The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formed a Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC) task force within its Antitrust Division to combat monopolistic and collusive practices in the healthcare industry. Announced on May 9, this task force aims to reduce healthcare costs and enhance quality by identifying and prosecuting monopolies and unfair practices that dominate markets. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter emphasized the need to address the concentration of power among a few large entities. The HCMC initiative is complemented by the recent launch of HealthyCompetition.gov, a platform for reporting anticompetitive behaviors, and follows the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) move to ban noncompete agreements. The new task force will include a diverse team of legal, economic, and health industry experts to tackle these pressing issues.

Justice Department Creates Task Force on Healthcare Monopolies Healthcare Innovation

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has finalized a rule reinstating protections against discrimination in healthcare under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, age, and disability. This rule includes expanded provisions for telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI) used in patient care, ensuring these technologies apply nondiscrimination standards. It incorporates additional protections for LGBTQI+ individuals, those with disabilities, and those with limited English proficiency. The rule mandates that health insurers also comply with these nondiscrimination requirements and calls for transparent civil rights grievance procedures.

HHS restores nondiscrimination protections, expands provisions to telehealth, AI Fierce Healthcare

Ascension has confirmed that it experienced a ransomware attack on May 8, which disrupted clinical operations across its network. The health system is working with cybersecurity experts, including Mandiant, to investigate and remediate the issue. While Ascension is focused on safely restoring affected systems, it has not disclosed the ransom amount or whether personal health information (PHI) has been compromised. This incident follows a similar ransomware attack on Change Healthcare in February, underscoring the ongoing cybersecurity challenges faced by healthcare organizations.

Ascension confirms cyberattack is ransomware Healthcare Finance News

CNBC's Disruptor 50 list for 2024 includes seven healthcare companies out of the finalists selected through nominations for companies founded post-Jan. 1, 2009. Evaluations were based on scalability, user growth, sales growth, and the implementation of breakthrough technologies like AI and machine learning. The advisory board, comprising 50 innovators and entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists conducted both quantitative and qualitative reviews. The list is led by OpenAI, recognized for its growing role in healthcare through Microsoft. Other notable healthcare startups making the list are ElevateBio, Transcarent, Generate:Biomedicines, Alto Pharmacy, Spring Health, Maven Clinic, and Cityblock.

Top 7 healthcare disruptors, per CNBC Becker's Hospital Review