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.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech hit with permanent injunction as fallout over antitrust lawsuit continues
Johnson & Johnson MedTech was already ordered to pay $442.2 million in damages for withholding clinical support to healthcare providers. Now the company has been hit with a permanent injunction designed to stop it from being a repeat offender.
Under-reimbursement keeping radiologists from using key imaging modality, docs warn CMS
Radiologists and other physicians recently wrote to Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, asking for changes related to contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
Looming end of Medicare rural pay adjustment raises concerns about doctor shortages
Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs at the Medical Group Management Association, explains why Congress needs to renew the Medicare geographic pay adjustments in rural areas—to make payments competitive with urban areas and help retain physicians in those communities.
New $6B Eversana looks to bypass PBMs and lower drug prices
A merger between Eversana and Waltz Health will create a new entity that CEO Mark Thierer says will upend the “existing oligopoly that I helped build.”
New York cardiologist headed to prison—DOJ says he paid for referrals, performed unneeded procedures
"Today’s sentence sends a deterrent message to doctors and the healthcare industry," according to a DOJ statement. "If you abuse patient trust for profit, you will face justice."

Radiology practice paying $500K after allegedly delivering contrast imaging without doc supervision

Advanced Imaging of Port Charlotte also billed Medicare for services performed by doctors who lacked the proper credentials, the DOJ announced.

Trump’s plan to distribute prescription cards remains up in air

The White House has provided no clear explanation of where the nearly $7 billion needed to provide the coupons would come from.

Cardiovascular disease is down among the wealthy—but what about everyone else?

Researchers wrote that they observed "substantial and increasing disparities in CVD between people with the most resources and the remainder of the U.S. population."

Florida cardiologist says he was fired for criticizing the hospital—they say it’s because of inappropriate comments

Gary Idelchik, MD, has filed a lawsuit against BayCare Health System in Florida.

Congress introduces fix to address ‘economic sword hanging over physician practices’

The resolution, unveiled by House Democrats Monday, would ease terms for life-line Medicare loans doled out earlier this year.

FDA launches new center of excellence to develop, fine-tune digital health solutions

It’s likely that cardiologists will become quite familiar with the Digital Health Center of Excellence in the years ahead.

CMS’ mandatory Radiation Oncology Model ‘goes too far,’ say provider groups pushing for delay

Chief Seema Verma said the new bundled payment effort will reward results, rather than the number of services delivered.

Walmart Health has ‘bold ambitions’ to ramp up expansion into imaging and other care

The retail giant recently partnered with medical module maker Blox to rapidly scale its retail care model in the near future.

Economics

Johnson & Johnson MedTech hit with permanent injunction as fallout over antitrust lawsuit continues

Under-reimbursement keeping radiologists from using key imaging modality, docs warn CMS

Looming end of Medicare rural pay adjustment raises concerns about doctor shortages

New $6B Eversana looks to bypass PBMs and lower drug prices

New York cardiologist headed to prison—DOJ says he paid for referrals, performed unneeded procedures