News Briefs
High Court to Hear Case Challenging ACA Free Preventive Care
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case challenging a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires private insurers to cover healthcare screenings, tests, and checkups for free. Experts say the court's ruling in the case, called Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, could have sweeping consequences for patient access to preventive healthcare across the United States.
(Source: NBCNews.com, 2025-04-18)
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Executive Order Aims to Modify Drug Price Negotiation Program
In his first major action on healthcare costs this term, President Donald Trump issued a multi-part executive order aimed at lowering drug prices and reducing costs for Medicare. The move comes as his administration seeks to impose tariffs on pharmaceutical imports that many experts have said could lead to drug shortages and price hikes.
(Source: CNN, 2025-04-15)
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Pharmacies Boosting Same-Day Prescription Deliveries
Amazon and Walmart are undergoing national expansions in same-day prescription deliveries. They're joining a trend that has gained momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic, with drugstore chains and companies like Instacart and DoorDash rushing to deliver prescriptions as soon as possible.
(Source: Connecticut Post, 2025-04-20)
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Hospital M&A Stagnating Amid Economic, Policy Changes
As the country attempts to adjust to economic and policy changes under the new administration, hospital M&A has nearly screeched to a halt. The first quarter of the year featured just five deals, marking the fewest transactions in recent history and a major drop-off from the spiking levels of activity in 2024, according to a report by Kaufman Hall.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2025-04-17)
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As Medical Provider Shortage Continues, Rural Hospitals Suffer
Five years after the World Health Organization declared COVID a global pandemic and the first Trump administration announced a national emergency, the United States faces a crucial shortage of medical providers, below the projected need for an aging population, which could have lasting effects on care, particularly in states with significant rural populations. Experts say the problem has been building for a while, but the effects of the pandemic accelerated the shortages by pushing many doctors over the edge into early retirement or other fields.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2025-04-18)
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Rural Hospitals Join Together to Share Practices, Coordinate Care
Twenty-six rural hospitals have launched the Ohio High Value Network for a clinically integrated system covering 2.5 million patients. The network will share clinical and business initiatives, operations, and best practices.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2025-04-21)
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Two Recent Measures Celebrated by Senior Housing Providers
Affordable senior housing providers celebrated a couple of wins recently, including the thawing of a freeze on funding to update and preserve housing units and an expansion of a tax credit program. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy issued a preliminary injunction lifting the funding freezes by several federal agencies for awards provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
(Source: McKnight's Senior Living, 2025-04-21)
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Hospices Preparing for Impact of New CMS HOPE Tool
Hospices are preparing for an onslaught of potential operational impacts with the forthcoming implementation of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' new Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool. The HOPE tool will measure aspects of hospice care at different points in the patient's experience, which is in contrast to the HIS system that extracted item set data from a patient's medical record using a standardized mechanism.
(Source: Hospice News, 2025-04-15)
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Nursing Homes Applaud Extension of Revalidation Program Deadline
Providers embraced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' decision to extend the deadline for its mandatory nursing home revalidation program, citing a significant increase in reporting burden and widespread, persistent uncertainty about what will actually fulfill requirements. CMS is now giving providers until Aug. 1 to report, in detail, a wide range of organizational ties.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2025-04-17)
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Hospice Providers Using Diverse Tactics to Improve Quality
Hospice providers are unveiling diverse tactics to improve outcomes and family satisfaction amid a sea of changes. Hospices' varied pathways to improved quality have included diversification of services, leveraging technology for more timely access and boosted operational efficiency, honing organizational culture, and strengthening referral relationships and community partnerships, among other tactics.
(Source: Hospice News, 2025-04-18)
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CMS Proposes 2.6% Pay Increase for Inpatient Rehab Facilities
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a 2.6 percent payment rate increase for inpatient rehabilitation facilities in 2026. The 2.6 percent is based on a market basket update of 3.4 percent, less a proposed 0.8 percentage point productivity adjustment, under the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System proposed rule for fiscal year 2026.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2025-04-16)
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