), by forming a new nonprofit, Capital Medical Group. MFA, which runs clinics at GW Hospital and Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, has...
WakeMed Declined Offer From UNC Health in Midst of Atrium Deal
WakeMed, a nonprofit health system in North Carolina, turned down an unsolicited merger proposal from UNC Health just days after announcing a planned merger with Atrium Health. Atrium, part of Advocate Health, will assume control of WakeMed and commit a...
Ōura Files for IPO Amid Healthcare Push
Finnish wearable maker Ōura has confidentially filed a draft registration statement with the SEC, signaling its intent to go public. The move follows a $900 million funding round in October that was earmarked for expanding health‑focused features. Ōura recently secured FDA...
Healthcare Consumerism Alone Didn’t Bend the Cost Curve. Here’s What It’s Missing.
Employers have relied on healthcare consumerism—high‑deductible plans, HSAs, and price‑transparency tools—to curb costs, but the approach has failed to bend the cost curve. Studies show HDHPs reduce overall utilization while also lowering evidence‑based care and raising preventable events, and HSAs...
Quorum Health to Transition to Nonprofit System Through Deal with Healthside Partners
Quorum Health, a private‑equity‑backed hospital operator that filed for bankruptcy in 2020, announced a deal with nonprofit Healthside Partners to transfer its assets and dissolve the for‑profit entity. The asset‑only transaction will let Quorum shed liabilities while gaining nonprofit tax...
Trump Administration Proposes Crackdown on Medicaid State-Directed Payments
The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would cap Medicaid state‑directed payments at Medicare rates for expansion states and at 110% for non‑expansion states, extending limits to all services by 2029. The rule aims to curb what officials call...
Lawmakers Mull Medicare Physician Pay Reform to Tamp Down Consolidation
Lawmakers are weighing Medicare physician fee‑schedule reforms as declining real reimbursements are spurring independent doctors to join hospital systems. Inflation‑adjusted Medicare pay has dropped 33% since 2001, and the share of physicians affiliated with hospitals rose to 47% in 2024...
Senate Democrats Move to Roll Back Medicare AI Prior Authorization Pilot
Senate Democrats introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to terminate the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, an AI‑driven prior‑authorization pilot in Medicare. The pilot, active in six states, forces prior approval for services such as skin...
HHS Reorganizes Office for Civil Rights with Religious Bent
The Department of Health and Human Services is reorganizing its Office for Civil Rights, reinstating the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division that was eliminated in 2023. The OCR will now operate three distinct units: civil‑rights enforcement, health‑information privacy and cybersecurity,...
Tenet Hospitals, Leapfrog Spar over Legal Fees in Hospital Ratings Case
Tenet Healthcare’s five Florida hospitals are asking a federal court to compel The Leapfrog Group to pay nearly $10.5 million in attorney fees after a judge ruled Leapfrog unfairly lowered their safety grades. The hospitals argue the fees are needed to...
Aetna’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer on How the Insurer Is Using AI for Patient Engagement
Aetna, owned by CVS Health, has launched a conversational AI assistant and a condition‑specific product called Care Paths to simplify member navigation of benefits and care. The AI tools provide natural‑language answers, map providers, and suggest next‑best actions, while also...
Why Patients Feel the Difference in an Automated Practice (Even if They Don’t Know It)
Healthcare providers are investing heavily in automation, but patients don’t notice the technology itself—they notice the smoother experience it creates. By automating scheduling, intake, communication and post‑visit follow‑through, practices eliminate friction points that traditionally caused delays and confusion. The result...