News Briefs
2025 Hospital Expenses Rose by 7.5%, Workforce Expenses Up 5.6%
U.S. hospitals saw total expenses rise by 7.5 percent in 2025, according to the American Hospital Association's latest annual Costs of Caring report. Workforce expenses remained the top operating cost for hospitals, rising 5.6 percent in 2025 from the previous year, said the American Hospital Association, a not-for-profit association of healthcare providers and organizations.
(Source: cleveland.com, 2026-03-27)
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Prior Authorization Requirements Cost Health System $35B a Year
Prior authorization requirements cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $35 billion each year, and their overuse has triggered a backlash, stirring some policymakers into action. One study found that each prior authorization transaction costs practices between $20 and $30.
(Source: MedPage Today, 2026-03-27)
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Canada Attracting Thousands of U.S. Healthcare Workers
Thousands of American frontline healthcare providers, as well as highly skilled researchers, are seeking and accepting jobs north of the border amid political tensions and funding cuts in the United States, Canadian officials say. As U.S. doctors and nurses face cuts to public services under the Trump administration and voice concerns over new abortion restrictions and bans instituted in many states, the Canadian province of British Columbia says it is offering them an attractive alternative that has generated thousands of job inquiries via a targeted recruitment program.
(Source: UPI, 2026-03-27)
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New Healthcare Task Force Created by Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is forming a Healthcare Task Force that will include the FTC's Bureaus of Competition, Consumer Protection, and Economics; and the Offices of Policy Planning and Technology. FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson directed staff to form the task force that would engage in a coordinated, integrated approach to healthcare enforcement and advocacy.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2026-03-24)
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HHS, CMS Form New Advisory Panel to Modernize Healthcare System
The Health and Human Services Department and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the formation of a new expert advisory panel that will make recommendations on how to modernize the U.S. healthcare system. The 18-member Healthcare Advisory Committee will be tasked with advising HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on "ways to improve how care is financed and delivered" across Medicare, Medicaid, and in the insurance marketplace.
(Source: The Hill, 2026-03-26)
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Foundation Sues CMS Over AI Prior Authorization Program
A digital and privacy rights nonprofit is suing the CMS in an attempt to get more information on the agency's pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to manage prior authorization requests in Medicare. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues the CMS has not responded to a Freedom of Information Act request it submitted relating to the technology companies participating in the pilot and any evaluations on accuracy, bias, or hallucinations in their technology.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2026-03-30)
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Young Doctors Face Increasing Burnout Over Electronic Paperwork
An overload of electronic paperwork is increasing the risk of burnout among young doctors, a new study says. Nearly one third of medical residents regularly spend hours upon hours after their shift filling out electronic health records, a practice they call "pajama time," researchers recently reported in the journal Academic Medicine.
(Source: HealthDay, 2026-03-30)
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App Store to Show Classification of Regulated Medical Devices
Developers that offer apps with medical uses or connect to medical devices have to be registered with the FDA in the U.S. Similar regulations exist in the UK and EU, and now there's a way for developers to label their apps as a regulated medical device in the App Store.
(Source: AppleInsider, 2026-03-26)
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Hospitals Seeing Increasing Number of Self-Pay Patients
The expiration of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, cuts to Medicaid funding, and the increasing cost of benefits for both employers and employees are adding to an increase in the number of self-pay patients and the amount they owe. There is a rise in self-pay for medical services from individuals who are least able to afford it.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2026-03-30)
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75% of Health Systems Using Some Form of AI, Survey Finds
Seventy-five percent of U.S. health systems are now using at least one artificial intelligence application, up from 59 percent in 2025, a new survey from Eliciting Insights found. However, the survey found adoption experience of AI solutions is mixed among respondents -- with challenges ranging from slow implementation to staff hesitation.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2026-03-24)
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Hospitals, Payers Battle Over AI Coding Tools as Costs Rise
AI is quickly becoming the latest battleground in the long-running financial tension between payers and providers. Hospitals are deploying ambient listening and autonomous coding tools to streamline workflows and capture patient acuity while payers have deployed AI to automate claim audits and issue denials.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2026-03-25)
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