Patients in NC File Antitrust Suit Against HCA Healthcare
Residents in the state contend that the acquisition of Mission Health by HCA Healthcare will create a monopoly and lead to higher prices.
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By - A heatwave has set in in the Northeast, and many of us are hot and bothered.
North Carolina Residents File Antitrust Suit Against HCA Healthcare
A group of North Carolina residents has filed a healthcare antitrust lawsuit against a local hospital recently acquired by HCA Healthcare, Mission Health which merged with HCA Healthcare in January 2019.
The lawsuit alleges that Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, has run a monopoly business for years, resulting in higher hospital prices, insurance premiums, and other out-of-pocket costs for patients in western North Carolina.
In Buncombe County and Madison County, North Carolina, though, HCA Healthcare controls about 90 percent of the market share for inpatient general acute care hospital services, the lawsuit claims.
“Because insurers and consumers in the region have no choice but to use HCA, HCA has free rein to dictate the prices it charges insurers and consumers while at the same time undermining quality to cut costs,” plaintiffs state in the complaint. READ MORE
Moderna Distributes First Dose of Autoimmune mRNA Candidate
Moderna recently dosed the first participant in the Phase 1 study of its autoimmune mRNA candidate, mRNA-6231, to expand regulatory T-cells.
The trial is the first in-human, dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of mRNA-6231 in healthy adults between 18 and 50 years of age. mRNA-6231 is the company’s modified mRNA-encoded IL-2 and the first autoimmune candidate to enter the clinic. It is also Moderna’s first subcutaneously administered therapeutic program.
“The initiation of the Phase 1 study of mRNA-6231 is an important milestone for Moderna, as we now look to bring the potential of mRNA therapeutics to people living with autoimmune diseases,” Ruchira Glaser, MD, senior vice president and therapeutic area head, rare disease, autoimmune & cardiovascular at Moderna, said in the announcement. READ MORE
Improving Total Cost of Care with Predictive Analytics
Southwestern Health Resources used clinical data and predictive analytics to put a total cost of care plan in place to provide affordable and quality care to thousands of patients in North Texas and cost-effective care for their employers.
Oftentimes in the healthcare market, purchasers primarily focus on discounts. According to Senior Executive Officer Andrew Ziskind, discounts are a priority because purchasers search for predictable and short-term gains.
“We fundamentally believe that a focus on the total cost of care is the right place to be and the right thing to be focusing on. What that means is that there are times where you invest more services now to create long-term health and candidly better outcomes and lower total cost of care,” he told HealthITAnalytics. READ MORE
Understanding Medicare Advantage’s Star Ratings
The Medicare Advantage Star Rating methodology involves various components in order to measure Medicare Advantage health plan performance.
A Medicare Advantage plan is a private payer health plan which the federal government funds and regulates. Medicare Advantage plans are considered Part C of the overall Medicare program. Many Medicare Advantage plans are combined with a Medicare Part D plan — a drug plan — to form a Medicare Advantage-Part D plan.
Kelsey Waddill of HealthPayerIntelligence offers a breakdown of the Medicare Advantage Star Rating methodology that produces that star indicator. READ MORE
COVID-19 Patient-Provider Communication Lacking for Half of Adults
Half of US adults did not receive information about COVID-19 from their doctor, pointing to a severe lack in patient-provider communication, according to a recent survey conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of SymphonyRM.
In addition, 40 percent of respondents reported receiving no communication from their doctor between visits, and 23 percent said that their opinion of their doctor has changed since the onset of COVID-19. As a result, almost 20 percent of survey respondents considered switching doctors because of how their provider dealt with COVID-19.
The 59 percent of respondents who reported having more confidence in their doctors since COVID-19 specifically cited their provider’s frequency of communication about COVID-19, smooth transition to virtual care, and the use of digital communication tools. READ MORE
CVS Health Launches Aetna Virtual Primary Care
CVS Health has launched a new payer-backed telehealth platform that combines in-person and virtual care for self-funded businesses.
The nationwide launch of Aetna Virtual Primary Care shakes up a fast-growing retail space, where employers are looking for better options to keep their workforce healthy and employees are asking for more connected health services that they can access from home.
The Aetna Virtual Primary Care offering is unique in that it’s backed by the insurer, creating a platform that combines Aetna’s existing provider network, a telehealth service through Teladoc Health and CVS Health’s MinuteClinic and HealthHUB sites (the company reportedly will have more than 1,100 of the former and 650 of the latter up and running by 2022). READ MORE
