What You Should Know
Blue Shield of California and Cedars-Sinai Health System reached a new four-year long-term agreement, ensuring uninterrupted in-network access for Commercial HMO and PPO members across Southern California.The renewed contract covers major hospital facilities—including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, and Huntington Hospital—alongside ambulatory surgery centers, ancillary providers, and associated
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Population Health Management (PHM) in Healthcare | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
CHG Healthcare 2026 APP Workforce Report: 92% of Leaders Rate APPs as Essential Strategy
What You Should Know
According to a new report from CHG Healthcare, advanced practice providers (APPs)—including NPs, PAs, and CRNAs—have shifted from temporary coverage to foundational infrastructure, with 92% of surveyed healthcare facility leaders rating APPs as "very" or "extremely" important to workforce strategy.The report, Advanced Practice Provider Workforce Trends Report, reveals that nearly all healthcare facilities (97%) plan to maintain or increase APP utilization in 2026,
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RWJF Report Analyzes Hospital Financial and Workforce Strains Under OBBBA
What You Should Know
A joint report by the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation analyzes five major federal policy shifts threatening hospital financial stability and operational sustainability.Medicaid work requirements and semi-annual redeterminations under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), combined with ACA Marketplace subsidy expirations, are projected to cause millions to lose health coverage.State-Directed Payment caps and provider tax reductions under OBBBA will cut
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M&A: Included Health to Acquire Clinically-Integrated Health Plan Firefly Health
What You Should Know
All-in-one healthcare delivery firm Included Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire clinically integrated health plan and advanced primary care provider Firefly Health, with closure targeted for Q3 2026.The combined entity pairs Included Health’s AI-native navigation platform with Firefly’s NCQA-accredited advanced primary care model, dynamic benefit design, and a nationwide network of 2,300+ in-person, in-home, and specialty partners.Across its full
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How to Build the Best Support Team for Your Growing Family
As our families grow and change, so too do their healthcare needs. Over the course of our loved ones’ lives, we’ll inevitably need to seek the support of a variety of different healthcare providers and medical specialists. And we need to be able to easily engage them as each family member reaches different stages of development, or whenever an emergency arises.
Because of the evolving nature of the support families require, it pays to plan ahead. Thinking about the types of care your family
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Sage Growth Partners Releases State of Maternal & NICU Care 2026 Impact Report
What You Should Know
Healthcare growth advisory firm Sage Growth Partners has published The Communication Chasm: Why Mothers Feel Lost in the System and How Health Plans Can Help, the second installment in its State of Maternal & NICU Care 2026 research series.Independent survey data from 300 recently pregnant women and 50 health plan executives exposes a profound care deficit: while 53% of mothers receive automated text reminders, only 28% find them valuable.Structural comprehension of
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Prior Authorization Technology Is the Weakest Link in the GLP-1 Revolution
The clinical case for GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity management is no longer a debate. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated sustained weight reduction of 15 to 22 percent of body weight, meaningful improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, and reductions in obesity related comorbidities including type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and major cardiology societies have all updated their
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Louisiana Department of Health Partners with Phenomune to Launch Free Statewide At-Home Immune Profiling
What You Should Know
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and biotechnology innovator Phenomune have launched a first-of-its-kind statewide public health initiative providing residents with no-cost, at-home immune insight test kits.Backed by Governor Jeff Landry, the preventative program will distribute up to 250,000 noninvasive kits designed to empower proactive health choices and mitigate structural strain across rural and Medicaid care networks.Grounded in peer-reviewed research
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Alternative Funding Programs vs. In-Benefit Optimization: Designing a Sustainable Specialty Drug Strategy
Specialty medications are expanding what is clinically possible, but not without a price. The affordability gap on these therapies continues to widen, placing sustained pressure on health plan budgets. U.S. prescription drug spending reached approximately $467 billion in 2024, with projections exceeding $556 billion by the end of 2026. As costs rise, employers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) face increasing pressure to ensure that high-cost therapies remain both clinically appropriate and
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Vida Health Partners with Instacart to Launch Category-Specific Grocery Stipends for Cardiometabolic Care
What You Should Know
Virtual cardiometabolic provider Vida Health has finalized a nationwide partnership with grocery technology leader Instacart to integrate category-specific grocery stipends into virtual chronic care delivery.The collaboration utilizes Instacart Health Fresh Funds to provide members with direct financial stipends dedicated exclusively to purchasing dietitian-approved, nutritious groceries.The initiative directly targets the social determinants of health (SDOH), leveraging
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