Articles and Blogs

NATIONAL 3 big questions surrounding the Rural Health Transformation Program 15 states sue HHS over childhood vaccination schedule change 16 health systems affected by Oracle Health data breach ACOG publishes 1st guidance on diagnosing endometriosis AHA recommends ‘zero trust’ for cybersecurity AHA urges HHS to align AI rules with existing healthcare regulations CDC’s No.... READ MORE

NATIONAL 41% of rural hospitals in red ahead of Medicaid policy shift 2 senior HHS leaders to exit roles 5 CMS moves shaping the ASC industry Change Healthcare breach: The cyberattack’s impact 2 years later Federal judge strikes down FTC rule expanding premerger reporting requirements Health systems must connect with patients in more meaningful... READ MORE

NATIONAL 130,000 individuals sign up for organ donation via MyChart 9 ways health systems are rethinking behavioral care 18 states push for reinstatement of SNF minimum staffing 10 years after CMS’ first mandatory bundled payment model, what did it actually build? 85% of healthcare leaders plan to boost agentic AI investment: Deloitte AHA, FBI... READ MORE

NATIONAL 4 Joint Commission moves in January AMA alters position on gender-affirming surgeries for minors Cardiovascular care demand fuels investments from hospitals Cigna CEO predicts steady PBM margins amid settlement, health law CMS makes ‘huge’ shift emphasizing falls in Special Focus Facility selection process CMS proposes paying hospitals that buy US-made drugs, supplies CMS... READ MORE

NATIONAL Children’s Hospital Association teams with Vizient CMS official defends flat Medicare Advantage rate proposal for 2027 CMS pitches stricter oversight of organ procurement groups: 6 takeaways CMS proposes nearly flat Medicare Advantage payments for 2027: 5 notes CMS proposes excluding chart reviews from MA risk scoring in 2027 payment rule CMS seeks input... READ MORE

NATIONAL AHA responds to House request for information on modernizing MACRA AMA ‘disappointed’ in MedPAC for backing off deeper Medicare pay reform Amazon One Medical launches AI assistant Behavioral health trends reshaping essential hospitals CMS pain procedure reimbursement policy draws pushback Congress eyes tackling healthcare consolidation Congress unveils bipartisan health bill, funding deal Federal... READ MORE

NATIONAL 11 No Surprises Act updates A huge week for physician deals: 8 deals in 8 days AHA backs bill to boost rural hospital cybersecurity workforce AHA, other groups: It’s wrong to tell hospitals they ‘are to’ complete drug acquisition cost survey Amazon Backed Anthropic Launches Healthcare Tools to Rival OpenAI Amazon Pharmacy offers... READ MORE

NATIONAL 7 major vaccine policy changes in 2025 2026: Healthcare-specific private equity reporting requirements set to go into effect 40 million Americans use ChatGPT for healthcare: Report 13 health systems affected by Oracle Health data breach 6 Stark law cases in 1 year A 2026 Stark law update goes into effect Breaking the discharge... READ MORE

NATIONAL 19 states, DC sue HHS over gender-affirming care restrictions 6 new care and payment models CMS introduced in 2025 14 Epic updates in 30 days 39 hospital M&As finalized in 2025 5 financial metrics health system leaders are targeting next year 11 states plan post-acute initiatives with CMS’ rural health fund 10 most... READ MORE

**There will be no distribution of this newsletter next week. Happy Holidays!** NATIONAL 47 states introduced healthcare AI bills in 2025 CMS floats 24 measure updates: 7 things to know CMS proposes funding blocks on gender-affirming care for minors CMS launches ‘MAHA Elevate’ to test lifestyle medicine in Medicare FAH taps new CEO FDA... READ MORE