A vote on Phoenix-based Banner Health’s proposed hospital project in Scottsdale, Ariz., was delayed after the health system requested a continuance during a meeting of Scottsdale’s Planning Commission on Jan. 14. Banner broke ground in May on the first phase of the Banner Health Scottsdale Medical Campus, which includes a medical office building with outpatient […]
Continue ReadingCuando la directora del plan público de salud más grande del país expresa su preocupación por los inminentes recortes federales a Medicaid, no lo hace solo porque se trata de su trabajo. Es algo personal. Martha Santana-Chin, hija de inmigrantes mexicanos, creció con Medi-Cal, la versión californiana de Medicaid, el programa de atención médica administrado […]
Continue ReadingIn the largest Medicare Advantage fraud settlement to date, Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $556 million to settle Justice Department allegations that it billed the government for medical conditions patients didn’t have. The settlement, announced Jan. 14, resolves whistleblower lawsuits that accused the giant health insurer of mounting a years-long scheme in which it […]
Continue ReadingThe Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner @julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A […]
Continue ReadingOakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $556 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting invalid diagnosis codes for Medicare Advantage enrollees to obtain higher payments from the federal government. According to the Justice Department, multiple Kaiser Permanente affiliates improperly increased risk-adjusted MA payments by pressuring physicians to […]
Continue ReadingErik Summers, MD, chief medical officer of MUSC Health’s division in Charleston, S.C., is focused on strengthening patient flow and empowering frontline teams. He joined the Charleston-based health system in October 2024 after nearly 15 years as CMO of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he spearheaded efforts to improve […]
Continue ReadingTallahassee (Fla.) City Commissioners accepted a proposed memorandum of understanding between the city and Florida State University that would convert a city‑owned hospital into a full academic medical center under the FSU Health umbrella. A third and final public hearing on the proposed deal will be held on March 11, according to a Jan. 14 […]
Continue ReadingSeveral hospital and health system CEOs have recently exited their roles, including through retirements and transitions to new organizations. CEO turnover has remained high, with hospitals reporting 107 CEO exits between January and November 2025 — a nearly 6% increase over the same period in 2024. Some executives have cited heightened burnout stemming from evolving […]
Continue ReadingJust hours after Rhonda Swaney left a prenatal appointment for her first pregnancy, she felt severe pain in her stomach and started vomiting. Then 25 years old and six months pregnant, she drove herself to the emergency room in Ronan, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, where an ambulance transferred her to a larger hospital […]
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When the head of the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan worries about the looming federal cuts to Medicaid, it’s not just her job. It’s personal. Martha Santana-Chin, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, grew up on Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, the government-run health care program for people with low incomes and disabilities. Today, she […]
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