News Briefs
FTC Finalizes Providers' Reporting Rules Prior to M&A
The Federal Trade Commission finalized changes to a rule that will require healthcare companies, including hospitals and providers, to provide more information to regulators ahead of mergers and acquisitions. Under the new policy, merging companies will be required to submit a high-level business plan related to competition, as well as details about their current and developing business lines, supply chains, and investors.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-10-14)
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FDA Issues Exemptions for Drug Supply Chain Act Requirements
The Food and Drug Administration is issuing exemptions from the Drug Supply Chain Security Act's current final implementation deadline for some drug manufacturers and distributors, according to a regulatory guidance. The exemptions apply to any partners who have completed or made documented compliance efforts but still face data exchange challenges.
(Source: Healthcare Dive, 2024-10-14)
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Report Finds Hospitals Performing Better on Quality, Safety
Hospitals are performing better on quality and safety metrics than they did pre-pandemic, despite seeing sicker patients -- and more of them. In the first quarter of this year, hospitalized patients -- despite facing more acute, complex health issues -- had a survival rate over 20 percent higher than anticipated based on the severity of their conditions compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, per the report.
(Source: Newsweek, 2024-10-10)
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Cyberattacks Plague Health Industry, Patient Care Impacted
More than 90 percent of surveyed health IT security practitioners experienced at least one cyberattack in the past 12 months at their organization, and 69 percent of respondents self-reported negative effects of cyberattacks on patient care, Proofpoint-sponsored research by Ponemon Institute revealed. More than 65 percent of respondents said their organizations reported an average of four attacks against their supply chains in the past two years, and 82 percent said it resulted in disruption to patient care.
(Source: Tech Target, 2024-10-10)
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Healthcare Ransomware Attacks Hit Four-Year High, Survey Finds
Ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations have hit a four-year high since 2021, with two-thirds of companies saying they were impacted in the past year, according to a survey by security solutions firm Sophos. While ransomware attacks tracked by Sophos across all sectors dropped from 66 percent in 2023 to 59 percent in 2024, healthcare trended in the opposite direction as 67 percent of organizations reported being affected this year versus 60 percent in 2023.
(Source: HealthLeaders Media, 2024-10-10)
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More Doctors Leaving Insurers for Subscription-Based Models
As U.S. healthcare costs continue to climb, frustration is mounting among both patients and doctors, who increasingly feel that the system prioritizes profits over quality care. And now, some doctors are challenging the status quo by opting out of traditional insurance models altogether.
(Source: Yahoo Finance, 2024-10-10)
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Acute Hospital Care at Home Waivers Found to Improve Care Quality
A new federal report provides a detailed analysis of CMS' Acute Hospital Care at Home program, showing it is associated with positive patient experiences and high-quality outcomes, though demographic differences in participation persist. AHCAH waivers allow hospitals to use remote clinician services in combination with in-home nursing services to provide inpatient-level care in the patient's home.
(Source: Tech Target, 2024-10-09)
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Hospices Concerned Over Future as Fraud Impacts Business
Fraudulent operators in the hospice space have misspent millions of Medicare dollars in recent years. This problem has become so severe that it is one of the defining issues facing the hospice industry, with providers and other industry stakeholders expressing concern about significant impacts to future payment, access, sustainability, and utilization. Audits and investigations conducted during the Fiscal Year 2023 by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are estimated to have yielded $3.44 billion in recovered misspent Medicare, Medicaid and other health and human services funds, the agency reported. However, this total is not necessarily tied to instances of fraud, waste or abuse in the hospice space in particular.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-10-11)
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ONC Seeks Physician Help to Monitor, Report Information Blocking
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT raised concerns about challenges in implementing EHR interoperability -- an issue that directly impacts physicians, patients, and the entire healthcare system. In a blog post, the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Micky Tripathi warned that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology continues to monitor potential violations of regulations aimed at improving data sharing, and he is urging the healthcare community to stay vigilant and engaged.
(Source: Medical Economics, 2024-10-08)
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Amazon to Expand Same-Day Drug Delivery to 20 New Cities
Amazon plans an aggressive expansion of its pharmacy business to offer same-day delivery of prescription medications to 20 new cities in 2025, which more than doubles its current operations. Amazon Pharmacy announced that it will open pharmacies in 20 new cities next year, including Boston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and San Diego.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-10-09)
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