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Jan 29, 2024·Wendell Potter Substack

UnitedHealth Group, the largest for-profit healthcare company in the US, has intensively increased business transactions within its own divisions, sparking concerns of self-dealing and limited quality service offerings. The internal revenue of UnitedHealth grew over 25% in 2023, causing alarm over competition exclusion, quality assurance, and oversight evasion in the health care industry. Additionally, the dominance of its subdivisions, like Optum, might suggest financial engineering to bypass affordability requirements by the Affordable Care Act. Although legal, these practices offer few options and potentially reduce quality of care for patients.

Jan 22, 2024·Beckers Hospital Review

Mass General Brigham physician Shannon MacDonald sues New Jersey medical board over out-of-state telehealth restrictions. Telehealth increased during pandemic but is now hindered by state-by-state licensing. Argues violation of interstate commerce rules and speech restrictions.

Jan 21, 2024·Forbes

Rural U.S. healthcare access challenges hinge on covering medical practices' fixed costs in areas of lower demand. Government response, creating 'Critical Access Hospitals' in rural, low population-density areas, resulted in overrun supply and low-quality, high-cost care. Solutions should refocus on essential rural needs like primary care, satellite outpatient-only hospitals, and lifting regulatory limitations on telehealth and pharmacies.

Jan 19, 2024·LinkedIn

2024 healthcare struggles focus on abortion rights, AI in medical care, and healthcare pricing. Abortion rights debate diversifies with states challenging Roe v. Wade via new restrictions mostly surrounding mifepristone, drug used in medical abortions. The generative AI in healthcare accelerates; its impact on patient care and interplay with practice of medicine questioned. Healthcare pricing battles intensify with increasing healthcare costs, doctors selling private practices to equity firms, and inflation on medication prices, whilst political policy changes await upcoming elections.

Jan 19, 2024·Nature

WHO warns that AI-based health care technologies could be hazardous for lower-income nations. Contemporary models that lack data from these underprivileged regions might not serve them properly. WHO's digital health director stresses the importance of avoiding inequality amplification through these technologies. The WHO updated its AI health care guidelines due to quick generative AI development, requiring governments, civil societies, and recipients to participate in its all-round regulation and development. The report later expressed concern about potential industrial capture, as larger firms may monopolize AI research, causing potential loss of academia involvement.

Jan 18, 2024·Health IT Security

Novant Health settled a $6.6M lawsuit for improper PHI disclosures due to third-party tracking tech use, impacting 1.3M patients in August 2022.

Jan 10, 2024·NewsOn6

INTEGRIS Health patients' personal data compromised; breach affects over 2 million. Network offers 24-month identity protection, lawyer recommends prompt setup. INTEGRIS takes steps to bolster security, remains susceptible to new threats. Hospitals avoid lawsuits by following US Health Department guidelines; penalized for failing to provide data protection. Prior OSU Center for Health Services breach led to $875,000 settlement for delayed notifications.

Jan 6, 2024·Healthcare IT News

AHA criticizes ONC's proposed info blocking penalties under 21st Century Cures Act as excessive, risk to financial viability of small/rural hospitals. Members' estimates of potential penalties exceed published ranges, suggesting more severe impacts. AHA suggests using existing avenues, such as HIPAA violation enforcement, over new penalty structures.

Jan 5, 2024·FTC

FTC seeking comment on proposed changes to Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR) to clarify rule's relevance to health applications and other tech. Advances increase health data quantity and marketing incentive, but proposed amendments aim to respond to tech changes and market trends. Rule mandates breach notification by non-HIPAA covered personal health records vendors and related entities. FTC keen on personal health data protection, has taken multiple recent action against misuse. Proposed rule changes aim to extend HBNR's reach to non-HIPAA apps and technology, define "breach of security", clarify PHR related entity meaning, authorize expanded breach notice, and improve rule readability. Public comments invited for 60 days post Federal Register notice.

Jan 5, 2024·Industrial Cyber

GAO advises FDA, CISA to update agreement reflecting organizational changes to address medical device cybersecurity. FDA, CISA should enhance roles clarity in cybersecurity strategy. The outdated agreement doesn't cover all collaboration practices. Cyber threats to medical devices could delay patient care, expose sensitive data, disrupt healthcare operations and require costly recovery. FDA ensures safety and effectiveness of medical devices sold in U.S. The report addresses non-federal entities accessing federal support, federal agencies facing challenges, coordination of key agencies, and limits in agencies' authority over medical device cybersecurity. The report cites vulnerabilities in medical devices leading to cyber incidents. Last month, GAO identified need for full implementation of incident response requirements among federal agencies.

Jan 3, 2024·Healthcare IT News

Healthcare organizations need to ensure safe pixel tracking practices comply with privacy laws. Online tracking tools like pixels can generate healthcare policy debates. There's criticism of Health and Human Services Office guidance limiting use of pixels on websites, apps by HIPAA-covered entities. Advocate Aurora Health paid $12.2 million over pixel-related data breach. Pixels are used in ads, capturing data points like IP addresses, browser types. Compared to cookies, pixels are more difficult to disable. Concern arises when health data acquired by pixels are shared with third-party tracking-technology companies. FTC regulates health apps, non-HIPAA firms in response to sensitive data exposure. Serious consequences, including lawsuits and FTC actions, possible.

Jan 3, 2024·Healthcare Finance News

AMA president, Dr. Ehrenfeld, advocates AI governance policies prior to adoption, with physician input. Notes over-reliance on untested AI could exacerbate physician burden, insists AI must be ethical, equitable, responsible, transparent. Emphasizes physician involvement in AI development and warns, "Physicians who use AI will replace those that don't."

Jan 2, 2024·HC Innovation Group

U.S. healthcare entering 2024 faces key questions affecting hospitals' financial stability, federal telehealth policies, disruptive innovation, data sharing framework (TEFCA), home-hospital potential, and AI adoption. Hospitals must navigate financial recovery post-pandemic, government could retract telehealth flexibilities, disruptors may grab revenues, TEFCA's success is uncertain, home-hospital programs need evaluation for value-based transformation and AI adoption need be more organized and ethically responsible.

Dec 21, 2023·FierceHealthcare

In 2023, cyberattacks on healthcare systems increased, with cybercriminals shifting their focus to smaller, regional providers. These attacks resulted in significant financial costs and operational disruptions, including the suspension of procedures and the shutdown of IT systems. Experts suggest the need for robust cybersecurity measures, transparent communication regarding potential vulnerabilities, and regular updates and patches to avoid software vulnerabilities. Regulations are anticipated to focus on resilience rather than prevention, and healthcare organizations are increasing their budgets to improve cybersecurity capabilities. The potential for increased regulatory enforcement and legal consequences for negligence in preventative measures is predicted to push continued improvement of cybersecurity standards.

Dec 21, 2023·Healthcare IT News

Generative AI growth in healthcare expected in 2024 but will face increased regulation. 2023's hype led few health systems to implement definitive generative AI strategies. GSR Ventures' Dr. Justin Norden predicts more providers realizing benefits from genAI in administrative tasks. However, needed for regulatory guidelines to protect patient safety and provider liability, with President Biden's October executive order hinting at 2024 AI regulation. Norden anticipates broader AI regulation, testing for bias, accuracy, and safety. Health systems potentially self-regulating AI algorithms in regulatory uncertainty. Increased financial pressures could force health tech vendor consolidation.

Dec 21, 2023·RealClearHealth

Data-driven healthcare improves patient safety, reduces waste. Stanford uses total patient data to avoid negative drug interactions, costly repeat tests. Interoperability between health IT systems aids understanding of care history. HHS's TEFCA enables universal interoperability using private-public partnership, collaborative approach. Lack of single connection point impedes patient data sharing, reduces healthcare quality. TEFCA's network-interconnectivity eliminates need for multiple legal agreements, connection points. Stanford, an early TEFCA adopter, envisions comprehensive patient care. Participation in TEFCA marks easy nationwide interoperability.

Dec 19, 2023·MedCity News

Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), a nationwide health information exchange network, launched after a decade's planning by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The initiative aims for secure, seamless data exchange and increased patient healthcare data access. However, Don Rucker, former ONC chief, criticizes the initiative's archaic data exchange protocol could deter use and impede interoperability. He suggests TEFCA should be modernized to handle computable data for improved functionality. Despite ONC's promise to support modern APIs by 2024, Rucker remains skeptical without concrete technical plans.

Dec 19, 2023·The Verge

Google settled a monopoly lawsuit, agreeing to pay $700 million and make minor operational changes. Developers can guide consumers away from Google Play Store for several years if the settlement approved. Google will pay customers who overpaid for apps $629 million, states $70 million for distribution as they see fit, and $1 million for settlement administration. Google will allow third-party app installation for 7 years and give developers the choice of an alternative billing system for 5 years. While many stewardships expire, some argue not real concessions. Critics claim Google's "User Choice Billing" system is a fake choice with a discounted rate of 4% off Google's fee for alternative payment system use. Google reserves the right to prevent developers from linking to their websites for discounts. Overall, Google will not be required to allow links for payment systems. Epic Games CEO criticized the settlement, calling it an "injustice" to Android users and developers.

Dec 15, 2023·Whitehouse.gov

Biden administration champions responsible AI use in healthcare aiming to improve health outcomes, while ensuring user safety and privacy. Leading healthcare providers and payers announced commitment to fair, appropriate, valid, effective, and safe AI use. AI prompts healthcare improvements such as advanced care access, outcome coordination, burnout reduction. However, its misuse risks biased diagnoses, privacy breaches. Mitigating risks could enable beneficial transformation in health delivery, could reduce healthcare costs. AI capabilities include analyzing billions of medical images efficiently, streamlining drug development, and easing administrative work. Private sector's commitment crucial to progress sustainable AI.

Dec 14, 2023·Healthcare IT News

The Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Technology finalizes health IT certification rules. The Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates rule implements provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, improving interoperability, transparency and access to electronic health information. Health IT developers must report metrics giving insight into certified IT support for care delivery. AI transparency requirements are addressed while info-blocking definitions and exceptions are revised. The rule also includes a new Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement exception. HIMSS favors the rule and the EHRA expresses timing concerns for implementation of new requirements.