This week’s top healthcare news
Walmart takes on Amazon.
Today, CNBC reported that Walmart purchased CareZone, a prescription/medicine platform that helps people manage multiple medications.
After Amazon out-bid Walmart for Pillpack, an online prescription delivery service in 2018, Walmart looks to retake the lead in the online pharmacy space.
- The acquisition is all part of Walmart’s plan to dominate healthcare and disrupt the entire industry – something we’ve touched on before. If there’s anything the retail giant is good at, it’s lowering prices, eh?
More generic drug price fixing.
Dozens of generic drug companies are getting sued by a team of state attorneys who are accusing them of COLLUSION to keep drug prices high.
- I swear these cases pop up once a week! Actually, two weeks – I covered another one in the 6/1 edition.
The Trump administration has been busy.
- They Overturned an Obama-era rule that banned gender-identity discrimination (this has drawn quite the media stir).
- They’re suggesting a restart to elective procedures, but with increased safety and telehealth.
- They might have reached a compromise with hospitals over the whole price transparency ruling
The Medicaid relief fund is here.
HHS is releasing $35 billion more in relief funding soon after receiving some criticism for not doing more for Medicaid providers. Here’s a quick breakdown of the latest tranche:
- $15 billion to Medicaid providers
- $10 billion to safety net hospitals (AKA, they do a lot of charity care)
- The rest will go to COVID-19 hot spots.
- Read the HHS press release here.
Coronavirus updates.
- 2.2 million infected, 120k deaths in the U.S. 7.9 million infected, 433k deaths in the world as of 6/15. (See the trend)
One-sentence update: Vaccines are progressing, cases and hospitalizations are up in certain states (Texas, Arizona, other southern states) but down nationally, and hydroxychloroquine officially doesn’t work. Note that some of the spikes in cases may be due to increases in testing as capacity comes online.
Vaccine details: The NY Times has a handy vaccine tracker. Here are the most promising vaccines in production. Moderna’s is by far the furthest along. They’ll conduct the final study – including 30,000 people – in July, according to Bloomberg. The plan is to manufacture 1 billion doses in 2021 if all goes according to plan.
- Did you know that the coronavirus vaccine is on track to be the fastest ever developed?
More: Testing costs may hit $25 bil a year. The CDC is strongly urging people to keep wearing masks. And CMS is pushing back the medical loss ratio reporting deadline for payors.
Quick Hits
Biz Hits
- After failed surprise billing tactics and losing large insurer contracts, physician services firm Mednax is re-shifting its strategy and focus
- Home health trends are starting to emerge after the start of PDGM, including higher case mixes than expected and increased reimbursement.
- UPS is planning to flex its supply chain prowess by shifting its focus in healthcare to vaccines.
- HCA is preparing for a potential nurse’s strike in its hospitals. A few weeks ago, the hospital asked the nurses’ union to take voluntary pay cuts due to COVID-19.
- Headspace, the meditation app, is raising money like crazy.
- The IRS thinks that health sharing ministries and direct primary care are both types of health insurance.
State Hits
- How NY’s response made the pandemic worse. (WSJ)
Other Hits
- The AMA has a new president, and she’s a ‘passionate defender of the independent practice.’
- Check out CB Insights’ Q1 global healthcare trends.
- The millennial mental health crisis. (The Atlantic)
- The New Yorker takes a look at how prisons have been affected by the pandemic.
Thought-Provoking Editorials
- Truman’s missed opportunity for universal healthcare. (The Healthcare Blog)
- Fee for service is a terrible way to pay for health care. Try a subscription model instead. (Stat)
- It’s time for a new kind of electronic health record – including patient care plans, algorithms, support teams, and more. (HBR)
Healthy Muse Top Picks.
- Punishment by pandemic. (New Yorker)
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