Congress Passes Bipartisan Funding Stopgap That Punts DSH Cuts, Extends Other Healthcare Programs

The House of Representatives passed a “two-step” spending bill last week that, along with delaying a government shutdown, bumps back pay cuts for hospitals and extends community health center and training programs.

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Senate Subcommittee Mulls Guardrails For Healthcare AI

The technology could reduce clinicians’ administrative work or speed drug discovery, but the rapidly evolving field may need more human oversight to prevent harm, lawmakers and witnesses said.

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Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Workers Ratify New Contract

Kaiser Permanente's healthcare workers voted to ratify a new contract with the hospital chain, the union said on Thursday, ending a months-long negotiation that resulted in the largest recorded strike in the U.S. medical sector.

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Small Biz CEOs Worried About Economic Prospects; Keeping A Close Eye On Health Care Benefits

A new report on how smaller employers have been dealing with rising health care costs revealed that more than 40% are considering switching insurers and more than 25% are looking at increasing deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for employees.

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Amazon Takes Another Shot At Health Care, This One A Virtual Care Service That Costs $9 Per Month

The e-commerce giant says its Prime customers can now get quick access to a health care provider through a program that costs $9 a month or $99 annually.

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New California Law Offers Fresh Protection From Steep Ambulance Bills

Starting Jan. 1, ground ambulance operators will be barred from balance billing, thanks to a new law signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. California is the 14th state to provide some protection against balance billing for ground ambulance rides.

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AMA Urges Coverage Of Obesity Treatments As Payers Balk At Costs

The American Medical Association called on insurance companies, employers, and government programs to cover obesity treatments even as many remain reluctant to pay for them, fearing the costs of covering the drugs at a mass scale. The large physicians’ lobbying group voted to pass a resolution at the association’s interim meeting Monday saying it will ...

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Three Big Unknowns About Popular Weight-Loss Drugs

For the more than 100 million American adults with obesity, medications such as semaglutide (known by its brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) and tirzepatide, a version of which the Food and Drug Administration approved last week, could be transformative. These drugs are remarkably effective in reducing weight, managing diabetes and reducing cardiovascular complications. But there is still much we don’t ...

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Prior Authorizations Are Top Burden For Medical Groups: MGMA

Prior authorization is the most burdensome regulatory issue facing medical groups, with 89% saying it is very or extremely burdensome, according to a Nov. 13 report from the Medical Group Management Association. The MGMA’s annual regulatory report surveyed executives from more than 350 group practices, according to the report. Sixty percent of respondents are in practices with ...

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Why It’s So Tough to Reduce Unnecessary Medical Care

The U.S. spends huge amounts of money on health care that does little or nothing to help patients, and may even harm them. In Colorado, a new analysis shows that the number of tests and treatments conducted for which the risks and costs exceed the benefits has barely budged despite a decade-long attempt to tamp ...

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