All stories
Jump to date
Tuesday, October 6 · 52 stories
- Industry
HCA Healthcare Closes Sale of 31 Home Health, Hospice Agencies
HCA Healthcare has completed the sale of 31 home health and hospice agencies across eight states to Deaconess Associations, according to an Oct. 1 Deaconess news release. The agencies and their employees now join Central Pyramid, one of Deaconess' four owned subsidiaries with nearly four decades of home health and hospice experience. The deal, first announced in June, expands Central Pyramid's geographic footprint; financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction reflects broader health system moves to reassess home-based care strategies.
- Industry · CO
Intermountain Exits Trinsic Joint Venture, UCHealth Takes Over
Intermountain Health is withdrawing from Trinsic, a Colorado clinically integrated network it co-owned with UCHealth, with UCHealth assuming full control after Dec. 7. A WARN notice filed Oct. 2 with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment shows Trinsic's Broomfield operating unit will close Dec. 4, affecting 117 employees including nurse care managers and clinical care coordinators, with first separations beginning Dec. 9. Both systems say most Colorado-based Trinsic employees are expected to transition to UCHealth employment, though those living outside Colorado may not have that option. Trinsic, formed in 2023 by merging UCHealth's and Intermountain's regional care networks, represents more than 900 primary care physicians.
- Federal Policy
HHS Restores LGBTQ 988 Crisis Line Services After Congressional Pressure
In a Policy Watch analysis, KFF examines SAMHSA's restoration of specialized 988 crisis line services for LGBTQ youth after the Trump Administration had eliminated the program in July 2025. Congress had originally directed SAMHSA to offer this tailored service from March 2023 through its discontinuation, despite rising utilization at the time it was cut. The piece reviews the policy reversal under congressional pressure and presents data on how LGBTQ youth used the specialized line. Open questions remain about the scope and durability of the restored service going forward.
- Industry
AHA Tells MedPAC MA Prior Authorization Delays Hospital Discharges
The American Hospital Association sent comments to MedPAC responding to the commission's September preliminary findings on post-acute care use, arguing Medicare Advantage prior authorization is causing discharge-ready patients to remain in acute care beds longer than necessary. MedPAC found MA beneficiaries had far fewer inpatient rehabilitation facility stays than fee-for-service beneficiaries and longer acute care stays before transfer to rehab or long-term care hospitals. AHA's Ashley Thompson wrote that these patterns match hospitals' experiences with MA utilization management delaying discharge and restricting recommended post-acute care levels, including plans steering patients toward skilled nursing facilities instead of recommended settings. AHA urged MedPAC to adjust comparisons for beneficiary characteristics and measure time between discharge readiness and plan authorization decisions, noting plans appear not to be following a 2024 CMS rule requiring faster prior authorization turnaround times.
- Federal Policy
HHS Finalizes Updated Hospital Price Transparency Rule
HHS, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the IRS finalized amendments to the hospital price transparency rules first established during President Trump's first term. The changes aim to make hospital pricing data more accessible and understandable for patients and other users of the data. The rule applies broadly to hospitals and group health plans rather than specifically to Medicaid programs. Further detail on effective dates and specific data requirements was not included in the source material.
- Industry
KFF: Healthcare Generated 75% of US Job Growth Past Year
A Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker analysis published Oct. 5 finds healthcare added 372,000 jobs between September 2025 and September 2026, accounting for roughly three-quarters of all U.S. job growth during that period while the rest of the economy added just 124,000 jobs. Healthcare now represents a record 11.7% of all U.S. jobs, though September's gain of 17,000 jobs lagged the prior year's monthly average of 33,000. KFF attributes the growth to aging demographics, rising chronic disease burden, competitive pay, and the hands-on nature of healthcare work that resists automation. The analysis also warns that coverage losses tied to 2025 reconciliation act provisions affecting Medicaid and ACA marketplace enrollment, projected by CBO to push the uninsured population from 26.6 million to 37.4 million by 2036, could strain hospital revenue and workforce levels in coming years.
- Federal Policy
Diaper Bank Founder Urges Opposition to Head Start Rule Cuts
In a commentary piece, National Diaper Bank Network founder Joanne Samuel Goldblum argues against a proposed federal rule that would shrink Head Start's regulatory requirements from 133 pages to about a dozen, eliminating mandates for diapers, formula, toothbrushes, class size, and staffing ratios. She links the proposal to earlier federal office closures and argues it reflects a broader rollback of Great Society-era safety net programs including Medicaid and SNAP. Goldblum cites National Diaper Bank Network research showing nearly half of young U.S. families struggle to afford diapers and that diaper assistance reduces pediatric sick visits, generating Medicaid savings. She urges readers to submit public comments opposing the rule, noting the comment period closes October 6.
- Industry
KFF Poll Finds Health Costs Top Voter Concern Before Midterms
In its Health Tracking Poll, KFF reports that health care costs rank tied with gas prices as voters' top concern heading into the 2026 midterm elections, about a month away. The poll finds Democrats hold a clear advantage over Republicans on which party voters trust to handle health care costs and cost of living issues generally. It also finds support for Medicare-for-all has reached two-thirds of U.S. adults, a new high in KFF polling, though that support softens once respondents hear competing arguments from critics and proponents. The poll reflects broader public opinion trends rather than a specific policy or legislative action.
- Industry · WV
Charleston Clinic's Free Care Day Returns Amid Rising Demand
West Virginia Health Right, a free and charitable clinic in Charleston, will host its third annual #WeCareWV Day on Saturday, Oct. 17, offering free medical, dental and vision care with no income restrictions. The clinic expects to treat up to 500 patients and anticipates higher demand this year due to rising health care, food and gas costs, along with many West Virginians dropping ACA coverage after premium subsidies ended. CEO Angie Settle also said the clinic anticipates greater need once new Medicaid work requirements take effect in January, straining its budget for medicines and care. The event relies on roughly 300 volunteers, including medical and dental professionals and students.
- Federal Policy
CMS Issues Rule Cleaning Up Health Price Transparency Data
The Trump administration released new regulations requiring health insurers to publish cleaner, more usable spreadsheets of negotiated prices paid to hospitals and doctors, removing extraneous data that had made prior transparency files difficult to use. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said officials will begin developing a system for disclosing prescription drug pricing data next month, with a final plan expected by next May and enforcement by the end of 2027. The move follows last year's decision to delay finalizing drug price disclosure rules, which benefited drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers. The rule applies broadly to health insurers, including those operating Medicaid managed care plans.
- Industry
ProgenyHealth Report Details Maternity, NICU Care Gaps for Plans
In a sponsored report published via MedCity News, ProgenyHealth describes how it partners with commercial and Medicaid health plans to address maternity and NICU care management gaps that traditional care management programs often miss. The report positions ProgenyHealth's model as identifying hidden clinical risks and costs tied to high-risk pregnancies and newborn intensive care. It is marketing content from the vendor rather than an independently reported policy or regulatory development. No specific state, plan, or regulatory action is cited in the piece.
- State Policy · NC
NC Affordability Commission Weighs Primary Care Spending Targets
North Carolina's Health Care Affordability Commission, a bipartisan body appointed by Gov. Josh Stein in June, met Oct. 2 to debate strategies for lowering healthcare costs, including setting annual primary care spending targets for public and private insurers. Members include state Treasurer Brad Briner, DHHS Secretary Dev Sangvai (who oversees Medicaid), Blue Cross NC's CEO, and physician and nursing representatives. The commission acknowledged a roughly 2,000-doctor shortage in rural areas complicates any primary-care-first strategy, and debate continued over whether nurse practitioners should be allowed to practice without physician supervision, an issue also now in litigation. No final recommendations have been issued; the commission continues deliberating.
- State Policy · WA
WA Congressional Candidates Clash Over Medicaid Cuts, Immigrant Coverage
At a Walla Walla candidate forum, Republican incumbent Rep. Michael Baumgartner and Democratic challenger Carmela Conroy debated the Medicaid and health coverage effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ahead of Washington's 5th Congressional District race. Baumgartner defended the law's Medicaid work requirements and its disincentives for states covering undocumented immigrants, citing $50 billion in new rural health funding including $181 million for Washington in fiscal year 2026. Conroy countered that legal immigrants, including workers and students, are losing coverage under the law and said she would push to expand Medicaid access for people from birth to age 19. The forum comes as roughly 10,000 legal immigrants in Washington have already lost Medicaid coverage this month under the act, with a federal court temporarily blocking further losses for about 800 more.
- Federal Policy
House E&C Republicans Unveil Anti-Fraud Bill Package
In its Health Care Week in Review, Alston & Bird reports that House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans introduced a package of bills targeting health care fraud, alongside news that CMS finalized the GLOBE Model. The digest also compiles other recent federal regulatory notices, congressional committee actions, and health policy reports and analyses from the past week. Details on specific bill provisions, the GLOBE Model's scope, and applicable timelines are not provided in this summary-level roundup. Readers should consult the full digest for specifics on each item, including any Medicaid program integrity provisions within the fraud package.
- State Policy · AR
Medicaid Cuts, Expansion Loom Large in Arkansas House Race
Arkansas Advocate reports that the 2026 race between Republican Rep. French Hill and Democratic challenger Chris Jones for the state's 2nd Congressional District is centering heavily on healthcare affordability. Jones is campaigning against federal Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Hill supported and which is projected to cut rural Medicaid spending by $15.5 billion annually over the next decade. More than 800,000 low-income or disabled Arkansans rely on Medicaid, and the state's Medicaid expansion faces an uncertain future after the Trump administration rejected its renewal in July. Election day is Nov. 3, with early voting starting Oct. 19.
- Legal · TX
Texas AG Paxton Launches Investigation Into UnitedHealth Over Care Denials
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into UnitedHealth Group on Oct. 5, citing allegations of "deceptive and unlawful practices" that may have denied Texans medically necessary care. The announcement references reports that the company bribed nursing homes to delay hospitalizing patients who needed care, and raises concerns that coverage determinations overrode physicians' medical judgment. Paxton's office issued Civil Investigative Demands to UnitedHealth to assess compliance with state law. This follows a similar investigation Paxton's office opened in late September into Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and its parent, Health Care Service Corp., over care denials, delays, and prior authorization concerns.
- Legal · FL
Uthmeier Defends Hope Florida Medicaid Settlement Fund Transfers
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier again defended as "entirely legal" the diversion of $10 million from a Medicaid overbilling settlement with Centene through the Hope Florida Foundation, despite a state grand jury finding the DeSantis administration "misappropriated" the funds in a "sophisticated scheme to fund political activities." The grand jury found the money passed through several nonprofits to a political committee that opposed a 2024 marijuana legalization ballot initiative, though no indictments were issued due to insufficient evidence. Uthmeier, who was DeSantis' chief of staff during the transfer and is now running for attorney general, compared the arrangement to Triumph Florida, a legislatively created entity handling BP oil spill settlement funds. His Democratic opponent, José Javier Rodríguez, called for the $10 million to be returned to the Medicaid program.
- State Policy · WI
Wisconsin Governor Candidates Clash Over BadgerCare, Health Cost Plans
Wisconsin Watch reports that gubernatorial candidates Tom Tiffany (R) and David Crowley (D) have released competing plans to address rising health care costs, a top concern among Wisconsin voters. Crowley proposes opening BadgerCare enrollment to any household, with income-based premiums, targeted subsidies for small businesses and gig workers, and expanded coverage for dental, vision and mental health. Tiffany's plan focuses on price transparency requirements for hospitals and insurers, direct-pay subscription models for primary care, and increased oversight of pharmacy benefit managers. The piece also notes that federal Medicaid work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are set to take effect in 2027 and will apply to childless adult BadgerCare members.
- State Policy · CT
Connecticut Outlines Plan to Limit Medicaid Losses, Won't Pledge Funds
Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut officials detailed state efforts to minimize HUSKY D coverage losses ahead of new federal work and community engagement requirements taking effect Jan. 1 under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." About 108,000 HUSKY D enrollees must prove 80 hours of monthly work, qualifying income, or community service, though exemptions exist. The Department of Social Services is expanding "ex parte" automated eligibility verification, expected to cover roughly two-thirds of the more than 300,000 HUSKY D enrollees, and is working with CMS guidance to exempt "medically frail" individuals. Lamont declined to commit state funds to offset federal Medicaid cuts, saying he wants to see federal officials "step up" first, unlike the state's $115 million commitment to backfill expiring ACA subsidies. Separately, several immigrant groups already lost Medicaid coverage Oct. 1.
- State Policy · FL
Florida ABA Task Force weighs licensure, Medicaid rate penalties
Florida's ABA Task Force, a panel charged with recommending how the state should use Medicaid dollars to treat children with autism, met Monday and will hold two more sessions before finalizing recommendations to the Legislature. Ideas discussed include requiring licensure of ABA provider businesses (not just individual practitioners), tying Medicaid reimbursement rates to annual provider surveys with penalties for failed surveys, requiring minimum patient attendance to continue receiving services, and expanding coverage beyond ABA to other autism therapies. Centria Autism's CEO proposed licensure modeled on home health agency rules and a 10% reimbursement penalty for providers that fail surveys; AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris said the agency has independently considered similar facility licensure concepts. No final recommendations have been adopted yet.
