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Aug 20, 2024·PYMNTS

**Jassy Touts Amazon Pharmacy’s ‘Resonance’ With Customers** Amazon CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the growing success and customer satisfaction of Amazon Pharmacy during the company’s Q2 earnings call. Launched in November 2020, Amazon Pharmacy has expanded its offerings, including the RxPass program for Medicare beneficiaries, which provides unlimited access to 60 common generic medications for $5 a month for Prime members. The service, which allows users to manage prescriptions digitally and receive discounts, is expanding same-day delivery to more U.S. cities. E-commerce experts credit Amazon's competitive pricing as a major factor in disrupting traditional pharmacy models, although online pharmacy remains a small market segment. **Account Onboarding Gets Its AI Makeover** Garrett Laird, director of product management at Amount, discusses the crucial role of proactive anti-fraud measures for financial institutions (FIs) during the "What's Next in Payments" series. Laird emphasizes that waiting to address fraud until breaches occur can be costly. Leveraging AI and machine learning in the onboarding process can enhance both security and customer satisfaction, making onboarding seamless while preventing fraud. Amount’s technology enables FIs to verify identities and detect fraud in real-time, thus striking a balance between blocking fraudulent activities and

Aug 20, 2024·The Keckley Report

The article juxtaposes the divergent perspectives on healthcare reform discussed at two simultaneous events: a Democratic gathering in Chicago and an Epic Systems user conference in Verona. Democrats tout a recent drug pricing deal and advocate for more systemic regulation and protection of the ACA, criticizing the for-profit motives of the healthcare industry. Meanwhile, Epic celebrates its market dominance and emphasizes the role of technology in healthcare transformation. Both acknowledge the need for systemic change, driven by growing societal inequities and dwindling public trust, indicating an urgent tipping point for healthcare reform. The article concludes that real transformation may depend on outsider forces, as political risks deter comprehensive reform efforts.

Aug 20, 2024·UW Health

A recent National Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, organized by UW Health and Epic, has produced a report with key recommendations for lawmakers. Held on June 5 at the U.S. Capitol, the event gathered 25 experts from health care, technology, academia, and government to discuss the current state and future of AI in health care. The recommendations emphasize implementing AI to alleviate workforce burdens, improve patient outcomes, and ensure equitable access across diverse health systems. The report also calls for federal regulations to balance innovation with patient data safety and tailoring regulations to specific AI applications to benefit both patients and providers.

Aug 20, 2024·POLITICO

**Attacking the AI Bias Problem** Health care systems and university health technology experts have formed VALID AI, an alliance aiming to mitigate bias in artificial intelligence tools used in health care. The initiative, led by UC Davis specialists Dennis Chornenky and Ashish Atreja, seeks to develop AI tools that account for social determinants of health. This includes gathering diverse patient data related to socioeconomic status and access to care to improve health outcomes. VALID AI's diverse member base, including renowned health institutions, aims to train algorithms to detect and reduce biases, ultimately promoting equitable, efficient care. **Uterus Transplants** A study published in JAMA investigates the outcomes of uterus transplants at Baylor University Medical Center, revealing that such procedures enabled 70% of women to conceive and give birth. Although the trial had a small sample size and limited diversity, with only three participants being women of color, the findings are promising for addressing infertility. The next phase of research will involve a more diverse and larger patient group, with efforts to secure insurance coverage for broader access to the procedure. **Diet and Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults** Cleveland Clinic researchers have linked high consumption of red and processed meats to increased colorectal cancer risk in younger adults. Published in

Aug 20, 2024·Healthcare IT News

Carequality has announced plans to align its interoperability strategy with the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). This move aims to integrate Carequality's existing framework, which connects over 600,000 care providers, with the federally-led TEFCA. Epic, a prominent participant in this framework, supports the alignment and expects all its clients to use the TEFCA-based Epic Nexus by the end of 2025. The initiative is seen as a way to enhance data exchange and trust between healthcare providers while maintaining patient data security. Carequality will also implement enhancements such as better directory integrity controls and aligning policy definitions with TEFCA.

Aug 20, 2024·Healthcare Finance News

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced that the state has seized control of St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston from Steward Health Care through eminent domain. This action aims to transition ownership to the Boston Medical Center after a high-quality bid from another hospital operator was blocked by the landlord. Agreements have also been reached for the acquisition and continued operation of four other Steward hospitals by various entities: Good Samaritan Medical Center by Boston Medical Center, Morton Hospital and Saint Anne's Hospital by Lifespan Health System, and Holy Family Hospital campuses by Lawrence General Hospital. This intervention comes in response to Steward's recent WARN notice indicating the closure of two other state hospitals, which would result in over 1,200 layoffs. The governor emphasized her administration's commitment to a fiscally responsible transition plan and addressing Steward's broader financial issues and management practices.

Aug 19, 2024·STAT

The upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago will spotlight key health care issues that Democrats believe resonate strongly with voters, such as negotiated drug prices, abortion rights, and medical debt. The convention will feature speeches from high-profile Democrats, including Vice President Harris, who is the presidential candidate. Harris's platform emphasizes accelerating drug price negotiations, expanding abortion rights, and addressing medical debt, proposing policies like capping insulin costs and eliminating billions in medical debt. Additionally, the DNC is expected to underscore the Democrats' commitment to preserving the Affordable Care Act and expanding Medicaid, contrasting their agenda with the Republicans’ past efforts to repeal the ACA and impose restrictions on Medicaid.

Aug 19, 2024·MedCity News

Despite the theoretical advantages of value-based care models, many primary care physicians are hesitant to adopt these payment structures. A study by the Commonwealth Fund and Mathematica reveals that financial obstacles, workforce shortages, and extensive documentation demands inhibit their participation. Additionally, smaller and rural practices are particularly disadvantaged. The report suggests solutions like better financial incentives, more support for workforce development, and simplifying performance measures to encourage broader adoption of value-based care among primary care providers.

Aug 19, 2024·The Surgeon's Record

This article from *The Surgeon's Record* explores the challenges faced by major retail players as they attempt to enter the healthcare sector, highlighting recent strategic retreats and pivots. It delves into Walmart's discontinuation of its in-store healthcare services and Humana's subsequent use of these spaces, Walgreens' financial setbacks related to VillageMD, and CVS's continued commitment to healthcare despite cost pressures. The article also discusses Amazon's healthcare strategy, including its significant investments and operational hurdles. The insights from healthcare finance expert Blake Madden provide additional context on why these retail giants struggle with healthcare ventures, emphasizing the unique challenges of integrating healthcare into their existing business models.

Aug 19, 2024·Los Angeles Times

A recent article from the LA Times reports on a massive data breach that could have more severe consequences than initially anticipated. The breach has potentially exposed sensitive information on a large scale, raising concerns about data security and privacy for individuals and businesses alike. Details about the extent of the breach and the specific data compromised are still emerging, with experts urging affected parties to take precautionary measures to protect their information.

Aug 19, 2024·publication

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare becomes more prevalent, there is a critical need for oversight to prevent potential patient harm. This article proposes the establishment of national AI algorithm assurance laboratories to test and certify AI tools, ensuring they are developed using diverse datasets and demonstrate meaningful clinical outcomes in real-world settings before receiving regulatory approval. The goal is to enhance safety, instill confidence among patients and healthcare professionals, and incentivize developers to prioritize these concerns. Effective, rigorous, and rapid testing and certification shared between developers and users are essential for fulfilling the expectations of various stakeholders in the healthcare sector.

Aug 19, 2024·techtarget

Wiz researchers have identified significant security vulnerabilities in AI infrastructure platforms such as Hugging Face, Replicate, and SAP AI Core, which could allow attackers to access sensitive user data. At the Black Hat USA 2024 conference, researchers Hillai Ben-Sasson and Sagi Tzadik demonstrated how they breached these platforms using malicious models and container escape techniques to cross-tenant barriers. They discovered that current containerization methods are inadequate for secure data isolation. While providers have been responsive in addressing reported issues, the researchers stressed the need for better sandboxing and isolation standards. Overall, the rapid adoption of AI often overlooks security, introducing additional risks due to the use of numerous tools and open-source resources without proper security validation.

Aug 19, 2024·The HIPAA Journal

Healthcare providers in Illinois, Florida, and Puerto Rico have confirmed data breaches resulting from cyberattacks. Roseland Community Hospital in Illinois reported unauthorized access to its IT network on June 2, 2024, affecting at least 500 individuals' protected health information. In Puerto Rico, Hospital Auxilio Mutuo experienced a network server breach in September 2023, with ongoing investigations suggesting at least 500 individuals were impacted. PRM Management Company in Florida detected a breach in an email account involving patient data, with unauthorized access between January and June 2024. Each entity is in the process of notifying affected individuals and strengthening cybersecurity measures.

Aug 19, 2024·CNBC

Epic Systems, a major health-care software vendor, announced that patients will now be able to securely release their health data to various apps of their choosing, granting them greater control over their medical information. This development marks a significant technological advancement in the healthcare sector. Epic has been collaborating with the federal government to establish TEFCA, which sets the legal and technical standards for widespread patient data sharing.

Aug 16, 2024·The Record from Recorded Future News

The White House is developing a new cyber insurance policy proposal aimed at addressing catastrophic cyber incidents, as announced at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference. National Cyber Director Harry Coker revealed that his office, in collaboration with the Department of Treasury’s federal insurance office and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is set to release the proposal by the end of the year. The initiative, part of the broader National Cybersecurity Strategy, seeks to manage risk, stabilize the insurance market against catastrophic cyber threats, and improve national cybersecurity resilience. Current efforts focus on challenges related to actuarial data and understanding stakeholder needs within the insurance industry.

Aug 16, 2024·HealthCare Dive

Court documents reveal that federal and state investigations are underway into Prospect Medical Holdings, a 16-hospital system accused of defrauding the government and failing to protect personal information prior to a ransomware attack last year. The investigations, which involve the U.S. Department of Justice, Connecticut Attorney General, and Connecticut Commissioner of Consumer Protection, are part of a larger legal conflict with Yale New Haven Health over a $435 million hospital sale. The DOJ has issued Civil Investigative Demands linked to potential violations of the False Claims Act, while Connecticut officials are focused on cybersecurity lapses and potentially deceptive hospital funding practices. Prospect denies all allegations.

Aug 16, 2024·Cybersecurity Dive

The article highlights the pitfalls of focusing too much on the identities of cybercriminal groups in enterprise security strategies. Experts, including Andy Piazza from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 and Jen Easterly from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, argue that mythologizing threat actors can detract from more effective practices like improving detection, response capabilities, and patch management. They suggest that instead of emphasizing the names and narratives of cyberattacks, defenders should concentrate on practical measures to reduce risk. Crowdsourcing efforts from cybersecurity vendors, such as CrowdStrike's symbolic representations of threat groups, aim to elevate cybersecurity discourse but can inadvertently glamorize the adversaries they seek to neutralize.

Aug 16, 2024·HealthIT.gov

Since 2021, the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP) and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) have collaborated to develop survey questions to understand family physicians' experiences with health IT in primary care. Through a cooperative agreement involving UCSF, these surveys informed policy decisions and research. In 2022 and 2023, ABFM included these questions in their Continuous Certification Questionnaire, achieving a high response rate by embedding them in the recertification process. Despite differing respondent demographics between various surveys, trends in health IT usage and challenges were notably consistent. A key difference was the higher documentation burden reported by ABFM respondents. The survey questions were refined over the cooperative agreement's third year, with new data currently under analysis and available for request from ABFM.

Aug 16, 2024·NPR

Hospitals are increasingly reliant on internet-connected devices for patient care, but this dependency makes them targets for cyberattacks. Cybersecurity expert Beau Woods stresses the necessity of cybersecurity funding, as attacks can impede treatment and force patient transfers. Such incidents have surged, with attacks on organizations like Change Healthcare and Ascension causing significant disruptions. To combat this, the Biden administration has announced tech companies will provide free or discounted cybersecurity services to underfunded hospitals. However, experts worry that these temporary measures may not offer a long-term solution, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of smaller hospitals. Cyberattack simulations underscore the importance of preparedness in ensuring patient safety.

Aug 16, 2024·Federal News Network

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has undertaken a major reorganization to streamline its technology, cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies and policies. This move consolidates various functions, previously handled by multiple offices, into a more centralized structure under the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Chief Data Officer, and Chief AI Officer, now named the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP). This reorganization aims to enhance policy guidance, resource allocation, and operational efficiency, ensuring HHS can adapt to future technological advancements. Key cybersecurity functions have also been consolidated under the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). This structural overhaul is designed to enhance collaboration both within the department and with external partners, addressing the strategic importance of technology and data in fulfilling HHS's mission.