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
Read More
Population Health Management (PHM) in Healthcare | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Azara Healthcare Joins MEDITECH Alliance to Integrate Population Health Platform
What You Should Know
The Integration: Azara Healthcare, a dominant player in population health management, has officially joined the MEDITECH Alliance, enabling seamless integration of its Azara DRVS platform with the MEDITECH Expanse EHR.The Macro Trend: According to a 2025 Sage Growth Partners survey, 77% of health systems and hospitals are planning to increase their participation in risk-based (value-based) reimbursement models over the next two years.The Target Audience: While massive
Read More
Employers Are Buying Health Insurance Blind: It’s Time to Demand Data Transparency
Employers spend a fortune on health insurance. Health benefits are often their second-largest expense after payroll. Yet employers often make these purchases without knowing how their health plans function when employees need care.
Health insurance differs from other major purchases, in that payment doesn’t guarantee access. Employers and their workers pay frontloaded, expensive premiums only to find that when they attempt to use these benefits, their requests are denied or delayed.
Read More
Weight Watchers Releases GLP-1 Results Report Demonstrating 61% Greater Weight Loss
What You Should Know:
The Strategic Pivot Validated: Weight Watchers (WW) has released GLP-1 Results Report validating its integrated weight health platform, which combines medical therapy with behavioral support.The Core Data: Members who actively paired weight loss medication with the WW GLP-1 Success Program achieved 61.3% greater average weight loss in their first month compared to those who did not engage in behavioral support.Long-Term Efficacy: WW Med+ members prescribed GLP-1s reached
Read More
Malama Health Secures $9.2M to Expand Maternal Health Platform and Doula Network
What You Should Know
The Funding: Malama Health, a maternal health company, has closed an oversubscribed $9.2M seed round led by Acumen America with participation from Wisdom Ventures, Capital F, and Coyote Ventures, alongside angels from the company's pre-seed round. The Capital Stack: Uniquely, the round is not purely venture capital. It includes a $2.3M NIH grant and over $1M in California state funding, signaling deep alignment across federal, state, and private stakeholders.The
Read More
Walgreens Launches $49 Pay-Per-Visit Weight Management, Expanding Virtual Healthcare Platform
What You Should Know
The Launch: Walgreens has officially launched Walgreens Weight Management, expanding its Virtual Healthcare platform to offer personalized, clinician-guided weight loss support for eligible adults ages 18-64.The Clinical Pathway: Eligible patients complete an online video visit with a licensed doctor or nurse practitioner who evaluates their medical history and goals. Providers can then prescribe FDA-approved GLP-1 medications (like Wegovy) for weight loss.The Pricing
Read More
GLP-1: Amazon Pharmacy Adds Zepbound KwikPen to Its Same-Day Delivery for $299
What You Should Know
The Launch: Amazon Pharmacy has officially expanded its weight management portfolio by adding Eli Lilly's Zepbound® KwikPen® to its digital shelves.The Hardware: Unlike traditional single-use GLP-1 auto-injectors, the KwikPen is a multi-dose device designed to deliver a full month of medication in a single pen, reducing medical waste and simplifying the patient experience.The Disruption: Bypassing the murky world of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Amazon is offering
Read More
Using Clinical NLP to Unlock Untapped Quality Data for HEDIS Compliance
From my experience working with healthcare providers and payers, there’s one thing that stands out to me: the most important insights for compliance are almost never in the data fields you expect. Instead, they’re buried somewhere in the mounds of clinical data amassing in healthcare every day. As a practicing radiologist, I see firsthand just how much of the most meaningful information never makes it into traditional reporting. In my experience working with payers and providers, the difference
Read More
Pivot Point Consulting Partners With Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency Program for Dragon Copilot Deployment
What You Should Know
The Partnership: Pivot Point Consulting has partnered with the Microsoft Rural Health Resiliency Program to deploy Microsoft's Dragon Copilot AI to resource-strapped rural healthcare providers.The Financials: To remove the cost barrier of enterprise-grade AI, Microsoft is offering a staggering 60% discount off MSRP to eligible independent Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and Rural Community Hospitals.The Technology: Dragon Copilot is an advanced AI
Read More
Managing Migraines and Diabetes? Theranica Proves Migraine Wearable is Safe to Use with CGMs
What You Should Know
Theranica announced the publication of a peer-reviewed compatibility study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. The study demonstrated that the Nerivio Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) wearable can be safely used at the same time as common Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems.The concurrent use of these devices does not disrupt glucose measurement accuracy.In the United States, an estimated 4.5 million people live with both diabetes and migraines. The study
Read More
