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.

District of Columbia DC congress capitol hill

Key mammography protections in year-end spending bill uncertain after Trump criticizes legislation

This new legislation continues to recognize 2002 guidelines calling for screening every one to two years beginning at age 40, rather than the 'ill-advised' 2009/2016 USPSTF recommendations, the ACR said Wednesday.

Bankrupt radiology practice not entitled to $527K PPP loan, appeals court rules

The decision comes by way of a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and overturns U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Williamson’s ruling made in June.

Lawmakers delay RO model again as reps. seek to scale back ‘intensity’ of payment cuts

CMS had originally planned to kick off the mandatory bundled-payment effort in July, but will now punt the go-live date to Jan. 1, 2022.

Will CMS pay for utilization of AI software that’s similar to an established NTAP earner?

Now comes a boomlet in vendors looking to piggyback on Viz.ai’s success, according to Niall Brennan, MPP, a member of Viz.ai’s advisory board who is also the head of the Healthcare Cost Institute.

Florida man’s lawsuit claims Aetna wrongfully denied coverage for his prostate cancer treatment

The insurance giant refused coverage due to the "experimental or investigational" nature of proton beam radiation therapy treatment, according to court documents.

Radiology scores relief as Congress addresses pay cuts, RO payment model in year-end spending bill

President Trump on Tuesday night hinted that he may veto the bill if Congress does not make certain adjustments.

Cardiologist sues employer, American Heart Association for alleged punishment after he wrote about affirmative action

The original white paper was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, but later retracted.

Google Cloud scores 6-year run with IDN reorienting toward tech-enabled patient experience

An integrated delivery network that covers five and a half million lives is bringing in Google Cloud to help build and maintain a patient-centric platform with advanced analytic and AI capabilities.

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