News Briefs
Trump Signs Executive Order to Improve Health Price Transparency
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to improve price transparency on healthcare costs by directing federal agencies to strictly enforce a 2019 order he signed during his first term. The order directs the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to within 90 days come up with a framework to enforce Trump's 2019 executive order forcing health insurers and hospitals to disclose healthcare cost details.
(Source: Reuters, 2025-02-25)
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Report Says Proposed Changes Could Save $1T in Healthcare Costs
The federal government under the Trump administration has turned its focus to cutting costs, and a new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association highlights policy efforts it says could save nearly $1 trillion in healthcare costs over the next decade. The road map includes 10 policy proposals for stakeholders to consider, and BCBSA said these changes could drive federal savings of $524 billion, lower private insurance premiums by $389 billion, and save patients $180 billion out-of-pocket.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2025-02-25)
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Advocacy Groups Urge Congress to Restore Telehealth Flexibilities
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living are among 350 provider and consumer advocacy organizations asking leaders in Congress to continue or restore telehealth access flexibilities that are in danger of ending next month. Without congressional action, some telehealth services no longer will be available for Medicare beneficiaries in many parts of the country, they said.
(Source: McKnight's Senior Living, 2025-02-28)
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Health System Leaders Concerned Over Uncertainty
Looking at their challenges and strategic investments through 2030, the U.S. health system executives expect to see a deluge of regulatory, financial, workforce, and consumer pressures and are looking to technological advancements to improve the caregiver experience and enable new ways of delivering more accessible, cost-effective care, Chartis Group said. For the 2025 health system CEO and CSO pulse study, researchers surveyed 61 health system executives in December and found that 84 percent anticipated regulatory changes would significantly or moderately affect their organizations.
(Source: Healthcare IT News, 2025-02-28)
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Telehealth Linked to Reduction of Low-Value Tests
New research reveals that telehealth was associated with slightly lower use of, and spending on, certain low-value tests, which indicates that it could help cut unnecessary healthcare spending. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study examined whether telehealth contributes to unnecessary healthcare spending by increasing the utilization of low-value care services.
(Source: Tech Target, 2025-02-28)
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Report Finds PCP Burnout Reduced with Use of AI Scribes
Primary care providers working mainly in small practices report decreased feelings of burnout and higher satisfaction with their practices when using an ambient AI scribe, a new report by Phyx Primary Care found. Primary care physicians reported that when using an ambient scribe, their clinical notes were "more accurate" and "more detailed," the report says.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2025-02-28)
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HHS to Revoke Public Participation in Rule-Making Processes
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to revoke public participation from many of its rule-making processes, according to a policy set to be published in the Federal Register. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, or APA, agencies are generally required to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking and provide an opportunity for the public to participate in rulemaking through the submission of written data, views, or arguments.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2025-03-01)
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More States Easing Foreign-Trained Physician Licensing Rules
A growing number of states have made it easier for doctors who trained in other countries to get medical licenses, a shift supporters say could ease physician shortages in rural areas. The changes involve residency programs -- the supervised, hands-on training experience that doctors must complete after graduating medical school.
(Source: NPR, 2025-03-03)
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Physicians Concerned About AI's Impact on Prior Authorizations
Many physicians are raising concerns over the increasing use of artificial intelligence in health insurers' prior authorization processes, warning that automated denials are amplifying patient harm and physician burnout, according to the American Medical Association's latest "2024 AMA Prior Authorization Physician Survey." The AMA's nationwide survey of 1,000 practicing physicians (400 primary care physicians, 600 specialists) found that 61 percent are concerned AI-driven prior authorization decisions are leading to more denials, and 75 percent reported that prior authorization denials have increased over the past five years.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2025-02-26)
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P.E. Exits From Physician Practices Lead to Higher Turnover
Private equity exits from physician practices lead to higher physician turnover years after the firm leaves, according to a new study in JAMA Health Forum. The case-control study found that physicians employed in private equity-owned practices in which the owners exited between 2016 and 2018 were 16.5 percentage points less likely to be working at the same practice two years after the exit.
(Source: Tech Target, 2025-02-27)
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Report Finds 46% of Rural Hospitals in Red, 432 Risk Closure
The number of rural hospitals in danger of closing is increasing, placing greater stress on the health of those communities. A report by Chartis found that 46 percent of rural hospitals are in the red, while 432 facilities are at risk of closure.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2025-02-25)
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