Trump proposes big spending cuts to healthcare programs
President Donald Trump’s FY26 budget proposal includes significant cuts to healthcare programs, but the administration says the reductions will not affect core services. The budget is merely a set of recommendations, given that federal budgetary authority resides with Congress. Trump’s proposals are likely to hold influence with the narrow Republican majorities in both chambers, but…
Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement concerns linger as date of final approval nears
Nearly 15,500 healthcare providers are known to have withdrawn from the record-setting Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust settlement, retaining the option to pursue separate litigation. The number was listed in an April court filing as the parties move toward a July 29 hearing at which the presiding court is scheduled to consider final approval of…
Supreme Court: HHS can maintain DSH formula approach that results in lower payments
The Supreme Court dealt hospitals a loss in a case about Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, saying HHS can continue using a disputed interpretation of the payment formula. Published April 29, a 7-2 decision for the federal government in Advocate Christ Medical Center, et al. v. Kennedy allows for continuation of a policy whereby…
Upcoming regulations and budget talks could be consequential for Medicaid supplemental payments
Note: This article was updated May 2. The system of directed payment programs (DPPs) has helped make Medicaid more financially viable for providers, but that system is under increasing political pressure. CMS has queued up a proposed rule that is undergoing a standard review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and then is…
How to develop a playbook to provide patients with timely access to care
If you reviewed the new Vizient/Kaufman Hall 2025 Trends Report, Strategy is (finally) back in the driver’s seat, you might have noticed one startling data point: A 1% increase in “loyal” patients (that is, patients who spend at least three quarters of their healthcare dollars within one health system) can yield a $40 million revenue…
340B changes loom as the program attracts congressional, White House scrutiny
Both Congress and the White House are proposing 340B Drug Pricing Program changes that could add administrative burdens and ultimately limit the available savings for hospitals. A new report issued by Republican members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee calls for changes that include requiring 340B covered entities to “provide detailed…
How one health system trimmed clinical spending waste by improving decision support
An effective clinical decision support (CDS) system is paramount in initiatives to curb wasteful spending in clinical settings, says Arun Mathews, MD, regional chief medical officer with MultiCare, a 13-hospital system based in Tacoma, Wash. CDS technology incorporated in MultiCare’s electronic health record has helped save $179.14 per accepted recommendation regarding lab and medication orders,…
CMS seeks feedback on applying MAHA guidelines in the U.S. healthcare system
The Medicare FY26 proposed rule for hospital inpatient payments offers clues as to how the Trump administration will seek to integrate principles of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement in the healthcare infrastructure. The rule includes a request for information (RFI) on using mandatory hospital quality measurement to foster improvements in nutrition and physical…
A new Trump executive order sets the stage for lower 340B payments
Hospitals can anticipate a regulatory effort to lower the Medicare payments they receive for purchases of Part B drugs through the 340B Drug Pricing Program. President Donald Trump on April 15 signed a wide-ranging executive order on drug costs, and one of the provisions directs HHS to conduct a survey of hospital acquisition costs for…
Leading through the reset: 8 implications of the VC market contraction for healthcare leaders
Healthcare executives face a stark new reality in the digital health landscape. During and immediately after the COVID-19-pandemic, healthcare technology came to be seen as a panacea for addressing the systemic flaws in our delivery system. This perception spurred an explosion of venture capital (VC) financing and digital adoption: This collective momentum pushed VC funding…