Economics

This channel highlights factors that impact hospital and healthcare economics and revenue. This includes news on healthcare policies, reimbursement, marketing, business plans, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, salaries, staffing, and the implementation of a cost-effective environment for patients and providers.

Proposed HHS budget would close NINR, cut nursing programs
The American Nurses Association is warning that eliminating support for the training and research offered by the National Institute of Nursing Research could be devastating to the public, as many programs support specialties such as maternal and mental health.
Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence
The 55-year-old patient woke up experiencing chest pain one morning and an ambulance was called. He was dead just a few hours later. His family's lawsuit argued that delays in care, communication errors and other issues were directly responsible for his death.
Leaked HHS budget reveals 30% cuts, elimination of many core services
A proposal for the massive restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services ends funding to programs associated with chronic disease management, lead safety, and Head Start. However, HHS is adding a new department to focus on understanding the cause of long-term illness.
RadNet leaders discuss rationale behind blockbuster $103M iCAD AI acquisition
RadNet provides 1.9M mammograms per year in the U.S., and adding iCAD’s installed customer base would boost the number of impacted exams to 10M.
Interventional radiologists ‘markedly’ increase billing for nonprocedural work, despite drop in overall doc count
"These findings underscore IR’s accelerating transition toward comprehensive patient care, with significant implications for training, practice management, and the specialty’s role within the broader healthcare landscape," experts write.

doctor in handcuffs after being arrested

Cardiologist receives 35 months in prison for health insurance fraud

Fazal Panezai, MD, faced up to 10 years in prison for coordinating a years-long fraud scheme from 2017 to 2022. His New Jersey medical license has already been permanently revoked.

DOJ sues to block UnitedHealth’s $3.3B acquisition of home health giant

The DOJ met with UnitedHealth execs in an attempt to resolve antitrust concerns out of court, but those talks stalled, a report claims.

Radiologists and other physicians want greater scrutiny around hospitals’ nonprofit status

Docs at the AMA’s Interim Meeting in Orlando, Florida, have voted to support greater oversight of nonprofit hospitals and to standardize charity care policies.

RadNet stock surges 20% to all-time high following news of GE HealthCare partnership

Under the “strategic collaboration,” subsidiary DeepHealth and GE will develop solutions that harness AI to address key challenges in radiology.

Lantheus expects sales of ‘blockbuster’ cancer imaging agent to surpass $1B in 2024

Pylarify is a PSMA-targeted PET agent for pinpointing suspected metastasis or recurrence of prostate cancer, which will be impacted by a new Medicare policy change.

healthcare money economics dollar stethoscope acquire merger

Private equity firm to buy Summa Health for $485M

HATco, part of General Catalyst, is set to purchase the Ohio-based health system, which currently has roughly $850 million in debt on its balance sheet.

Abbott TriClip tricuspid edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) device shown on transesophageal echo (TEE). The device clips together the leaflets of the valve to form a better seal and reduce regurgitation without the need for open heart surgery. Photo by Dave Fornell

Cardiology societies push Medicare to pay for tricuspid TEER

Six multispecialty cardiovascular societies have called on CMS to approve Medicare payments for tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER).

RadNet’s PET/CT volume jumps 17%, with imaging backlogs in many of its markets

Meanwhile, MRI and CT volumes both increased nearly 10% in Q3 when compared to the same period in 2023, the Los Angeles-based company reported.

Economics

Proposed HHS budget would close NINR, cut nursing programs

Family of heart patient who died awarded $45M after suing health system for negligence

Leaked HHS budget reveals 30% cuts, elimination of many core services

RadNet leaders discuss rationale behind blockbuster $103M iCAD AI acquisition

Interventional radiologists ‘markedly’ increase billing for nonprocedural work, despite drop in overall doc count