Monday, May 20, 2024 – KFF Health News

Crain’s New York Business: Uber expands healthcare access with new patient transportation platform

Uber has announced a new platform to help caregivers provide transportation for the people they care for. The move further expands the company’s presence in the healthcare sector. The new offering, introduced Wednesday at the company’s annual product event, allows caregivers to request and monitor rides and deliveries of prescriptions, groceries and over-the-counter items for those they care about. Take care. (Glodowski, 5/17)

Modern healthcare: Hospital-at-home expansion even without Congress, regulation

Health systems and technology companies are betting big on home-based hospital care, despite regulatory uncertainty about the program’s future. Hospitals favor acute care at home because it can save money and have more beds available in their facilities for sick patients. Medicare also pays health systems the same rate it pays for any inpatient admission. (Eastbrook, 5/17)

In corporate news –

Modern Healthcare: Epic takes EHR market share ahead of Cerner, rivals: report

Epic Systems was the only electronic health records vendor to increase its market share in 2023, according to a new report. The Verona, Wisconsin-based company added beds and customers, increasing its total market share to 39% in acute care hospitals and 52% in acute care beds, according to a new report from market research firm KLAS. In 2022, Epic owned 36% of acute care hospitals and 48% of acute care beds. (Turner, 5/17)

Statistics: As health system income rises, health insurance stocks go down

Americans, especially Medicare beneficiaries, are getting more medical care these days. Demand from aging baby boomers is keeping people in doctor’s offices, and health care providers are continuing to build capacity post-COVID. (Bano, 5/20)

Bloomberg: Canoe Health wins lender’s support to cut debt, exit bankruptcy

Canoe Health Inc. won support from lower-tier creditors for a plan to reduce nearly $1 billion of debt and exit bankruptcy under new owners. At a court hearing Friday morning, the company and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors announced the deal, which would see senior lenders pay about $974 million to take ownership of the Miami-based healthcare company in exchange for canceling most of the debt. . (Church, 5/17)

Statistics: Welsh Carson private equity firm escapes FTC antitrust case

Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe has escaped the Federal Trade Commission’s grasp, but the private equity firm’s anesthesia company, US Anesthesia Partners, still must face the agency’s antitrust case, a judge ruled last week. (Harman, 5/20)

On layoffs and labor strikes –

Modern Health Care: Optimum layoffs impact 129 employees, Ohio facility to close

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum will lay off 129 employees and close its Toledo, Ohio facility, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Job and Family Services. Optum said in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed Thursday that the separations are expected to happen in three phases from July 15 to Sept. 6, and will affect employees in Ohio and remote locations. (Berryman, 5/17)

San Francisco Chronicle: SF public hospital nurses strike after June over working conditions

About 2,220 registered nurses who work for the San Francisco Department of Public Health have voted to authorize a strike over staffing shortages and unsafe conditions for patients at the city’s public hospitals and clinics, the union representing nurses said. Said late Friday night. The union, SEIU Local 1021, completed a vote Friday among its members to authorize a strike that would begin after June 30 if the union cannot reach a new contract with the city before then. (ho, 5/17)