What You Should Know:
- The U.S. healthcare system is entering 2026 with medical cost trends reminiscent of 15 years ago, facing persistent inflationary forces and significant federal policy changes, according to a new report from PwC.
- The report, "Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2026," projects the Group medical cost trend to remain at 8.5% in 2026 (the same level as 2025) and the Individual market trend at 7.5%. Pharmacy costs are a particular concern, projected 2.5
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Philips Launches ECG AI Marketplace, Partnering with Anumana to Enhance Cardiac Care with AI-Powered Diagnostics
What You Should Know:
- Philips announced the launch of the Philips ECG AI Marketplace, a new platform that provides cardiac care teams with a central location to access multiple vendor offerings, simplifying the management and implementation of AI-powered diagnostic tools.
- Anumana, an AI-driven health technology company focused on transforming cardiac care, is the first organization to leverage this platform, with its FDA-cleared ECG-AI™ LEF (Low Ejection Fraction) algorithm
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Beyond SaaS: How Agent as a Service is Transforming Healthcare Automation
Agent as a service (AaaS) goes beyond SaaS to offer greater automation, fewer errors, and to perform more tasks in real time while requiring less effort from humans. For specific healthcare use cases, it can be very effective. This article explores the basics of Agentic AI and the ways in which it is more capable than a typical SaaS-based architecture.
Agentic AI basics
Agents are essentially autonomous or semi-autonomous codebases that perform three key sub-tasks:
Accessing
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New Strategies Needed: No Surprises Act and the Challenges for Payors with Provider Data Inaccuracies
With more than 20 years of experience at a major health insurance company, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging provider data management can be. I’ve worked with teams reconciling files from delegated groups, fielded calls from frustrated providers, and navigated compliance pitfalls that can quickly become operational headaches. But the stakes have never been higher than they are now under the No Surprises Act (NSA).
For years, maintaining an accurate provider directory was considered a best
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CMS Proposes 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Rule: Boosting Primary Care, Cutting Waste, and Modernizing Payments
What You Should Know:
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a proposed rule for the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS).
- The proposal aims to increase quality care for Medicare recipients while significantly reducing unnecessary spending. Key initiatives include advancing primary care management through new quality measures, reducing waste in skin substitute spending, and introducing a new payment model focused on
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Samsung Acquires Xealth to Accelerate Connected Care Vision
What You Should Know:
- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Xealth, a leading healthcare integration platform. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
- The strategic acquisition will significantly advance Samsung’s transformation into a connected care platform, aiming to bridge wellness and medical care for a seamless, holistic, and hyper-personalized approach to preventative health for as many people as
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WeightWatchers Emerges from Bankruptcy, Launches New Menopause Program
What You Should Know:
- WeightWatchers today announced the successful completion of its strategic reorganization process.
- The reorganization positions the Company with significantly enhanced financial flexibility and is accelerating its transformation through key leadership appointments and product expansions, notably into women's health during menopause.
Dr. Kim Boyd Appointed Chief Medical Officer
WeightWatchers has appointed Dr. Kim Boyd as Chief Medical Officer, a
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Rock Health Report: AI Dominates Digital Health Investment in First Half of 2025
What You Should Know:
- The first half of 2025 saw a modest increase in digital health venture funding, reaching $6.4B across 245 deals for US-based digital health companies, according to Rock Health’s latest report on H1 2025 digital health trends.
- The numbers is up from $6B in H1 2024 and $6.2B in H1 2023, signaling a steady venture market that has found its footing post-pandemic. Q2 alone brought in $3.4B, exceeding the average of $2.6B per quarter since Q1 2023.
AI
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AI Agents vs. Chatbots: Understanding Agentic AI’s Role in Healthcare
As buzz around conversational AI reached a fever pitch last year, a new term began gaining traction: "AI agents."
Over the past twelve months, Google searches for AI agents have increased nearly tenfold. While the category of "agentic AI" may seem to have appeared from nowhere, it has quickly become one of the most talked-about trends in tech.
Yet, descriptions of agentic AI are still largely abstract, making it difficult to grasp what sets it apart or how it might apply in
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AI Breakthrough Reveals 2025 AI Breakthrough Award Winners
What You Should Know:
- The 8th annual AI Breakthrough Awards have been announced, recognizing the leading companies, technologies, and products in the global Artificial Intelligence market. The awards, organized by the market intelligence firm AI Breakthrough, highlight the most innovative and impactful solutions across a wide spectrum of AI categories.
- This year, the program received over 5,000 nominations from more than 20 countries, reflecting the significant and
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