News Briefs
Lawmakers Mull Lifting Restrictions on Physician-Owned Hospitals
Nearly 15 years ago, the construction of doctor-owned hospitals largely ground to a halt. But federal lawmakers now are considering bills that would lift current restrictions on physician ownership -- a move advocates said could increase competition at a time when regulators are closely scrutinizing consolidation in healthcare.
(Source: Medscape (free reg. req'd), 2024-05-13)
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U.S. Considers Plans for Minimum Hospital Cybersecurity Standards
U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger disclosed the Biden administration's plans to establish minimum cybersecurity standards for hospitals. This is following the widespread ransomware attack against UnitedHealth Group's Change Healthcare that resulted in significant medical billing issues and patient care deferrals, BNN Bloomberg reports. While there has been no timeline regarding the cybersecurity rule for hospitals, the Biden administration could be issuing a proposed rule seeking adherence to minimum cybersecurity requirements among organizations supported by Medicare and Medicaid, according to a U.S. official close to the matter.
(Source: SC Media, 2024-05-10)
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P.E. Investments in Healthcare Sector Down Almost a Third
Private equity investing in healthcare services is continuing to fall, highlighting the chilling effect of heightened antitrust scrutiny in the space, according to a new report. P.E. firms announced or closed just below 160 deals in the first quarter, a downward trend "even from 2023's sluggish pace," according to the analysis by market data research firm PitchBook, down almost a third from the fourth quarter last year.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-05-08)
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Bill Would Incentivize Providers to Address Drug Shortages
A new draft bill from the Senate Finance Committee aims to establish a new provider incentive program to address drug shortages. The legislation, which was released jointly by Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and ranking member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, would establish a new Medicare program beginning in 2027 called the Medicare Drug Shortage Prevention and Mitigation Program.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-05-07)
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Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act Passed
While prospects look dim for making pandemic-era telehealth waivers permanent, a bill before Congress could at least extend some flexibilities and one popular program beyond the end of this year. The House Ways and Means Committee has voted to advance the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act, which would, among other things, continue pandemic-era Medicare waivers enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for telehealth access and coverage through 2026 and extend the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for an additional five years, to the end of 2029.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-05-10)
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AI Could Change How Emergency Departments Handle Triage
Emergency departments worldwide face immense pressure, often dealing with overcrowding and limited resources. However, a study led by UC San Francisco suggests that artificial intelligence could potentially revolutionize the way patients are prioritized for treatment.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2024-05-09)
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Health Orgs to Expand Telehealth-Based Specialty, Virtual Care
Healthcare organizations are planning to implement or expand telehealth-based specialty and virtual sitting services with their existing virtual care vendor, according to a new KLAS report. The report shows that current virtual care solution implementations and future plans are mainly driven by large organizations with more than 500 beds.
(Source: mHealthIntelligence, 2024-05-10)
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Some Hospitals Charging Patients Up Front for Surgeries
Getting surgery is getting harder in some American hospital systems. In the past, medical centers have broadly provided procedures first and settled the bill with patients later -- something they are legally required to do in emergency cases. But now, in non-emergency cases, some hospitals want to be paid up front before they operate, and customers -- ahem, patients -- are not thrilled, The Wall Street Journal reported.
(Source: Business Insider, 2024-05-10)
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Insider Threats Remained Top Risk to Healthcare Entities in 2023
Verizon's "2024 Data Breach Investigations Report" assessed more than 30,000 security incidents across 94 countries and several industries, exposing trends across the cyber threat landscape. In healthcare, insider threats remained a top risk to healthcare entities in 2023, the research revealed.
(Source: HealthIT Security, 2024-05-08)
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Staffing Mandate Will Cost LTC Sector $6.5 Billion a Year
The federal staffing mandate handed down by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will cost the long-term care sector $6.5 billion each year, according to analyses from the American Health Care Association and a fellow sector observer. A combination of those costs and the shortage of available long-term care workers also could place as many as 290,000 nursing home residents -- nearly one-quarter of the total in the U.S. -- in danger of losing access to care, according to the analysis.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2024-05-10)
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Hospital Industry Praises New Bills Aimed at Boosting Rural Care
A slew of bills targeting enhanced access to care within rural communities have, to the applause of the hospital industry, passed through committee to the full House of Representatives. The rural care bills that made it through the Ways and Means Committee's markup broadly support the financial stability of designated Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals along with other smaller hospitals serving rural communities.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-05-10)
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