Healthcare Dive - Latest News

GOP Medicaid cuts would cause thousands of preventable deaths: study

Rebecca Pifer — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 15:12:08 -0400

Medicaid provisions in Republicans’ reconciliation megabill would lead to between 8,000 and nearly 25,000 medically preventable deaths, according to new research in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Humana’s cautious defense of Medicare Advantage

Rebecca Pifer — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:14:02 -0400

At the insurer's investor day, Humana struck a middle ground in defending the importance of the privatized Medicare program — which accounts for the bulk of its revenue — while allowing that there’s room for improvement.

Ascension agrees to acquire Amsurg to expand ambulatory surgery reach

Susanna Vogel — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:15:37 -0400

The deal, which is expected to close later this year, will add more than 250 ambulatory surgery centers across 34 states to Ascension's portfolio.

Senate Republicans propose deeper Medicaid cuts in reconciliation bill

Emily Olsen — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:49:24 -0400

Hospital groups slammed the Senate’s version of the GOP legislation. The upper chamber “made a bad bill worse,” said Chip Kahn, CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals.

UHS partners with Hippocratic AI to launch AI agents

Susanna Vogel — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:45:36 -0400

The health system is currently testing the agentic tool at two subsidiaries, with plans to roll out the technology at other locations in the future.

Amazon restructures healthcare business

Rebecca Pifer — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:23:34 -0400

Amazon is reshuffling its various healthcare initiatives into six new divisions, each helmed by a longtime executive or One Medical leader.

Could the FDA take an indirect approach to regulate LDTs?

Susan Kelly — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 10:35:23 -0400

Attorneys said many questions remain about the regulation of laboratory developed tests after the FDA lost its legal fight. A recent warning letter could be a clue to future enforcement.

Hundreds of rural hospitals at risk if Medicaid cuts pass, Democrats say

Emily Olsen — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:41:08 -0400

The data released by a group of Democrat lawmakers found 338 rural hospitals were at risk of closure, conversion or service cutbacks if Republicans’ reconciliation bill becomes law.

FDA to miss approval deadline for Kalvista drug due to ‘resource constraints’

Ben Fidler — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0400

A “heavy workload” and “limited resources” have left the agency unable to meet a June 17 deadline to approve a therapy Kalvista has been developing for hereditary angioedema.

Iowa passes law imposing tighter restrictions on PBMs

Susanna Vogel — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 07:27:49 -0400

Last week, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law seeking to control rising prescription drug costs and protect rural pharmacies by targeting some of the drug middlemens’ most controversial practices.