AHRQ patient-safety research funding quietly halted
Plus: HRSA expands 340B rebate pilot to 25 drugs, court limits drugmaker rebate models. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
American Health Intel
$50B rural fund pushes hospitals to shrink EDs
Plus: Maryland fines Cigna, bans auto-downcoding statewide. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
UPDATE: UHealth and UnitedHealthcare reach a deal on deadline day
Plus: CMS pays SNFs $882.74M more despite MedPAC's call for a 4% cut. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
CMS finalizes $60M FY2027 psychiatric hospital payment rule with new outlier cap
Plus: Houston lab pays $36.4M kickback settlement exposed by whistleblower. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Profitable Maine hospital closes its maternity ward anyway, board votes August 5
Plus: CMS proposes dual OB billing systems for 2027, ACOG and OBHG oppose. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Cigna's new CEO delivers $71.7B quarter, raises guidance
Plus: J&J cuts 2026 guidance after Firefly Bio buy, Sail Biomedicines option. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Federal judge refuses to pause Medicaid work requirements
Plus: CMS finalizes $882.74M SNF payment rule with new all-payer data mandate. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Humana beats Q2 estimates, stock falls on guidance cut
Plus: Boston Scientific beats Q2 estimates, guides just under consensus. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
CMS ends $3.6B Medicare Part D premium subsidy after 2026
Plus: Medicaid Fraud War Room stops $203M in improper payments in 88 days. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
CMS proposes first-ever standing Medicare payment category for AI software
Plus: Radiology subspecialties gain 2-3% under CY2027 fee schedule despite conversion factor cut. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Centene swings to $1.09B profit, raises guidance
Plus: Novanta closes $1.45B Riverpoint Medical acquisition. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.
Federal judge hears arguments today on Medicaid medically-frail exemption rule
Plus: Four Minnesota men used AI to fake records in $2.2M Medicaid fraud scheme. The day's rules, money, and enforcement, sourced and tiered below.