Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR covid test. Prices are rising and they can’t fight back. More
An ambitious expansion plan by Mass General Brigham for Westborough, Westwood, and Woburn has set off a fight about the future of outpatient health care in Massachusetts. Competitors worry that the already dominant health care provider could become even more powerful. More
In a draft report, Boston-based ICER cites conflicting data from two trials. The Cambridge biotech says it “does not accurately reflect the possible holistic value” of the experimental treatment. More
In a draft report, Boston-based ICER cites conflicting data from two trials. The Cambridge biotech says it “does not accurately reflect the possible holistic value” of the experimental treatment. More
Supplements — vitamins, hormones, herbs, enzymes and probiotics — are only lightly regulated, and the existing rules are poorly enforced. The pandemic underlines why this is not a good thing, writes Sarah Green Carmichael in an op-ed. More
The increase in ownership of hospices by private equity (PE) firms and publicly traded companies (PTCs) documented by Braun and colleagues follows almost 2 decades of steady growth of for-profit ownership of hospice agencies, from one-third of hospices in 2000 to almost two-thirds by 2017. More
We asked eight people around the world what they thought. It didn’t go well. More
“We can no longer tolerate the American people paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. More
For the first time, each hospital was required to publish a website file showing the payment rates it had negotiated with insurers, and another post that would let consumers search for hundreds of “shoppable’’ medical services. More
A behind-the-scenes war between some of the state’s largest health systems could soon spill into public view at the State Capitol, after months of negotiations broke down over an obscure but bitterly contested topic: non-compete agreements written into doctors’ contracts. More
Florida hospitals rely on the state’s NICA program to protect themselves from costly lawsuits. When parents resist, some of those same hospitals ask a judge to appoint an “independent guardian” to take the decision away. More
Why hasn't the Biden administration ended this self-defeating policy from the Trump administration? More
This cohort study uses national commercial claims data to evaluate the frequency and cost of out-of-network bills for outpatient laboratory services compared with in-network laboratory services. More
A recent study finds that medical device companies spend more than pharma on payments to physicians, but spend it in different ways. More
Better regulations and reviews are needed so the FDA can ensure that consumer-facing health and medical apps are safe and effective. More
After battling the coronavirus for more than a year, Massachusetts hospitals have shifted from managing a raging crisis to incorporating COVID-19 into their daily work. More
The Virginia hospital giant had already stopped suing patients with less than $107,000 in household income. More
There is evidence that for-profit nursing homes and hospices are putting profits ahead of people, taking a deadly toll during the pandemic. More
A misguided federal program called the Unapproved Drugs Initiative, which put the FDA’s stamp of approval on old drugs, led to higher prices. It’s scrapped. So now what? More
The guidance regarding insurers’ required posting of healthcare prices came after The Wall Street Journal revealed hospitals used such codes on their price pages. More