Walmart has sold its MeMD virtual care platform to Fabric, a telehealth startup, marking another withdrawal of a major retailer from the primary care space. This follows attempts by Walgreens, CVS Health, Rite Aid, and Amazon to enter and sustain profitability within the healthcare sector. Despite the promise of consumer-facing retail strategies to enhance the healthcare experience, companies have struggled to find a sustainable model. Fabric, supported by healthcare partners and significant funding, aims to expand its virtual care offerings, particularly in behavioral health services. The sale underscores the challenges and complexities of successfully integrating retail and healthcare models.

Walmart’s MeMD Sale Is Another Retail Healthcare Failure HealthLeaders Media

Public feedback on the proposed cyber incident reporting mandate for critical infrastructure, CIRCIA, highlights a call from the industry for reduced requirements and clearer definitions. The feedback, received by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), underscores concerns about the broadly defined scope of a cyber incident, potential overwhelming of CISA’s resources, and the implications of mandatory ransomware payment reporting. Concerns also arise over which organizations should report and the lack of resources for implementation, with suggestions for financial incentives over penalties. Issues of harmonization with existing regulations and the efficacy of information sharing by the federal government further complicate the mandate's acceptance and effectiveness.

Critical infrastructure organizations want CISA to dial back cyber reporting Cyberscoop

Health care finance leaders are focusing on several key strategies to enhance profitability but may be overlooking more impactful areas such as optimizing product and service mixes, which less than a third prioritize. Health systems can benefit from scaling innovative care models like digital twins and virtual health, while plans should explore growth and diversification beyond traditional business lines. Forming alliances and ecosystems, though underutilized, could boost growth and efficiency, despite regulatory hurdles. Outsourcing and offshoring offer significant cost-saving potential yet remain low priorities. Lastly, although investment in digital and AI technologies is on the rise, particularly among health plan CFOs, leveraging these technologies as immediate margin drivers is viewed with caution due to implementation challenges and skill shortages.

Health care CFOs are embracing more comprehensive approaches to improve profitability Deloitte Insights

The OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global have announced the establishment of Thrive AI Health, a new company tasked with developing a hyper-personalized AI health coach. Spearheaded by DeCarlos Love, a former Google executive, the initiative aims to democratize expert-level health coaching to address chronic diseases and health inequities. Supported by the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Thrive AI Health will leverage generative AI to provide customized coaching across five key health behaviors: sleep, food, fitness, stress management, and connection. The company plans to collaborate with academic and medical institutions like Stanford Medicine and the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute to expand its impact.

OpenAI Startup Fund & Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global Create New Company, Thrive AI Health, To Launch Hyper-Personalized AI Health Coach Thrive Global