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.

UnitedHealth, Amedisys offer divestitures as $3.3B merger advances
Pennant and BrightSpring Health Services have agreed to purchase some healthcare businesses from UnitedHealth and Amedisys. However, it remains unclear whether this will be enough for the DOJ to drop its lawsuit blocking the merger.
Tariffs will have a significant impact on the nuclear imaging supply chain in the US
"Domestic radiopharmaceutical suppliers, who receive isotopes from abroad, would be impacted by price changes and uncertainty caused by additional tariffs,” SNMMI President Cathy Cutler, PhD, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce this week.
Senator introduces bill to boost radiologist pay in Medicare program
The lawmaker is proposing the ‘‘Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025," mirroring Rep. Murphy's House bill.
Covera Health to vet prostate MRI providers for ‘Radiology Centers of Excellence’
The startup has partnered with employers such as Walmart, providers and health plans (including BCBS Michigan) to steer patients to top imaging centers.
Enterprise imaging vendor Enlitic inks data migration deal worth up to $32M
The company has signed a "memo of understanding" with GE HealthCare, helping it to build a new cloud-based product suite.

FDA going soft on AI reviews?

Last Tuesday the FDA posted an action plan telling how it will evaluate AI for medical applications going forward. Three days later the agency officially proposed letting numerous products through without review.

Hybrid lung cancer screening program could save Medicare millions in follow-up spending

Combining the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System with AI-based malignancy risk scoring bolstered exam specificity up to 96%, compared to 66% when using Lung-RADS alone.

UnitedHealthcare cuts noted academic system out of network, citing imaging costs 2-3 times local average

An ultrasound exam at Montefiore, for instance, runs roughly $800 more than the average in New York City, while a CT is $2,200 more expensive and an MRI $4,000 pricier, UHC claimed.

Nearly 76% of med students graduate with debt: Why radiology residency should include financial training

Medical school and residency coursework should cover everything from investing and the effects of compound interest to contract negotiation and retirement planning, authors wrote in a new editorial.

CMS has significantly cut interventional radiology reimbursement over the past decade

Out of 20 common IR procedures included in the analysis, only one experienced a pay increase between 2012 and 2020, researched found.

Two more big-name players in radiology services reportedly exploring sales

On the heels of Mednax selling its imaging business line to Rad Partners, SimonMed and LucidHealth are also allegedly entertaining offers, according to a recently published report.

Only 1 healthcare-specific AI startup makes a Forbes top 25

After perusing info on AI startups as compiled by Crunchbase, Forbes senior contributor Louis Columbus has named one “to watch” in 2021 that serves exclusively healthcare.

FDA refines its approach to AI-based software

The FDA’s new Digital Health Center of Excellence has released a document describing how it will henceforth oversee and evaluate software that incorporates AI and machine learning for medical applications.

Economics

UnitedHealth, Amedisys offer divestitures as $3.3B merger advances

Tariffs will have a significant impact on the nuclear imaging supply chain in the US

Senator introduces bill to boost radiologist pay in Medicare program

Covera Health to vet prostate MRI providers for ‘Radiology Centers of Excellence’

Enterprise imaging vendor Enlitic inks data migration deal worth up to $32M