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STAT+: Incoming Senate Majority Leader Thune hails from a state that relies on rural hospitals, telehealth

STAT

the newly elected Senate majority leader, is big on telehealth, rural hospitals, and increasing transparency for drug middlemen. He represents a state that does not have much in the way of special interests in the health care industry beyond hospitals, doctors, and pharmacists. John Thune (R-S.D.),

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STAT+: Congress created a unique plan to save rural hospitals — but few are using it

STAT

When Ted Matthews came out of retirement in early 2023 to retake the helm of the rural Texas hospital where he’d started his health care career, it was something of a rescue mission.   And yet, just 38 hospitals have taken up the new designation since 2023, fewer than researchers had predicted.

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STAT+: Sanofi plans to change payment terms for 340B hospitals

STAT

The battle over prescription drug discounts offered to hospitals under a federal program escalated as Sanofi became the third pharmaceutical company to disclose plans to change the way it will make payments. Right now, drug companies generally provide the discounts at the time of purchase. Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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STAT+: Latest updates to hospital price transparency rules aim to make the data more useful

STAT

The new year ushered in a final slate of updates to the federal rules for how hospitals have to disclose their prices, and experts are optimistic the changes will make the data more helpful in identifying less expensive providers.   1 was the deadline for hospitals to make the changes to their files.  

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Opinion: Hospitals can fight cybercriminals by prioritizing security of billing data, not medical records

STAT

This assumption has shaped everything from HIPAA compliance strategies to hospital security budgets. For years, regulators and providers have assumed that medical records — diagnoses, lab results, treatment histories — are the crown jewels hackers are after. But it’s wrong. Read the rest…

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STAT+: Hospitals earn big profits, insurers face ramped up Medicare Advantage audits

STAT

We’ll be talking about all things Medicare Advantage. Details here on how to watch or attend!

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Opinion: Hospitals that make profits should pay taxes

STAT

hospitals pay nothing in federal taxes. The agency uses a vague “community benefit” standard to liberally grant tax-exempt status to so-called nonprofit hospitals even as many of them are financially taking advantage of sick Americans with inflated medical bills. Where’s the community benefit in that?

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