Business Intelligence

Providers utilize business intelligence to monitor referral patterns and collaborate with clinicians who order their services. Such analytics tools have also been deployed in the specialty to improve productivity, track patient satisfaction and bolster quality.

Analysis: The public may not be wrong to think of the ED as the ‘front door’ of the hospital
The perception is probably more pronounced in community hospital EDs than their academic counterparts.
Physicians are quitting sooner, younger and for different priorities than in years past
Physicians who walk away from medicine before reaching their 25th year of practice tend to quit mainly due to the stress and hassles of the job.
UnitedHealthcare looks to reduce prior authorizations by 30% before end of 2026
The insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group said the shift is part of its ongoing effort to eliminate the barriers between care delivery and medical coverage. The full list of services exempt from prior authorizations includes diagnostic tests and many outpatient surgeries.
Atrium Health looking to scoop up smaller nonprofit health system in $2B deal
WakeMed, a three-hospital system in the North Carolina capital region of Raleigh, would become part of Advocate Health, Atrium’s parent company, if the deal goes through. Advocate is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the U.S.
Johnson & Johnson becomes the latest pharmaceutical company to sign on to TrumpRx
The New Jersey-based drug developer joins AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer in offering products directly to patients at a discounted rate. Johnson & Johnson is currently listing four medications on the platform.

artificial intelligence AI in healthcare

Healthcare AI newswatch: UnitedHealth hearts AI, agentic AI again, healthcare AI dependency, more

Give healthcare workers AI to do their jobs and you might make them AI-dependent. Give them AI anyway?

DOJ sues Aetna, Humana and Elevance for allegedly paying illegal kickbacks

The three insurance giants are accused of conspiring with brokers to enroll profitable patients in Medicare Advantage plans, in exchange for "hundreds of millions" in kickbacks.

overpromising AI artificial intelligence capabilities

Healthcare AI newswatch: Devices of unknown generalizability, promises of uncertain keepability, more

Overpromising AI capabilities to hospital stakeholders—now there’s a mistake healthcare AI enthusiasts have been known to make.

AHA warns ‘perfect storm’ threatens hospitals with rising costs, reimbursement cuts

In a new report, the AHA said strains from President Trump’s tariffs and struggles with Medicare Advantage plans are creating “financial headwinds” that could shake the economic stability of hospitals nationwide.

CVS Health’s Aetna to withdraw from ACA insurance marketplaces next year

The company cited declining enrollment as the reason for exiting the exchanges, including from patients seeking Medicare options.

Optum UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealth Group HQ

Optum names pediatrician and healthcare policy veteran as new CEO

Patrick Conway, MD, has been with Optum since 2020, previously serving in federal healthcare agencies under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He takes over as the company’s new CEO, effective May 6.

Blue Shield’s advertising integration exposes data on 4.7M members to Google

The insurer said its connection to Google Analytics and Google Ads led to the sharing of personal protected information, including patient names and details on their health plans.

GE HealthCare expects $500M revenue reduction from tariffs

Despite newly implemented tariffs, the manufacturer says it was profitable in Q1 of 2025, but a greater impact on its operations looms later this year.

Business Intelligence

Analysis: The public may not be wrong to think of the ED as the ‘front door’ of the hospital

Physicians are quitting sooner, younger and for different priorities than in years past

UnitedHealthcare looks to reduce prior authorizations by 30% before end of 2026

Atrium Health looking to scoop up smaller nonprofit health system in $2B deal

Johnson & Johnson becomes the latest pharmaceutical company to sign on to TrumpRx