2018 Outlook: What healthcare industry insiders are watching in the year ahead
As the year begins, there are still significant policy questions surrounding programs for children's health insurance, drug pricing, opioids and more.
2018 Outlook on Politics and Policy: Insurers will come out ahead
By Susannah Luthi and Virgil DicksonAmong the sharpest GOP battle cries in 2017 on Capitol Hill was "No bailouts for insurance companies." Yet the policy landscape is shaping up to do just that.
2018 Outlook: Who to watch in healthcare
Anthem's CEO Gail Boudreaux, Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and Optum CEO Larry Renfro are among top healthcare leaders who are likely to have a large impact on the industry in 2018.
Research
MASTERING MACRA: What you need to know about Medicare's physician Quality Payment Program
MACRA's approach to reimbursing physicians is here, but many doctors and administrators are still trying to get a handle on how it works. Read on for tips on how to deal with this major change to the Medicare payment system.
Providers
Care New England closes Rhode Island hospital ER
Care New England will shut down Memorial Hospital's emergency department on Monday. The hospital will still provide primary-care services to the area for now, but the health system has also asked the state to allow it to eliminate those services as well.
Insurance
Obamacare sign-up tally dips slightly to 8.7M
The government's final tally for the 39 HealthCare.gov states showed about 80,000 fewer sign-ups than an initial count.
Government
CMS gives Mississippi unprecedented 10-year Medicaid waiver
Mississippi has received the first-ever 10-year extension of a Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waiver, allowing the state to continue providing family planning services for people with income of up to 194% of the federal poverty level.
Finance
Highmark Health braces for divorce from UPMC
Highmark Health continues to reshape its organization as it gears up for a split with the UPMC health system in 2019. That includes a new partnership with Penn State Health as providers and insurers continue to closely align and scale up to maintain a competitive edge.
Technology
Drug prices rise as pharma profit soars
The amount of money people spend on prescription drugs has nearly doubled over the past three decades as pharmaceutical sales and profit margins have ballooned, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Transformation
Artificial Intelligence plus human touch back patient care
Lowe's employees are some of the 1 million people from self-insured employers and health plans who are customers of Accolade, which helps guide patients through the healthcare system.
Safety & Quality
Road to value-based payment bumpy in 2017
The Trump administration touted efforts to move the healthcare system toward value-based payment, but its focus on lifting red tape led the CMS to rescind rules intended to move the dial on pay-for-performance.
People
Q&A with Dr. Jerry Penso: 'I want to make AMGA stronger, more powerful, more relevant'
Dr. Jerry Penso believes that group medical practices are ideally positioned to lead the nation in the migration from fee-for-service to a value-based payment and care environment.
Surveys
By the Numbers Supplement: 2017-2018 Edition
Modern Healthcare's 19th annual resource guide filled with statistics, rankings and financial figures that shape the healthcare industry.
