Respiratory illnesses such as the flu, RSV and COVID-19 are on the rise once again, and as hospitals and health systems grapple with how to handle the surge, one state is seeing its provider workforce buckle: Hospitals in the state are nearing 100% capacity, according to the New Hampshire Hospital Association.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Elevance Health said it would launch a program offering smartphones with unlimited data, talk and texting service at no cost to eligible individuals enrolled in some of its affiliated Medicaid health plans. CES runs through January 12 in Las Vegas.

Over 20 million people have selected an Affordable Care Act health plan since the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period launched on November 1, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, calling this a record number of enrollments.

At HIMSS AI in Healthcare Forum, one session about Atlantic Health System’s AI rollout focused on a watershed moment of smart machines and humans integrating, says Sunil Dadlani, EVP and chief information and digital officer.  

Since January 1, Baptist Health, based in Louisville, Kentucky, has been out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare and Centene’s Wellcare Medicare Advantage plans, citing denied and delayed prior authorization requests and payments from the insurers. It was the same reason cited by Baptist Health when it went out-of-network with Humana’s Medicare Advantage and commercial health plans last fall.

The gap in wages between genders has been a pervasive issue in healthcare and many other industries, but the wage gap between men and women is becoming more complicated in the sector, with the gap decreasing in some health-centric occupations but not in others.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has terminated two Centene Medicare Advantage plans, in Part C and D enforcement action taken December 27.

Beckman Coulter uses TriageGo, AI and machine learning to recommend triage acuity, says Sophia Henry, clinical consultant for the company.  

This week U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra met virtually with pharmacy leaders, pharmacy benefit managers and insurers to discuss HHS’ commitment to increase equitable access to COVID-19 therapeutics.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given the green light to New York’s amended Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration, kickstarting a push to invest in behavioral health and health equity. The demonstration “bundles a series of actions to advance health equity and strengthen access to primary and behavioral health care across the state,” according […]