Researchers remark that their findings “raise concerns about competition and call for closer scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission, state regulators and policy makers.”

A joint announcement from the DOJ, FTC and HHS asks for providers, patients or other industry experts to share their experiences with private equity transactions, including those not typically subject to antitrust review by law.

A February analysis showed more than 11 million Americans owe healthcare providers between $1,001 and $10,000. Another 3 million owe more than $10K.

Medicare Advantage covers a disproportionate share of disadvantaged senior citizens compared with traditional fee-for-service Medicare, yet the former bests the latter on some key outcomes metrics.

Ken Rosenfield, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and William Gray, MD, of Lankenau Heart Institute, detailed the long-term impact of a key policy shift. 

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

The Department of Justice spent a substantial amount of time and energy targeting healthcare fraud in 2023, according to a new 80-page report. Some of the year's biggest settlements involved cardiac surgery and cardiac imaging. 

Patients who owe providers $500 or less in out-of-pocket expenses tend to pay down the bill. Those who owe more than $500 are evidently inclined to ignore collections efforts and pay nothing at all.