About health insurance/insurers
Payers ranked by Medicare Advantage membership | Q4 2023 FYI
About hospitals and healthcare systems
Unrelenting Pressure Pushes Rural Safety Net Crisis into Uncharted Territory “MAJOR FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY ARE:
—The percentage of America’s rural hospitals operating in the red jumped from 43% to 50% in the last 12 months.
— 55% of independent rural hospitals are operating in the red, while 42% of health system-affiliated rural hospitals are operating at a loss. Nearly 60% of rural hospitals are now affiliated with a health system.
—Medicare Advantage now accounts for 35% of all Medicare-eligible patients in rural communities. In 7 states, Medicare Advantage penetration exceeds 50%.
—Access to inpatient care continues to deteriorate as 167 rural hospitals since 2010 have either closed or converted to a model that excludes inpatient care.
— 418 rural hospitals are “vulnerable to closure” according to a new, expanded statistical analysis.
—Between 2011 and 2021, 267 rural hospitals dropped OB services. This represents nearly 25% of America’s rural OB units.
—Between 2014 and 2022, 382 rural hospitals have stopped providing chemotherapy services.”
Mark Cuban drug company unveils new offering for hospitals “Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. now offers critical drugs in shortage to healthcare providers.
Healthcare companies can register for the drug company's new ‘marketplace,’ which stocks key medications in short supply, according to a Feb. 14 post on X. The portfolio includes amoxicillin-potassium clavulanate, cefdinir, etoposide, capecitabine, irbesartan and budesonide inhalation.
Mr. Cuban has previously indicated a focus on injectables that often fall into shortage. The company is still building its $11 million drug manufacturing plant in Dallas, which is expected to also ease shortages.”
About pharma
Pfizer quells 12 years of Lipitor antitrust litigation with $93M settlement “With a $93 million settlement, Pfizer can wash its hands of more than a decade's worth of antitrust litigation over the once-lucrative cholesterol med Lipitor.
For years, Pfizer and Sun Pharma’s Ranbaxy Laboratories have been engaged in litigation from drug purchasers accusing the companies of conspiring to delay Lipitor generics through an unlawful ‘reverse payment’ agreement.
The plaintiffs first filed suit in 2011 and have since gone through ‘extensive mediation’ with the companies, the purchasers’ attorneys noted in the 64-page settlement proposal.”
Biden administration examining role of supply chain middlemen in generic drug shortages “KEY POINTS
The Federal Trade Commission said it is examining the role drug wholesalers and companies that purchase medicines for U.S. health-care providers play in shortages of generic drugs.
The move follows an unprecedented shortfall of crucial medicine over the last year, which has forced hospitals to ration drugs ranging from injectable cancer therapies to pain treatments.
In a joint request for information, the FTC and the Department of Health and Human Services are seeking public comment on the contracting practices, market concentration, and compensation of two types of middlemen: group purchasing organizations and drug wholesalers.”
Effectiveness and safety of telehealth medication abortion in the USA “Overall, 99.8% (99.6–99.9%) of abortions were not followed by serious adverse events. In total, 0.25% of patients experienced a serious abortion-related adverse event, 0.16% were treated for an ectopic pregnancy and 1.3% abortions were followed by emergency department visits. There were no differences in effectiveness or safety between synchronous and asynchronous models of care. Telehealth medication abortion is effective, safe and comparable to published rates of in-person medication abortion care.” [Emphasis added]
About healthcare personnel
Healthcare layoffs in 14 numbers For example:
”Healthcare/products companies and manufacturers, including hospitals, announced 4,182 job cuts in January, according to the most recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That's a 421% increase from the previous month.
But overall, 2024 appears to be off to a better start than 2023: the healthcare industry announced 2,551 fewer job cuts in January 2024 than in January 2023.”
About healthcare finance
KKR to acquire a stake in health tech firm Cotiviti “Private equity firm KKR & Co has agreed to acquire a stake in Cotiviti from investment manager Veritas Capital, the healthcare technology firm said on Wednesday.
KKR and Veritas will have equal ownership stakes in Cotiviti following the deal's closure, expected in the second quarter of 2024. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that KKR was a leading contender to buy a 50% stake in Cotiviti and a deal would value the company between $10 billion and $11 billion.”