Hospital Predatory Patient Billing Practices Are in the Spotlight; Regeneron COVID-19 Antibody Therapy Proves Effective in Phase 3 Study

June 17, 2021 - Good news: A Phase 3 study of Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody cocktail shows that the therapy is effective in reducing the risk of death for patients suffering from the virus. The bad news: Hospitals are in the spotlight for their predatory patient billing practices.

New Investigation Highlights Hospital Predatory Patient Billing

Many of the top hospitals in America use predatory patient billing practices, and new data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is ranking these hospitals based on their use of these tactics.

The JHU analysis shared with Axios found that over a quarter of the top 100 US hospitals according to revenue sued patients over unpaid medical bills between January 2018 and July 2020. What’s more, just ten hospitals on that list were responsible for 97 percent of court actions against patients during that time.

For example, VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, was responsible for 17,806 of the 38,965 court actions all hospitals took against patients over unpaid medical bills during the period. University Hospital, also in Virginia, was also one of the top hospitals with the most court actions (7,107), followed by Froedtert Hospital in Wisconsin (3,278).

The court actions included lawsuits, wage garnishment, and personal property liens against patients for unpaid medical bills. READ MORE

Regeneron COVID-19 Therapy Reduces Mortality Risk by 20 Percent

Regeneron recently announced that its COVID-19 antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, reduced the risk of death by 20 percent in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had not mounted their own immune response (seronegative), compared to standard care on its own.

The Phase 3 UK RECOVERY trial enrolled 9,785 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between September 2020 and May 2021. Patients received 8,000 milligrams of REGEN-COV or standard care.

Researchers found that 24 percent of patients in the REGEN-COV group died, compared to 30 percent of patients in the standard care group. Additionally, there was no longer a significant effect on 28-day mortality when combining the larger seropositive group with the seronegative group. Notably, RECOVERY is the first trial large enough to definitively determine whether REGEN-COV reduces mortality in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. READ MORE

Community-Based Organizations Bolster Chronic Disease Prevention

Community-based organizations have the potential to aid in chronic disease prevention, especially among traditionally marginalized groups in which patient trust is often low, according to researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A paper published in Circulation showed how barbershops could positively impact individuals with high blood pressure.

The BIDMC researchers presented a model that used similar tactics as the Lose Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study to prevent hypertension in Black men. The model showed that the program could potentially reach one in three Black men who have uncontrolled blood pressure. It could also prevent 40 percent of cardiovascular emergencies in men who participate, such as heart attacks and strokes.

If the program could be offered at the cost of $1,500 per participant each year, it would be cost-effective and have the potential to lower healthcare spending, the researchers said. READ MORE

Telehealth’s In-Person Requirement Called into Question

A new bill before the Senate aims to eliminate a Medicare requirement that requires beneficiaries to see a provider in person before beginning telemental health treatment.

The Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, introduced this week by US Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD), addresses a provision tucked into last year’s Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 that has many telehealth advocates and healthcare providers up in arms.

The provision requires providers to have seen their patients in person within the prior six months before the telehealth visit to qualify for Medicare coverage and to continue in-person visits at regular intervals, the frequency of which would be determined by the Health and Human Services Department.

The bill now before the Senate would remove that provision. READ MORE

Humana Continues Acquisition Push into Home Health

Humana has announced its plan to acquire One Homecare Solutions (onehome) from WayPoint Capital Partners in order to expand value-based care in-home healthcare services. The acquisition accompanies Humana’s recent agreement to fully acquire Kindred at Home.

onehome uses a value-based care model to provide consumers with at-home healthcare services. The company has offered its services to Humana members since 2015. Integrating this solution into Humana’s model could streamline home healthcare to meet both patient and provider needs.

The model oversees post-acute, at-home services, including infusion care, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. onehome also offers durable medical equipment services and can assist with site of care placements through its skilled nursing facility at home programs. READ MORE

AHA Warns of High Blood Pressure Trends Among US Population

A new AHA study shows that the US population’s ability to control high blood pressure is wavering, with the rate of control falling by 7.5 percent from 2015 to 2018. In addition to declining control rates, high blood pressure awareness fell by 3.4 percent, and the number of people being treated for high blood pressure fell by 4.6 percent. Individuals receiving treatment experienced a 6-percent reduction in blood pressure control.

Using health survey data from more than 4,000 US adults between 2015 and 2018, researchers found that the rate of control had fallen by 7.5 percent. Blood pressure control is defined as getting one’s blood pressure back down to a healthy level. The study also compared the recent data with survey data from 6,000 adults collected between 2009 and 2015.

The organization recommends regularly getting your blood pressure checked, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking, and eating a balanced diet, among other practices, in order to get your blood pressure to a healthy level. READ MORE