Millions of Americans lack adequate access to prenatal care: Report
By Ashleigh Fields
thehill.com – A new report from the March of Dimes says that 5.8 million women currently live in counties without full access to maternity care.
The nonprofit organization founded by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt says 1 in 3 U.S. counties remains a maternity care desert, which is defined as an area without hospitals or birth centers that offer obstetric care, and lacks practicing obstetric clinicians like doctors or midwives.
“Maternity care deserts are not naturally occurring, nor are they inevitable. They are the result of policy decisions and longstanding underinvestment in maternity care infrastructure,” the report entitled “Nowhere to Go” says.
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Insurance premiums, copays top Americans’ list of healthcare gripes
By Chad Van Alstin
healthexec.com – Regardless of political affiliation or the type of medical coverage they have, 4 out of 5 adults in the U.S. cite the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket expenditures as their biggest gripes with the American healthcare system.
According to a new survey from the Commonwealth Fund that aimed to measure what Americans see as the top problems in need of fixing in healthcare, there were few political divides. Across the board, 45% of Republicans, 44% of Democrats and 42% of independents all said insurance premiums were their number one concern.
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Major PBMs agree to offer TrumpRx pricing information to members
By Paige Minemyer
fiercehealthcare.com – The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association announced Thursday that its members had reached an agreement with the feds to offer information on cash prices available through TrumpRx.
The commitment encompasses nine of the industry’s leading pharmacy benefit managers, including the “Big Three” in CVS’ Caremark, UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx and Cigna’s Express Scripts. Other participants that have signed on include Elevance Health’s CarelonRx, Humana, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Navitus Health Solutions, Prime Therapeutics, VtylOne and WellDyne.
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Prior authorization denials vary widely among insurers, first-of-its-kind data shows
By Jill Hughes
healthcaredive.com – The CMS issued a final rule in 2024 aimed at streamlining prior authorization processes for insurers.
Although insurers in MA have been required to report some information about prior authorizations since 2019, the new regulation broadened the required data reporting and added reporting requirements for the first time for insurers in Medicaid MCOs and the ACA marketplaces.
Heightened public disclosures come as lawmakers and the federal government increasingly scrutinize prior authorization policies, cost-controlling mechanisms wherein insurers require providers to get approval before providing treatment.
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Health systems cutting IT jobs, coding roles
By Naomi Diaz
beckershospitalreview.com – Five health systems are making targeted workforce reductions affecting IT and coding roles as organizations look to streamline operations and manage costs.
Here are the health systems and hospitals making these cuts in 2026, as reported by Becker’s:
Editor’s note: This article was updated August 3.
July:
Portland, Maine-based MaineHealth is eliminating 56 IT positions and consolidating three analytics teams into one, a net reduction of 27 roles, for a total of 83 eliminated positions. The health system, which operates nine hospitals and employs about 24,000 people, attributed the redesign to shifting federal healthcare policy, reimbursement changes and advancing technology.
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Inside the Rise of Robotic Systems in Modern Hospitals
By Michael van den Heuvel
mescape.com – MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — Robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction; they have become a routine part of clinical care. In hospitals today, they are being used for highly precise surgeries, assistance with complex procedures, targeted radiation therapy for tumors, medication inventory management, and day-to-day patient care.
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