HHS expands access to catastrophic plans ahead of premium pain on ACA exchanges
The move will give more Americans a coverage alternative with low monthly premiums come November’s open enrollment, but could come at the expense of people who remain in standard ACA plans.
The Trump administration is expanding consumers’ eligibility for inexpensive catastrophic health plans in an acknowledgment of looming sticker shock for individuals on the Affordable Care Act exchanges next year.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Stanford Benchmarks AI Agents In Healthcare
A team of Stanford University researchers developed benchmarks for measuring the accuracy and effectiveness of AI agents to assist physicians and published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine AI.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 Cedars-Sinai hospitals to roll out AI-driven documentation platform
Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai will implement an AI-powered documentation platform from health tech company Regard at two of its hospitals to support clinicians and streamline diagnosis.
The health system began working with Regard in 2017 through its startup accelerator program and later invested in the company’s Series B financing round via Cedars-Sinai Health Ventures. Since then, Cedars-Sinai has licensed the platform to assist physicians, nurses and revenue cycle staff by reducing manual chart review and note writing.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Study suggests No Surprises Act protections are reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs
While data released earlier this week raised questions about the administrative costs associated with No Surprises Act (NSA) arbitrations, a second study suggests the legislation is working to reduce out-of-pocket costs for members.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Twice as many health plans score 5 stars on NCQA ratings compared to 2024
In its annual health plan ratings, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) found that 11 out of 998 rated plans earning top marks, more than double last year’s total.
Of the 11 plans to achieved a 5-star rating, eight were commercial plans and three were Medicare plans. They included Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, UPMC Health Plan and several Kaiser Foundation Health Plans. An additional 55 plans earned a 4.5-star rating. Most plans ranked between 3 and 4 stars, same as in 2024. The NCQA says its ratings help consumers and regulators assess the quality and effectiveness of health plans.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Medicare ACOs saved $2.4B in 2024, setting a new record for the program
Accountable care organizations saved Medicare $2.4 billion last year, according to new federal data.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released (PDF) the latest results from the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which shows that 75% of the 476 participating ACOs earned $4.1 billion in performance payments. These organizations represent 80% of the 10.3 million beneficiaries assigned to an ACO.
READ FULL ARTICLE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
C2 Financial to Host the Inaugural Founder’s Cup on Sept. 24, Honoring the Late Ron Temko,
C2 Financial will honor its late founder, Ron Temko, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, by hosting the inaugural Founder’s Cup. The Founder’s Cup is a brand-new golf tournament celebrating the life and accomplishments of Temko, a mortgage industry icon. The event will also unite top-producing loan originators, mortgage professionals, and industry leaders from across the country.
READ PRESS RELEASE »
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________