A Shoulder Replacement Case Study
The Bottom Line: When CMS makes a procedure ASC-payable, the shift is fast, measurable, and concentrated in certain territories. Here's what total shoulder arthroplasty can tell us about where the site-of-service mix for hundreds of procedures is headed.
In July, I broke down the 2026 OPPS Proposed Rule and called it a gold rush. The first tranche just hit: 285 procedures came off the inpatient-only list on January 1. The remaining 1,400+ will phase out by
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Archives for 2026
Elpida Launches AI-Powered Marketing Compliance Platform for Healthcare Brands
What You Should Know
The Launch: Elpida, an AI-powered marketing compliance platform tailored specifically for the healthcare industry, officially launched today.The Core Problem: Traditionally, ensuring that healthcare marketing assets (websites, videos, social media) are compliant requires bloated, manual review cycles. This friction kills campaign momentum and drastically delays time-to-market.The Regulatory Catalyst: The regulatory landscape has fundamentally shifted. The FDA recently
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Health Universe Secures $6M for Healthcare AI Agent Platform
What You Should Know
The Funding: Health Universe raised $6M in seed funding led by Kleiner Perkins, bringing total funding to $9.5M following a 2023 pre-seed backed by Susa Ventures, Twelve Below, and Oncology Ventures.The Core Problem: Healthcare systems face escalating administrative burden, clinician burnout, and prolonged clinical trial timelines, while existing AI tools lack transparency, auditability, and regulatory readiness.The Platform: Health Universe delivers a
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LinusBio Expands Its Laser-Powered Hair Test to Help Rule Out Autism in Older Children
What You Should Know
The Expansion: LinusBio has expanded the availability of its ClearStrand-ASD test to children up to age 10. Previously, the test was only validated for children under 48 months.The Technology: ClearStrand-ASD is a first-of-its-kind biochemical screening test. It requires only a single, noninvasive strand of hair, which can be collected from children as young as one month old.How It Works: In a CLIA-certified laboratory, proprietary robotics and lasers analyze hundreds of
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XCath Completes World’s First Telerobotic Mechanical Thrombectomy with Iris Robotic System
What You Should Know
The Milestone: XCath, a neuro-endovascular robotics company, successfully completed the world’s first telerobotic stroke procedure on a human patient.The Geography: The procedure, dubbed "Operation Robo Angel," was performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira operating from a control station in Santiago, Panama. The patient was located on an operating table in Panama City—over 120 miles (200 kilometers) away.The Clinical Emergency: The patient, a male in his late
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M&A: Chartis Acquires Leap AI to Launch ‘Chartis Leap AI Studio’ for Healthcare Digital Transformation
What You Should Know
The Acquisition: Chartis, a heavyweight healthcare advisory firm, has acquired Leap AI, a pioneer in building AI-enabled healthcare products and workflow automation solutions. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. The New Division: The acquisition brings Leap AI's senior leaders into the Chartis Center for AI & Digital Transformation. They will operate under the newly minted brand, Chartis Leap AI Studio.The Leadership: The combined effort will be
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Why Health Systems Are Outsourcing Tech Support to Drive Adoption
Patient portals are an important piece of any healthcare organization’s digital engagement strategy, and they’re key to getting the most out of your EHR. Portals serve as a hub for care management, billing, and communications. The technology enables a unique convenience for providers and patients alike.
Yet, many healthcare organizations see engagement plateau after go-live. According to the National Library of Medicine, only 15% to 30% of patients use even a single portal
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Kaufman Hall January 2026 Report: Hospital Labor Expenses and Bad Debt Continue to Rise
What You Should Know
The Data Source: The January 2026 National Hospital Flash Report from Kaufman Hall, a Vizient company, is based on real-time data sampled from more than 1,300 hospitals across the United States.The Volume Slump: Patient volume in January declined across both inpatient and outpatient services. Analysts attribute this dip to a combination of postponed elective procedures around the holidays and shifts in the payer mix.The Margin Squeeze: Following a relatively strong finish
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Why Verily Raised $300M to Become an Independent Precision AI Health Giant
What You Should Know
The Funding: Verily has closed a $300M investment round led by Series X Capital, a venture fund specifically established to scale Google X "moonshot" technologies into independent companies.The Restructuring: The company has officially transitioned its legal structure from an LLC to a corporation, newly named Verily Health Inc.Alphabet's New Role: In a massive corporate shift, Alphabet (Google's parent company) will remain a "significant minority investor" but will no
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Perplexity and b.well Connected Health Partner for AI-Powered Medical Records Search
What You Should Know
The Partnership: AI search engine Perplexity has partnered with b.well Connected Health to allow consumers to securely link their complete medical records directly into their AI search experience.The Data Network: b.well operates one of the largest connected health data networks in the U.S., enabling secure access across more than 2.4 million providers and 350+ health plans and labs.The Clinical Upgrade: Instead of relying on generic internet scraping to answer health
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