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# Third Horizon

We design integrated health and social systems so that all communities, families, and individuals can thrive.

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://thirdhorizon.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Medicaid’s New Community Engagement Requirements Could Reshape Behavioral Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/medicaids-new-community-engagement-requirements-could-reshape-behavioral-coverage/) - On June 2, 2026, CMS released an interim final rule implementing H.R. 1’s Medicaid community engagement requirements. For behavioral health stakeholders, the implementation details may be just as important as the policy itself.
- [Your Hospital's Rates Changed This Year. Do You Know by How Much?](https://thirdhorizon.com/your-hospitals-rates-changed-this-year-do-you-know-by-how-much/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] With three full years of Transparency in Coverage (TiC) filings now available, it’s possible for the first time to track how negotiated commercial rates change over time. These changes are not estimated or modeled but observed
- [Navigating Accreditation for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics](https://thirdhorizon.com/navigating-accreditation-for-certified-community-behavioral-health-clinics/) - Developed by Third Horizon in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the resource outlines key accreditation bodies, processes, and strategic considerations.
- [CCBHC Community Needs Assessment: La Plata County, Colorado (Axis Health System)](https://thirdhorizon.com/ccbhc-community-needs-assessment-la-plata-county-colorado/) - This community needs assessment, prepared for Axis Health System, provides a data-driven and community-informed analysis of behavioral health needs in La Plata County, Colorado.
- [CCBHC Community Needs Assessment: Sweetwater County, Wyoming (Southwest Counseling Service)](https://thirdhorizon.com/ccbhc-community-needs-assessment-sweetwater-county-wyoming-southwest-counseling-service/) - This assessment provides an in-depth look at behavioral health needs in Sweetwater County, a large and geographically dispersed rural region where access to care remains a persistent challenge.
- [Parity has been the law since 2008. The data to measure it is finally here.](https://thirdhorizon.com/parity-has-been-the-law-since-2008-the-data-to-measure-it-is-finally-here/) - Unveiled on April 20, 2026, the Mental Health Parity Index represents an 18-month collaboration to take newly available transparency data and turn it into a clear picture of how parity is taking shape across plans and geographies.
- [New insurer data reveals significant gaps to in-network mental health care and treatment for substance use disorders when compared to physical health](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-insurer-data-reveals-significant-gaps-to-in-network-mental-health-care-and-treatment-for-substance-use-disorders-when-compared-to-physical-health/) - For the first time, health insurance companies’ own data can be used to more accurately pinpoint where increased access to care is needed and payment disparity exists in real-time.
- [Food Is Medicine: The Case for Nutrition as a Clinical Intervention](https://thirdhorizon.com/food-is-medicine/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”] For the millions of Americans living with serious illness, the standard picture of medical care — appointments, medications, procedures — leaves out something fundamental: what they eat. People managing conditions like cancer, congestive heart failure, COPD,
- [Peer Support and the Future of Recovery](https://thirdhorizon.com/peer-support-and-the-future-of-recovery/) - In a new video, leaders from Third Horizon and WEconnect discuss the critical infrastructure needed to scale peer-based, community-centered recovery support and deliver proven care consistently to those who need it most.
- [Third Horizon Partners with Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative to Strengthen Crisis Response](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-partners-with-blaine-county-to-strengthen-crisis-response/) - This report documents a nine-month partnership between Third Horizon and the Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative to strengthen the county’s behavioral health crisis response system.
- [Request for Information: Competitive Proposal Writing Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/request-for-information-competitive-proposal-writing-services/) - Third Horizon is seeking information from experienced proposal writers interested in supporting the development of high-quality, competitive responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and related solicitations.
- [GLP-1 Medications and the Future of American Health Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/glp-1-medications-and-the-future-of-american-health-care/) - In this video, Third Horizon explores the impact of GLP-1s, both on a personal level and the broader reality of chronic disease prevention: even the most effective drugs can’t do the work alone.
- [Third Horizon contributes to "State-Level Analysis of Access to Intensive Eating Disorder Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries"](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-contributes-to-state-level-analysis-of-access-to-intensive-eating-disorder-care-for-medicaid-beneficiaries/) - Third Horizon contributed to a newly-released article in Psychiatry Times, entitled "State-Level Analysis of Access to Intensive Eating Disorder Care for Medicaid Beneficiaries."
- [988 Colorado Sandbox Summit: Advancing a Unified Vision for Crisis Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/988-colorado-sandbox-summit-advancing-a-unified-vision-for-crisis-care/) - Third Horizon served as strategic advisor and facilitator for the Sandbox Summit, designing and leading the convening to support meaningful cross-agency collaboration and actionable planning.
- [The Rural Health Transformation Program: A Necessary Step — But Not Enough to Offset Medicaid Cuts](https://thirdhorizon.com/the-rural-health-transformation-program-a-necessary-step-but-not-enough-to-offset-medicaid-cuts/) - The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) represents one of the largest federal investments ever aimed at strengthening rural health care. However, it does not replace the extensive Medicaid reductions expected under H.R. 1.
- [Third Horizon Completes Phase 1 of the Lee County Behavioral Health System of Care Project](https://thirdhorizon.com/phase-1-lee-county-behavioral-health-system-of-care/) - Third Horizon is pleased to announce that Phase 1 of the Lee County Behavioral Health System of Care project has been successfully completed.
- [Rigor Grounded in Purpose: A Model for Health Care Data Work](https://thirdhorizon.com/rigor-grounded-in-purpose-a-model-for-health-care-data-work/) - As a part of the Health Care Council of Chicago's Q3 summit, Third Horizon convened a panel of leading data experts who explored what separates effective data work from infrastructure that sits unused.
- [Denver Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/denver-health/) - Third Horizon Strategies (THS) has collaborated with the Denver Health Behavioral Health Services (BHS) leadership team over the last three years to support several important initiatives.
- [Why Mental Health Screening and Therapy in Schools Help Kids—Not Harm Them](https://thirdhorizon.com/why-mental-health-screening-and-therapy-in-schools-help-kids-not-harm-them/) - The Washington Post published an opinion piece suggesting that school-based mental health screening “endangers kids” and that therapy doesn’t help students at risk. However, the evidence tells a very different story.
- [Executive Order on Federal Grantmaking and Its Impact on Behavioral Health Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/executive-order-on-federal-grantmaking-and-its-impact-on-behavioral-health-services/) - On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking." This directive is more than a procedural update – it could reshape how federal discretionary grants are designed, awarded, and distributed.
- [HFMA and Third Horizon launch price transparency data tool Starset Analytics](https://thirdhorizon.com/hfma-and-third-horizon-launch-starset-analytics/) - HFMA and Third Horizon announced the launch of Starset Analytics, a new toolset that helps hospitals unlock the full potential of price transparency data to inform their strategic decision-making.
- [Peer Recovery Pays Off: Three Numbers Every Health Care Leader Should Know](https://thirdhorizon.com/peer-recovery-pays-off-three-numbers-every-health-care-leader-should-know/) - Peer recovery cuts costs, boosts outcomes, and now has policy support. Citing statistics from a recent white paper, this blog outlines how peer recovery is smart spending for better addiction care.
- [Rooted to Rise: Reflecting on Our Traverse City Retreat](https://thirdhorizon.com/rooted-to-rise-reflecting-on-our-traverse-city-retreat/) - Earlier this month, our team gathered for an energizing retreat centered around one shared theme: Rooting Down to Rise Up. The retreat was more than a team getaway; it was a critical pause to reflect and reimagine what comes next.
- [Third Horizon and Unity Recovery Publish New White Paper Examining The Value Proposition for Peer Recovery Support Services Delivered through Community-Based Organizations](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-and-unity-recovery-publish-new-white-paper-examining-the-value-proposition-for-prss/) - A new white paper examines the critical role that CBOs and RCOs play in delivering peer recovery support services (PRSS) and the evolving landscape of funding and regulatory frameworks supporting these essential services.
- [CMS Innovation Center's Strategic Pivot: Navigating the Shift to "Make America Healthy Again"](https://thirdhorizon.com/cms-innovation-centers-maha/) - On May 13, 2025, CMMI announced their new strategy under the "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, indicating a pivot from the previous administration's system-level transformation approach to individual empowerment and prevention.
- [Event Recap: Unveiling the Mental Health Parity Index](https://thirdhorizon.com/event-recap-unveiling-the-mental-health-parity-index/) - The Kennedy Forum, Third Horizon, and the AMA unveiled the Mental Health Parity Index, a first-of-its-kind data tool designed to measure how commercial health plans meet mental health and substance use parity requirements.
- [Third Horizon Strategies Releases Final Report Recommending Payment Models for OUD Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-strategies-releases-final-report-recommending-payment-models-for-oud-services/) - In collaboration with Viaduct Consulting, LLC, Third Horizon Strategies released the third of three reports outlining recommendations for Medicaid coverage of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) services in jails and prisons.
- [Weathering the Policy Storm: Building Provider Strength when Funding is Uncertain](https://thirdhorizon.com/weathering-the-policy-storm-building-provider-strength-when-funding-is-uncertain/) - The behavioral health funding landscape is shifting and funding providers have relied on is becoming increasingly inconsistent and unpredictable. This piece provides practical strategies that can help organizations build resilience.
- [IL Mental Health Parity Index Shows Real-Time Gaps  in Mental Health Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/il-mental-health-parity-index-shows-real-time-gaps-in-mental-health-care/) - The Mental Health Parity Index - unveiled today by The Kennedy Forum, alongside strategic partners Third Horizon and the American Medical Association - sheds light on key metrics related to mental health/substance use disorder.
- [May 1, 2025: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-providers-2/) - The Leapfrog Group's biannual report shows that AI and technology tools are improving hospital safety grades, particularly in infection control and medication safety. High-performing hospitals are using tech to prevent errors and manage high-risk patients. Smaller systems, like McLaren Health, have improved through tech-enabled solutions like telehealth and remote monitoring. Despite challenges like staffing shortages and
- [May 1, 2025: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-providers/) - Hospitals across the U.S. are bracing for the impact of President Trump's tariffs on medical supplies, including syringes, personal protective equipment, and potentially pharmaceuticals, which could disrupt supply chains and raise patient care costs. While no major shortages or price spikes have occurred yet, reliance on imports, especially from China, poses a risk, particularly for items
- [May 1, 2025: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-payers/) - Aetna, part of CVS Health, will exit the individual markets in 2026, just five years after re-entering the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges. Despite a return to the individual market in 2022, Aetna faced disappointing sign-ups and continued losses. CVS Health announced this decision in its Q1 earnings report, which highlighted its strategy to refocus its
- [May 1, 2025: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-providers-3/) - Despite a recent Supreme Court ruling against hospitals in a case concerning Medicare's Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, hospitals plan to continue using the courts to challenge underpayments for treating low-income patients. The ruling limited how CMS calculates DSH payments, excluding some patients from the formula, but left room for future legal arguments. Hospitals are expected
- [May 1, 2025: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-public-health-prevention/) - HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to require all new vaccines to undergo placebo-controlled trials, a shift critics say could delay approvals, reduce access, and undermine trust. While HHS claims the move boosts transparency and safety, experts argue it’s unnecessary for well-established vaccines and could be unethical. The lack of clarity about which vaccines are
- [May 1, 2025: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-public-health-prevention-2/) - Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that diabetes death rates in the U.S. have declined to some of their lowest levels in years, reversing a spike seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the third quarter of 2024, there were 26.4 deaths per 100,000 people, down from a peak of 31.1
- [May 1, 2025: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will survey 250 compounding pharmacies that produce customized versions of prescription drugs, amid ongoing concerns about safety and quality. Compounded drugs, which are not FDA-approved, have surged in popularity, especially copycat GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, due to shortages of brand-name medications like Wegovy and Ozempic. The FDA plans to
- [May 1, 2025: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-access-coverage/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a 409-page review claiming gender-affirming care for minors carries significant risks and limited evidence of benefit, contrasting with major medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics. The report, prompted by a January executive order from President Trump, cites ethical concerns and irreversible effects from treatments like
- [May 1, 2025: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/may-1-2025-ma/) - Teladoc has acquired UpLift, a virtual mental health provider, for $30 million in an effort to expand its virtual mental health services despite struggles with its BetterHelp segment. The acquisition, announced alongside Teladoc’s Q1 2025 earnings, aims to improve BetterHelp’s customer base by allowing insurance coverage for mental health services, addressing a key barrier to adoption.
- [The Chronic Disease Paradox: When Policy Undermines Public Health Goals](https://thirdhorizon.com/the-chronic-disease-paradox-when-policy-undermines-public-health-goals/) - This month’s focus: The impact of policy turbulence on longstanding public health efforts.
- [National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Third Horizon Release Screening and Monitoring for Primary Care as a CCBHC](https://thirdhorizon.com/national-council-for-mental-wellbeing-and-third-horizon-release-screening-and-monitoring-for-primary-care-as-a-ccbhc/) - “Screening and Monitoring for Primary Care as a CCBHC” is a resource for CCBHCs to use in implementing high-quality outpatient primary care screening and monitoring services.
- [Leader's Edge: The Dollars in the Details](https://thirdhorizon.com/leaders-edge-the-dollars-in-the-details/) - Cheryl Matochik and Geoff Kuhn outline the challenges employers face with limited visibility into health care costs and strategies they can use to effectively incorporate TiC data into their network selection process.
- [Lake County Opioid Settlement Strategy Report](https://thirdhorizon.com/lake-county-opioid-settlement-strategy-report/) - In the Summer of 2024, Lake County, IL, partnered with Third Horizon (TH) to help develop a plan to address the opioid crisis. This report is the culmination of TH's work.
- [Marathon County SUD Gap Analysis](https://thirdhorizon.com/marathon-county-sud-gap-analysis/) - The Marathon County Department of Health partnered with Third Horizon (TH) to conduct a comprehensive gap analysis and needs assessment and to make recommendations relative to the substance use and opioid overdose epidemic in Marathon County.
- [Tea Leaves Reels: October 2, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-october-2-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] In this week’s tea leaves reel, David Smith, Founder and CEO, examines the fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine and its significant impact on health care regulations. As the new Supreme
- [The State of Behav­ioral Health in Teton Coun­ty, Wyoming](https://thirdhorizon.com/the-state-of-behavioral-health-in-teton-county-wyoming/) - The Teton Behav­ioral Health Alliance (Alliance), an ini­tia­tive of the Com­mu­ni­ty Foun­da­tion of Jack­son Hole, con­tract­ed with Third Hori­zon to ana­lyze com­mu­ni­ty-wide sur­vey data and write a report summarizing its findings.
- [Tea Leaves Reels: September 10, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-september-10-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] David Smith, Founder and CEO, explores the shocking downfall of Benefits Data Trust (BDT). After an ambitious plan to scale with AI and a $20M boost, BDT’s rapid decline leaves 250+ employees and countless beneficiaries in
- [Tea Leaves Reels: September 17, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-september-17-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″] This week, Greg Williams, President of Third Horizon, addresses the recent final rule on mental health parity released by the Biden administration. This pivotal update promises to reshape access and coverage for mental health and
- [Third Horizon Interview with Behavioral Health Tech](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-interview-with-behavioral-health-tech/) - In recognition of September being National Recovery Month, Third Horizon sat down with Behavioral Health Tech to discuss digital solutions for peer recovery and what the future holds for digital mental health care.
- [Tea Leaves Reels: August 20, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-august-20-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″] David Smith, CEO and Founder, dives into the looming threat facing telehealth. With pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities set to expire, millions of Medicare beneficiaries could lose crucial access to remote care. From potential cuts in mental
- [Tea Leaves Reels: August 13, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reals-august-13-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″] David Smith dives into the GLP-1 surge, revealing how soaring demand is leading to shortages and illegal sales of unregulated semaglutide. What does this mean for patient safety and access? [/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” src=”https://youtu.be/P1Yq80KXD-8″ hover_enabled=”0″
- [Tea Leaves Reels: July 22, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-july-22-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] In this week’s Tea Leaves Reels, David Smith explores new reimbursement codes for FDA cleared digital mental health tools in the CY2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Could this move boost adoption of digital therapeutics,
- [Tea Leaves Reels: July 29, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-july-29-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] David Smith, CEO and Founder of Third Horizon, explores the collapse of Steward Health Care and the broader implications of private equity practices on our health care system. Learn how financial mismanagement and regulatory
- [Tea Leaves Reels: August 5, 2024](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-reels-august-5-2024/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] This week, David Smith, CEO and Founder of Third Horizon Strategies, discusses health care workforce shortages. Although recent statistics show growth in the health care sector, that growth is not keeping pace with skyrocketing
- [Tea Leaves: July 16, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-16-2024-payers/) - UnitedHealth Group revealed in its second-quarter earnings report that costs stemming from a significant cyberattack on its Change Healthcare unit are expected to range between $2.3 billion to $2.45 billion this year. This projection surpasses earlier estimates by over $1 billion and will impact earnings by $0.60 to $0.70 cents per share due to business disruptions.
- [Tea Leaves: July 16, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-16-2024-mental-health/) - Two years after its launch, the national suicide hotline 988 remains relatively unknown to many Americans, despite having received 10 million calls, chats, and texts. According to recent Ipsos polling, although 67 percent of U.S. adults have heard of 988, only 23 percent feel somewhat familiar with it, a slight increase from last year. This awareness
- [Tea Leaves: July 16, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-16-2024-access-coverage/) - Several states in the US are responding to widespread frustration over soaring prescription drug costs by establishing specialized public boards tasked with investigating and regulating drug pricing. Modeled after utility boards, these entities aim to ensure that prescription medications remain affordable for consumers. Some states have empowered these boards to regulate prices for specific groups like
- [Tea Leaves: July 15, 2024: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-15-2024-transition-to-value/) - Providers participating in Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may receive advance payments based on their cost-saving achievements, alongside a looming 2.9 percent reduction in physician reimbursement rates set for 2025—a fifth consecutive year of decreases. This initiative, proposed by CMS, aims to assist high-performing ACOs, particularly safety-net institutions with limited financial resources,
- [Tea Leaves: July 15, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-15-2024-providers/) - The Supreme Court's decision that overturned the longstanding Chevron deference, is expected to trigger a wave of lawsuits across the health care sector. The ruling diminishes federal agencies' authority to interpret laws and strengthens the judiciary's role in clarifying congressional intent, introducing significant regulatory uncertainty. Health care areas likely to face legal challenges include Medicare Advantage
- [Tea Leaves: July 15, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-15-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A KHN article discusses how opioid funds are used across the nation, following a Supreme Court decision impacting settlements with opioid manufacturers. California, set to receive over $4 billion, has begun allocating funds to combat the opioid crisis through various local initiatives. These include purchasing naloxone kits, funding addiction treatment programs, and supporting harm reduction efforts
- [Tea Leaves: July 15, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-15-2024-mental-health/) - Medicare has proposed reimbursing doctors for digital mental health therapies, such as apps and software, marking a significant shift to support treatments that have struggled with adoption due to inconsistent payment and coverage pathways. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to introduce three new payment codes in 2025, specifically for FDA-approved digital therapies integrated
- [Tea Leaves: July 15, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-15-2024-health-it/) - The Change Healthcare cyberattack has caused significant upheaval in the U.S. health care system, exposing widespread vulnerabilities that now threaten as many as one in three Americans whose personal information may have been compromised. The breach, which has already seen data trafficked on the dark web, poses risks of identity theft, tax fraud, and insurance scams.
- [Tea Leaves: July 12, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-12-2024-providers/) - Telehealth advocates welcomed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposed 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule, which extends key telehealth flexibilities introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed rule includes permanent allowances for audio-only telehealth consultations when patients cannot use video and continues the option for telehealth practitioners to report office locations instead of home
- [Tea Leaves: July 12, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-12-2024-life-sciences/) - Pfizer has unveiled plans to develop an oral daily medication for weight loss, similar to existing treatments like Ozempic and Zepbound. The pharmaceutical giant reported positive results from clinical trials of its oral GLP-1 agonist candidate danuglipron, indicating promising efficacy. Pfizer initially explored a twice-daily version of danuglipron but abandoned it due to significant side effects
- [Tea Leaves: July 12, 2024: DC News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-12-2024-dc-news/) - The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal 2025 HHS spending plan along party lines despite Democratic objections to Republican initiatives aimed at restricting abortion access and restructuring National Institues of Health (NIH). The GOP-proposed budget of $107 billion for HHS includes a 7 percent cut, emphasizing NIH streamlining, reduced Title X family grants, and increased funding
- [Tea Leaves: July 11, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-11-2024-providers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a 2.6 percent reimbursement increase for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers next year, reflecting a projected 3 percent market basket increase offset by a -0.4 percent productivity adjustment. This proposed rule includes new provisions focused on maternal health and health equity, mandating hospitals to
- [Tea Leaves: July 11, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-11-2024-payers/) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is poised to sue the three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the United States — CVS' Caremark, Cigna's Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth's Optum Rx — over their pricing negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The anticipated lawsuits will focus on the PBMs' practices
- [Tea Leaves: July 11, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-11-2024-ma/) - Midwest health systems Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System have announced plans to explore a merger, potentially forming a significant nonprofit entity with 56 hospitals and projected revenues of $10 billion. This merger aims to leverage their complementary assets across Wisconsin, Michigan, and other regions, enhancing patient and community care. Under the proposed arrangement,
- [Tea Leaves: July 10, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-10-2024-payers/) - A federal judge in Texas recently blocked a Biden administration policy designed to prevent Medicare insurers from paying commissions to agents and brokers who enroll people in certain plans. This decision is significant as it undermines efforts by the administration to curb abuses and ensure the accuracy of payments within the Medicare Advantage program. Roughly one-third of
- [Tea Leaves: July 10, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-10-2024-mental-health/) - In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, Included Health and Harvard Medical School investigated the impact of reintroducing out-of-pocket costs on the utilization of virtual behavioral health care among patients in high deductible health plans (HDHPs). The study focused on approximately 15,000 patients across all states and D.C., comparing their telemental health care usage
- [Tea Leaves: July 10, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-10-2024-access-coverage/) - A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates growing American support for unrestricted abortion access, with 61 percent of respondents in a June survey believing their state should allow legal abortions for any reason a person chooses not to be pregnant. This marks a significant increase from 49 percent in a
- [Tea Leaves: July 9, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-9-2024-providers/) - Johns Hopkins University's medical school is set to become tuition-free for the majority of students starting this fall, thanks to a landmark $1 billion donation from billionaire Mike Bloomberg. This unprecedented gift aims to alleviate financial burdens on medical students, covering tuition costs entirely for those from families earning less than $300,000 annually. Additionally, it will
- [Tea Leaves: July 9, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-9-2024-payers/) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has highlighted concerns over the consolidation of pharmacies and health insurance companies, which has empowered a small number of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to wield significant influence over prescription drug prices. PBMs act as intermediaries between drug manufacturers and consumers, negotiating discounts and managing which medications are covered by insurance
- [Tea Leaves: July 9, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-9-2024-access-coverage/) - A variety of government and health care organizations are now eligible to tap into newly announced funding by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The $27.5 million aims to help address women’s behavioral health needs. The latest funding is made possible by the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan. It is intended to support women’s
- [Tea Leaves: July 8, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-8-2024-providers/) - Physician burnout rates in the United States have dropped below 50 percent for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as revealed by recent survey data from the American Medical Association (AMA). This decline, with 48 percent of surveyed physicians reporting burnout in the past year compared to 53 percent in 2022 and a
- [Tea Leaves: July 8, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-8-2024-life-sciences/) - A recent study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy may reduce the risk of several obesity-associated cancers in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Overweight and obese individuals face heightened risks for 13 types of cancer, and excess weight contributes significantly to new cancer diagnoses. The study, analyzing data from
- [Tea Leaves: July 8, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-8-2024-health-it/) - The health care industry is pushing back against a proposed rule under the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022, which mandates faster reporting of cyberattacks. While the rule aims to enhance cybersecurity by requiring companies to report incidents within strict timeframes, including details on security defenses, health care organizations argue it could hinder
- [Tea Leaves: July 8, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-8-2024-access-coverage/) - One in eight people on Medicaid reported losing coverage under the safety-net insurance program about six months into redeterminations in four Southern states, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum. About half of the survey respondents who were unenrolled from Medicaid became uninsured in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas, according to the study. Twenty-seven
- [Tea Leaves: July 3, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-3-2024-providers/) - Experts are sounding the alarm over a decline in new doctors entering pediatrics, warning of serious implications for children's health care nationwide. This shortage threatens to deprive kids of essential medical attention crucial for their well-being, potentially escalating health care costs in the long term. Aaron Carroll, a pediatrician and president of AcademyHealth, emphasized the urgency
- [Tea Leaves: July 3, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-3-2024-payers/) - A new analysis from KFF digs into insurers' financial performance across multiple markets and found the highest gross margins in the Medicare Advantage (MA) space. At the end of 2023, gross margins per enrollee in MA were $1,982 on average compared to $1,048 in the individual market. Medicaid was the lowest at $753 in gross margin
- [Tea Leaves: July 3, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-3-2024-access-coverage/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is helping incarcerated adults and children obtain access to Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage before they leave a prison, jail, or youth correctional facility. The agency’s action will give coverage to people before they are released, minimizing gaps in coverage and better supporting individuals with
- [Tea Leaves: July 2, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-2-2024-providers/) - The Biden administration is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to train primary care clinicians to better serve older adults, officials announced Monday. America faces a shortage of geriatricians, who specialize in health care for patients over 65 years old. Training primary care providers in geriatrics will make it easier for older adults to get the
- [Tea Leaves: July 2, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-2-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - OptumRx will pay $20 million to resolve claims the company violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling certain opioid prescriptions, the Department of Justice recently announced. The agency claims OptumRx did not fill prescriptions correctly for "trinity prescriptions" like benzodiazepines and other muscle relaxants from April 2013 to April 2015. These prescriptions, which are addictive,
- [Tea Leaves: July 2, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-2-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Medical schools across the country are actively seeking to increase representation of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, who are significantly underrepresented in medicine. Research indicates that patients of color often prefer physicians of their own race, and studies suggest better health outcomes for Black patients treated by Black doctors. However, efforts to diversify the medical
- [Tea Leaves: July 2, 2024: DC News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-2-2024-dc-news/) - The Supreme Court's Chevron decision, which granted agencies flexibility in interpreting unclear statutes and allowed lawsuits challenging old regulations based on new claims of harm, is expected to spark numerous legal challenges against federal policies. This shift will impact sectors including health care, such as Medicare reimbursement and nursing home staffing, as well as broader federal
- [Tea Leaves: July 1, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Illinois Certification Board (ICB), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR), launched the Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselors (CADC) Workforce Expansion Program in 2023. This initiative aims to tackle the critical shortage of CADCs in Illinois. By providing financial assistance, comprehensive support services, and promoting sustainable employment, the program addresses key barriers
- [Tea Leaves: July 1, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-1-2024-providers/) - Dr. Bruce Scott, the newly appointed president of the American Medical Association, aims to address several key challenges during his one-year term. His primary focus is reducing health care reliance on non-physician providers, a trend he believes undermines the rigorous training and expertise physicians bring to patient care. Concerned about increasing administrative burdens and physician burnout,
- [Tea Leaves: July 1, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-1-2024-ma/) - Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, has decided to withdraw from its previously announced agreement to acquire Steward Health Care’s physician group, as confirmed by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC). The deal, originally disclosed in March as a key part of Steward’s bankruptcy proceedings, faced criticism from lawmakers and other critics. According to Mickey O’Neill,
- [Tea Leaves: July 1, 2024: DC News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-1-2024-dc-news/) - The Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine, which allowed federal agencies leeway in interpreting ambiguous laws, is expected to severely hinder the government's ability to enforce public health regulations and could lead to a surge in litigation challenging such rules. Experts and health organizations, including the American Public Health Association and the American Cancer
- [Tea Leaves: July 1, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-july-1-2024-access-coverage/) - The Biden administration recently stated its opposition to gender-affirming surgery for minors, marking its clearest stance on the issue despite its strong support for transgender rights. The administration's position emphasizes concerns about the lack of scientific support for lower age limits and potential backlash against the transgender community. While continuing to support other forms of gender-affirming
- [Tea Leaves: June 28, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-28-2024-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all Americans aged 6 months and older receive the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines this fall amid a resurgence of infections across 39 states and territories. These vaccines are intended to provide additional protection against evolving variants as immunity wanes and the virus continues to mutate. The CDC
- [Tea Leaves: June 28, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-28-2024-providers/) - Nineteen rural Minnesota hospitals and their 50-plus clinics have banded together to form a clinically integrated network (CIN) serving more than 750,000 people. The so-called Headwaters High-Value Network, announced Thursday, stitches the independent hospitals’ services together so that Minnesotans can coordinate their care across care sites. Together, the member groups employ about 9,000 people and bring
- [Tea Leaves: June 28, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-28-2024-payers/) - A House committee overwhelmingly passed four bills on Thursday that would expand Medicare coverage of obesity drugs and cancer screening blood tests and place guardrails around Medicare’s discretion in covering drugs and devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The House Ways & Means Committee passed obesity drug coverage legislation that would offer a limited
- [Tea Leaves: June 28, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-28-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Supreme Court decisively rejected Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy reorganization plan that aimed to shield the Sackler family from lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. The 5-4 decision sided with arguments that the Sacklers abused the bankruptcy process to evade legal liabilities, stating that they sought special treatment beyond what bankruptcy law allows. This ruling means billions
- [Tea Leaves: June 27, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-27-2024-providers/) - For-profit hospitals received lower marks on “socially responsible” metrics compared to nonprofits in an annual index from the Lown Institute released on Tuesday. For-profit hospitals were overrepresented in the lowest quality rankings on the index, which measured equity, care value, and patient outcomes. Although for-profits represented 18 percent of acute care hospitals, they earned 36 percent
- [Tea Leaves: June 27, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-27-2024-payers/) - Employee health care costs are increasingly eating up larger shares of payroll costs for America's smallest businesses, according to a new analysis from the JPMorgan Chase Institute. The pain of health care costs is nothing new, but this analysis, based on de-identified data from Chase business banking accounts, offers a more granular look at the disproportionate
- [Tea Leaves: June 27, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-27-2024-life-sciences/) - A recent report indicates that while shortages of chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin and carboplatin have eased in the United States, concerns persist among major cancer centers regarding ongoing supply issues. According to a survey released by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 89 percent of 28 large cancer centers across the country reported shortages of at least
- [Tea Leaves: June 27, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-27-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Racial health care disparities persist in every state in the nation despite two decades of attempts to improve health outcomes for minorities, according to a new report released Wednesday. The report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found that structural racism and people’s environment have contributed to worse health outcomes for minorities. The
- [Tea Leaves: June 27, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-27-2024-access-coverage/) - The Supreme Court dismissed a significant abortion case on Thursday, marking a temporary win for abortion-rights advocates in Idaho. The case involved the state's near-total ban on abortion, which permits emergency abortions only to save a pregnant person's life but not for severe health issues. The Biden administration argued for broader access to emergency abortions under
- [Tea Leaves: June 26, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-26-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin revealed the state is filing a lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) Optum and Express Scripts for their role in the state's ongoing opioid epidemic. In the lawsuit, the state argues the PBMs negotiated deals with opioid manufacturers and exploited rebates, all while failing to protect consumers as they financially benefited.
- [Tea Leaves: June 26, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-26-2024-ma/) - A recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper reveals that increased health care costs following hospital mergers lead to higher insurance premiums for employers, prompting them to lay off employees rather than reduce wages. Researchers from multiple institutions, including the University of Chicago and Harvard, found that a 1 percent rise in health care prices
- [Tea Leaves: June 26, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-26-2024-life-sciences/) - Early research suggests a new slow-release ketamine pill could offer a promising option for treating hard-to-treat depression with fewer side effects compared to existing treatments. While no form of ketamine has FDA approval for psychiatric disorders, derivatives like esketamine are used off-label and require clinic-based administration due to potential side effects. The new pill aims to
- [Tea Leaves: June 26, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-26-2024-health-it/) - The health care industry has received a commendable "B+" grade in cybersecurity from SecurityScorecard, indicating stronger security practices than anticipated. The assessment focused on the top 500 health care companies, predominantly pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, highlighting their generally robust security measures. Despite this positive rating, the report underscores persistent vulnerabilities, as exemplified by recent incidents like
- [Tea Leaves: June 25, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-25-2024-public-health-prevention/) - U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has officially labeled firearm violence as a critical public health crisis in America, citing daily incidents where shootings injure at least four individuals across the nation. Dr. Murthy's advisory calls for urgent policy actions, including bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks for all gun purchases, increased funding
- [Tea Leaves: June 25, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-25-2024-providers/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is locking in its enforcement strategy to keep health care providers from blocking access to electronic health information. On Monday morning, the department released its final rule outlining disincentives for eligible hospitals or critical access hospitals, clinician groups, and accountable care organizations (ACOs) found to have committed information
- [Tea Leaves: June 25, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-25-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A judge intervened to halt the transfer of $115 million from Arizona's share of the national opioid settlement, which lawmakers had recently approved to help offset a significant budget deficit of nearly $1.4 billion. Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit arguing that the transfer violated the settlement's terms, which designated the funds for opioid abatement,
- [Tea Leaves: June 25, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-25-2024-mental-health/) - Recent data indicates a gradual improvement in youth mental health following significant declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, though some metrics still lag behind pre-pandemic levels. In several states, including North Carolina, Washington, and Colorado, surveys show decreased rates of sadness and hopelessness among high school students compared to previous years. Kathleen Ethier from the CDC's Division
- [Tea Leaves: June 24, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-24-2024-life-sciences/) - Novo Nordisk has announced plans to construct a $4.1 billion factory in Clayton, North Carolina, aimed at addressing shortages of its popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic. This move comes amidst widespread patient difficulties in accessing GLP-1 injectable medications, an issue also affecting competitors like Eli Lilly. The 1.4 million-square-foot facility is set to
- [New Report Finds the CADC Workforce Expansion Program is Pivotal in Strengthening Illinois' SUD Treatment Workforce](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-report-finds-cadc-program-pivotal/) - This report evaluates the CADC Workforce Program's effectiveness, offering insights into its success in reducing barriers and promoting sustainable employment within Illinois' SUD treatment sector.
- [Tea Leaves: June 24, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-24-2024-payers/) - Florida's Medicaid spending on emergency health care for undocumented migrants has significantly decreased following Governor Ron DeSantis' crackdown on illegal immigration, coinciding with his presidential campaign efforts. DeSantis' legislation mandates hospitals to inquire about patients' immigration status, though patients are not obligated to respond. This initiative has sparked concerns among immigrant rights groups that it could
- [Tea Leaves: June 24, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-24-2024-ma/) - Kaiser-backed Risant Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire North Carolina-based hospital system Cone Health, now the second system to join Risant Health, a nonprofit formed to build a national value-based care network. The two organizations were in talks for about a year. Cone enlisted a panel of 14 physician leaders to help with due
- [Tea Leaves: June 24, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-24-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Awareness of postpartum health risks in the United States has increased significantly, but the health care system is still lagging behind in providing adequate support. More than half of pregnancy-related deaths occur within the first year postpartum, disproportionately affecting Black and Native American women. Traditional postpartum care, typically a single checkup six weeks after birth, is
- [Tea Leaves: June 24, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-24-2024-access-coverage/) - A federal appeals court recently ruled that health insurers must uphold the Affordable Care Act's mandate to cover certain preventive services like cancer screenings and behavioral counseling without cost-sharing. The decision, seen as pivotal, maintains the ACA's provision despite challenges from Christian-owned companies questioning the authority behind the coverage requirements set by the U.S. Preventive Services
- [Tea Leaves: June 21, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-21-2024-providers/) - In a significant legal decision, a federal district court in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), stating that HHS had exceeded its authority by issuing guidance that warned hospitals against tracking visitors to their websites, citing it as a violation of health privacy rules. The ruling, delivered by Judge
- [Tea Leaves: June 21, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-21-2024-payers/) - The issue of high prescription drug costs in America extends beyond the commonly blamed entities like drug companies and insurers. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), often overlooked but immensely influential, play a pivotal role. These middlemen, controlled by giants like CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group, oversee drug prescriptions for over 200 million Americans. Their mandate ostensibly
- [Tea Leaves: June 21, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-21-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Members of the House from both parties have formed a new coalition aimed at addressing China's involvement in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic. Led by Representatives Dan Newhouse and Jake Auchincloss, the group plans to intensify efforts to curb the supply of this deadly drug by proposing stronger sanctions, targeting money laundering activities, and advocating for trade
- [Tea Leaves: June 21, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-21-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Over the past nine weeks, an exploration into key health care topics has underscored a pervasive theme of inequality that is deeply rooted in America's health care system, with indications that these disparities may worsen. Access to health care remains unequal across racial, socioeconomic, and geographical lines, influencing health outcomes from birth to death. Disparities in insurance
- [Tea Leaves: June 20, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-20-2024-providers/) - Health care providers are grappling with unprecedentedly high labor costs amid ongoing challenges that show no signs of abating. To cope, hospitals and health systems are resorting to innovative strategies such as hefty investments in talent acquisition and retention, surpassing billions of dollars. Inflation and escalating wage expectations have further intensified costs, necessitating the use of
- [Tea Leaves: June 20, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-20-2024-payers/) - Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sharply criticized the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) during a recent hearing on value-based care, accusing it of failing to achieve cost savings since its inception in 2010. They proposed measures such as cutting funding or even shutting down CMMI due to its reported $5.4 billion
- [Tea Leaves: June 20, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-20-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A recent federal study revealed that only 4.1 percent of traditional Medicare enrollees who survived a nonfatal drug overdose in 2020 received effective medications for opioid use disorder within the following year, such as methadone or buprenorphine. This finding underscores significant gaps in providing essential addiction treatments to high-risk seniors, despite measures like prescribing naloxone and
- [Tea Leaves: June 20, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-20-2024-access-coverage/) - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) anticipates a rise in the uninsured rate in the United States over the next decade, with projections indicating an increase from 7.7 percent this year to 8.9 percent by 2034. Currently, 26 million people lack health coverage, up from a recent low of 7.2 percent in 2023. Factors contributing to this
- [Tea Leaves: June 18, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-18-2024-providers/) - Amazon Pharmacy has extended its RxPass prescription drug subscription program to include Prime members enrolled in Medicare insurance. Launched in January 2023, RxPass offers Prime members unlimited access to 60 generic medications, delivering them directly to customers' homes for a flat monthly fee of $5. The service includes 24/7 access to pharmacists and same-day delivery in
- [Tea Leaves: June 18, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-18-2024-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the conclusion of its financial relief program for providers impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Starting July 12, CMS will no longer accept new applications for accelerated or advance payments, ending a program launched in March in response to the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a UnitedHealth Group
- [Tea Leaves: June 18, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-18-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - In the realm of health care, addiction remains highly stigmatized, particularly among pregnant women who use drugs, facing condemnation across various systems. Agencies often remove newborns from drug-positive mothers without providing adequate support, contributing to higher risks of subsequent pregnancies with drug exposure. Health care providers also stigmatize these women, impacting their access to prenatal care.
- [Tea Leaves: June 17, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-17-2024-public-health-prevention/) - The United States Surgeon General proposed the implementation of warning labels on social media platforms to caution parents about potential risks to adolescents' mental health. Similar to labels on tobacco and alcohol products, these warnings aim to inform parents of the uncertain safety of social media use for young people. Despite Dr. Murthy's advocacy, the authority
- [Tea Leaves: June 17, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-17-2024-providers/) - A recent study from the University of Pennsylvania highlighted that COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals with fewer nursing resources had significantly lower survival rates. Analyzing nearly 88,000 Medicare patients discharged from 237 hospitals between April and December 2020, researchers found that nearly a quarter of patients died during their hospital stay, and nearly a third died
- [Tea Leaves: June 17, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-17-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - In 2019, the U.S. federal government initiated the HEALing Communities Study to tackle rising opioid overdose rates by implementing evidence-based interventions such as distributing naloxone and expanding access to addiction medications. However, data published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that communities adopting these strategies did not observe a statistically significant reduction in opioid
- [Tea Leaves: June 17, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-17-2024-life-sciences/) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has introduced a new rule aimed at curbing the misuse of patent thickets in the pharmaceutical industry. These patent thickets, made up of numerous patents with incremental changes to drugs, are exploited by companies to prolong monopolies on brand-name medicines, delaying the entry of cheaper generic alternatives. Central to these
- [Tea Leaves: June 17, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-17-2024-health-it/) - Ascension said Friday it has restored access across all markets to the core system for electronic health records and patient portals after a cyberattack. Patients should see a smoother process for scheduling appointments and filling prescriptions, plus improved wait times, Ascension said in a news release. Some information may be temporarily inaccessible as the system updates
- [Tea Leaves: June 13, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-13-2024-payers/) - In 2023, national health spending in the United States surged, outpacing economic growth, with estimates showing a 7.5 percent increase totaling $4.8 trillion, according to government data. This growth was attributed to a historic high in health insurance coverage, reaching 93.1 percent of the population, largely due to pandemic policies boosting Medicaid and marketplace plan
- [Tea Leaves: June 13, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-13-2024/) - Recorded Future, a cybersecurity firm, reported a significant increase in ransomware attacks targeting health care organizations following the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which disrupted much of the U.S. health care system. The $22 million ransom paid by Change's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, possibly encouraged further attacks within the industry. Recorded Future observed 44 ransomware attacks
- [Tea Leaves: June 13, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-13-2024-mental-health/) - A Pentagon study revealed that between 2014 and 2019, U.S. soldiers were nearly nine times more likely to die by suicide than in combat situations, marking suicide as the leading cause of death among active-duty soldiers during that period, with 883 recorded suicide deaths compared to 96 combat deaths. Published by the Defense Health Agency,
- [Tea Leaves: June 11, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-11-2024-public-health-prevention/) - Federal agencies are ramping up efforts to crack down on the sale and distribution of illicit electronic cigarettes, intent on stemming the flood of products on the market that continuously skirt government regulation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday a new task force of agencies aimed at bringing “all available criminal and civil
- [Tea Leaves: June 11, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-11-2024-providers/) - The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a case challenging how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) applies Congress’ formula for calculating disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. The suit, Advocate Christ Medical Center v. Becerra, was originally filed in 2017 by a group of more than 200 hospitals over the agency’s formula
- [Tea Leaves: June 11, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-11-2024-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must recalculate Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia’s Medicare Advantage star ratings, a federal court ruled Friday. Parent company Elevance Health sued over its scores in December, alleging CMS did not follow proper procedures when it modified how it assesses quality and distributes bonus payments
- [Tea Leaves: June 11, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-11-2024-mental-health/) - Gun suicides consistently outstrip gun homicides in the U.S. despite drawing less attention than other forms of gun violence. Suicide rates have increased in the U.S. over the past few decades and become a leading cause of death among young and middle-aged Americans. Gun suicides have outpaced gun homicides for the past 25 years, according
- [Tea Leaves: June 11, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-11-2024-life-sciences/) - A closely watched Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers on Monday, setting the stage for the treatment’s expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers voted unanimously that the drug’s ability to slow the disease outweighs its risks, including
- [Tea Leaves: June 10, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-10-2024-providers/) - Nearly three-quarters of health care professionals say the time or effort needed to complete clinical documentation hampers patient care, according to a survey published by the American Medical Informatics Association. Documentation tasks follow health care workers home too. More than 77 percent of respondents reported finishing work later than desired or working after hours due
- [Tea Leaves: June 10, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-10-2024-payers/) - Humana and CVS, major players in the Medicare Advantage (MA) market, are anticipated to significantly reduce plan benefits and geographic coverage next year in pursuit of higher profits within the privately run Medicare program. This move could potentially lead to hundreds of thousands of MA seniors, along with billions in revenue, seeking new insurers. The
- [Tea Leaves: June 10, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-10-2024-mental-health/) - The Department of Health and Human Services has expanded the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program to include 10 new states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The expansion aligns with President Biden's Unity Agenda and the administration's efforts to address mental health and
- [Tea Leaves: June 10, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-june-10-2024-health-it/) - Microsoft has introduced a cybersecurity initiative aimed at bolstering the defenses of rural hospitals, offering free and discounted technology services, training, and support. Collaborating with the White House, the American Hospital Association, and the National Rural Health Association, Microsoft plans to provide nonprofit pricing and up to a 75 percent discount on security products for
- [Tea Leaves: May 31, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-31-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - While the severity of the country's addiction crisis is widely acknowledged, the full extent of its impact is often underestimated. Beyond the staggering number of drug overdose deaths, which annually surpass the casualties of the Vietnam War, lies a complex web of addiction-related issues, including bacterial infections, emotional trauma, and financial strain on families. With
- [Tea Leaves: May 31, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-31-2024-providers/) - The Justice Department is objecting to Steward Health Care's proposed bankruptcy financing plan, saying it needs time to review the sale of Steward's assets — particularly Optum's bid to purchase Stewardship Health. The proposed plan, in which for-profit Steward could borrow up to $300 million from landlord Medical Properties Trust, sets "an aggressive schedule" for
- [Tea Leaves: May 31, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-31-2024-mental-health/) - Research published on Thursday reveals a concerning trend: diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, with prevalence rising from 3.4 percent to 7.5 percent during this period. The study, which analyzed responses from over 390,000 participants in the Healthy Minds Study, attributes the increase to various
- [Tea Leaves: May 30, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-30-2024-providers/) - A recent review in JAMA highlights the ripple effects of hospital ransomware attacks, revealing that such cyber assaults reduce admissions and emergency visits at targeted hospitals and prompt an increase in visits to neighboring unattacked hospitals. Conducted by researchers from William Paterson University and RAND, the study examined patient volumes in California, indicating an initial
- [Tea Leaves: May 30, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-30-2024-payers/) - A recent survey by the Business Group on Health and Fidelity Investments underscores the continued importance of well-being programs for employers, with nearly all 160 surveyed firms considering them key to their overall strategy and planning to maintain current funding levels. Moreover, over half of the respondents aim to expand these programs to address social
- [Tea Leaves: May 30, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-30-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Nicotine alternatives used in vapes being launched in the U.S. and abroad, such as 6-methyl nicotine, may be more potent and addictive than nicotine itself, though the scientific data remains incomplete, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and independent researchers. The synthetic substances - which have a chemical structure similar to that
- [Tea Leaves: May 30, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-30-2024-life-sciences/) - A study published in JAMA Network Open, drawing from data collected through the Apple Research App involving over 71,000 women, reveals a concerning trend: the age at which girls in the United States experience their first period is declining, while the time it takes for their menstrual cycles to become regular is increasing, suggesting deteriorating
- [Tea Leaves: May 29, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-29-2024-public-health-prevention/) - Negotiations on a pandemic treaty have hit a snag, raising concerns about global preparedness for future viral threats at the World Health Assembly's recent opening. Despite two years of discussions, a draft treaty wasn't ready for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual meeting. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged action from the Assembly, stating that
- [Tea Leaves: May 29, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-29-2024-providers/) - Hospital lobbies have signed onto a multi-sector letter of 230 industry associations and chambers of commerce urging the Federal Trade Commission to bump the effective date of its ban on employee noncompete clauses. Sent late last week, the letter outlines a “lack of Commission guidance on key pieces” of the final rule passed in a
- [Tea Leaves: May 29, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-29-2024-mental-health/) - Pregnant women and new mothers in the United States are experiencing a severe mental health crisis, with mental health conditions emerging as the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths, according to the CDC. Between 2019 and 2021, maternal mortality rates surged by approximately 60 percent, with suicides and overdoses contributing to nearly a quarter of
- [Tea Leaves: May 29, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-29-2024-life-sciences/) - A recent study analyzing 25 years of birth data suggests that heat waves are associated with slight increases in premature and early-term births, with risks escalating as extreme temperatures persist, posing a potential threat to infant health amidst climate change. Premature birth, the leading cause of infant mortality, presents significant long-term health challenges. After four
- [Tea Leaves: May 29, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-29-2024-health-it/) - Artificial intelligence, particularly natural language processing (NLP), is revolutionizing health care by aiding in tasks like suicide risk assessment. With suicide rates rising, NLP offers a unique solution by analyzing patient text entries for signs of suicidal ideation. One software company’s study demonstrated that NLP could detect potential suicide risk in over half of patients
- [Tea Leaves: May 28, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-28-2024-providers/) - The demand for new weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy is rapidly increasing among Americans, but there's a shortage of health care providers trained in obesity care to meet this demand. This shortage raises concerns about the potential for errors in prescribing these medications and the lack of proper monitoring and support for
- [Tea Leaves: May 28, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-28-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Industry leaders recently gathered at a summit for methadone clinics and discussed who should be allowed to prescribe methadone to patients. The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, a national advocacy group representing methadone clinics, has never seen the industry face such pressure to radically expand access to the medication. But amid record
- [Tea Leaves: May 28, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-28-2024-mental-health/) - The Deloitte Health Equity Institute and the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College conducted a study on mental health inequities in the U.S., analyzing costs, including chronic ailments and productivity losses. They found these inequities cost an estimated $477.5 billion in 2024, projected to exceed $1.3 trillion by 2040, totaling nearly $14 trillion.
- [Tea Leaves: May 28, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-28-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Providers and health systems are preparing to weigh in on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) ideas for how to use Medicare to improve maternal health. While Medicare covers fewer pregnant, birthing, and postpartum patients than other payers —including Medicaid — CMS has asked for feedback on whether the program's conditions of participation should be used
- [Tea Leaves: May 28, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-28-2024-health-it/) - Health care’s cybersecurity challenges have shined a light on how the industry has failed to protect patient data by not dedicating enough resources to address the problem. Health systems and insurers are dealing with the aftermath of the industry’s latest large-scale ransomware attacks on St. Louis-based Ascension, UnitedHealth Group's Change Healthcare, and Chicago-based Lurie Children's
- [Tea Leaves: May 24, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-24-2024-providers/) - After several years of modest or declining growth, the average pay for doctors jumped 5.9 percent in 2023, rebounding from a decline of 2.4 percent in 2022. Most medical specialties experienced positive growth in 2023, with the top 10 seeing annual growth rates exceeding 7 percent, according to the 2024 Physician Compensation Report from professional
- [Tea Leaves: May 24, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-24-2024-payers/) - Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) in the country, has notched a major partnership with independent pharmacies amid contentious relations between the two industries. The Cigna-owned PBM unveiled a collaboration on Thursday with pharmacy network CPESN USA to coordinate care delivery for seniors on Medicare with hypertension and diabetes. CPESN’s independent
- [Tea Leaves: May 24, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-24-2024-access-coverage/) - Arizona doctors can now legally provide abortions in California for Arizona patients needing to travel out of state for care. The bill, titled Senate Bill 233, allows Arizona abortion providers to be quickly approved for work in California. It was introduced by Newsom last month after the Arizona Supreme Court’s near-total abortion ban, which has
- [Tea Leaves: May 23, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-23-2024-providers/) - Mayo Clinic is partnering with Zipline to provide drone delivery service for medications and supplies directly to patients' homes as part of its advanced hospital-at-home program. The health system will integrate Zipline's Platform 2 drone system into its campuses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic will use Zipline’s zero-emission, autonomous drones for quick
- [Tea Leaves: May 23, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-23-2024-payers/) - UnitedHealth-owned Optum Rx, one of the biggest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S., is launching a new drug pricing model next year meant to make payers’ spending on pharmaceuticals more predictable. The model, called Clear Trend Guarantee, combines costs that used to be separated out, including retail pharmacy, home delivery, specialty drug, and rebates, into
- [Tea Leaves: May 23, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-23-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Fentanyl, a pervasive killer in America’s illicit drug supply, is increasingly landing in the hands of teens across the region and nation, worrying providers who say treatment options for youths are limited. Across the country, fentanyl has largely fueled a more than doubling of overdose deaths among children ages 12 to 17 since the start
- [Tea Leaves: May 22, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-22-2024-providers/) - Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago announced Monday that it "is no longer addressing an active cybersecurity matter" and has reactivated patient-facing systems that were taken offline over three and a half months ago. Illinois' largest pediatric care provider had been contending with the cyberattack from "a known criminal threat actor" since January 31, leading to
- [Tea Leaves: May 22, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-22-2024-life-sciences/) - A new study found that a remote patient monitoring program reduced costs and improved outcomes for heart failure patients. The program demonstrated a significant 52 percent cost reduction per month for Medicare beneficiaries. The study involved over 350 patients and showed a remarkable increase in treatment adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) standards. One researcher
- [Tea Leaves: May 22, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-22-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - SNAP benefits fail to cover the rising costs of groceries in 98 percent of U.S. counties, according to a new Urban Institute analysis. The report's release comes ahead of a Thursday markup of House Republicans' $1.5 trillion farm bill, as advocates say proposed cuts could further undermine the federal food aid program. The benefits, also
- [Tea Leaves: May 22, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-22-2024-health-it/) - Electronic health record company Epic launched an open-source tool on Wednesday that will allow health care providers to test and validate artificial intelligence models. The tool is free and available through the public coding website Github, where health systems can add it to their electronic health record systems, said Corey Miller, vice president of research
- [Tea Leaves: May 22, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-22-2024-access-coverage/) - South Carolina’s Governor signed a bill banning gender-affirming care treatments and procedures for those under 18 in his state Tuesday. The bill, House Bill 4264, states that a “physician, mental health provider, or other health care professional shall not knowingly provide gender transition procedures to a person under eighteen years of age” and that those
- [Tea Leaves: May 21, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-21-2024-providers/) - Health and Wellness company Hims & Hers announced that it will begin offering weight loss shots at an 85 percent discount compared to the popular drug Wegovy. The telehealth company's stock soared over 27 percent Monday after it said it would begin selling compounded versions of the GLP-1 injections that are soaring in popularity. The
- [Tea Leaves: May 21, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-21-2024-payers/) - UnitedHealth said on Monday that its OptumRx unit would offer a new pricing model starting next year to help manage insurers' costs for drugs. The new model, Optum Rx Clear Trend Guarantee, will provide value-based pricing of drugs per member, combining the cost of these medicines from various sources such as retail pharmacy, home delivery,
- [Tea Leaves: May 21, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-21-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Delaware will test a Medicaid program allowing delivery of meals and diapers to postpartum enrollees for three months after giving birth. The pilot program approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday is the latest effort to expand coverage of social supports aimed at improving the health of Medicaid beneficiaries. Low-income
- [Tea Leaves: May 21, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-21-2024-health-it/) - The U.S. government is seeking to play a more active role in protecting the private health care sector from a deluge of cyberattacks that have disrupted patient care and left providers unpaid. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday unveiled a new program to create tools that defend internet-connected hospital equipment from
- [Tea Leaves: May 20, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-20-2024-life-sciences/) - Starting Monday, a new federal transparency rule will revolutionize drug advertising by mandating clear disclosure of potential side effects and when to avoid medication. This update of a 2007 law empowers the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in advertising oversight and addresses concerns of vague or distracting messaging by setting five standards for direct-to-consumer ads,
- [Tea Leaves: May 20, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-20-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Uber has announced a new platform to help caregivers facilitate transportation for those they care for. The move also further expands the company’s footprint in the health care space. The new offering, unveiled on Wednesday at the company’s annual product event, allows caregivers to request and monitor rides and deliveries of prescriptions, groceries, and over-the-counter
- [Tea Leaves: May 20, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-20-2024-health-it/) - Epic Systems was the only electronic health record vendor to increase its market share in 2023, according to a new report. The Wisconsin-based company added beds and customers, increasing its total market share to 39 percent of acute care hospitals and 52 percent of acute care beds, according to a new report from market research
- [Tea Leaves: May 20, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-may-20-2024-access-coverage/) - Senators Ted Cruz and Katie Britt announced Monday they are introducing legislation to protect legal access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) nationwide in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos created by the treatment are children. Cruz and Britt said they will unveil the bill to clear up the “confusion and misinformation”
- [Friday, May 17, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-17-2024-providers/) - Nurse practitioners (NPs) have become integral in primary care, assuming tasks traditionally handled by doctors; however, a new trend sees NPs and physician assistants (PAs) increasingly entering specialty practices like cardiology and dermatology, expanding their skills and earning potential. This shift raises concerns about the future of primary care, which relies on NPs to alleviate physician
- [Friday, May 17, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-17-2024-payers/) - Kansas has awarded new contracts in its more than $4 billion Medicaid managed care program to plans operated by incumbents UnitedHealth and Centene. CVS, however, was displaced by newcomer Healthy Blue, a plan majority owned by Elevance. Kansas’ Medicaid program, called KanCare, announced the awards Tuesday to provide care for its 458,000 beneficiaries. The earnings impact on plans from
- [Friday, May 17, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-17-2024-life-sciences/) - The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday unveiled a historic proposal to ease restrictions on marijuana, a rule that, if enacted, would also enable more research on its medicinal benefits. The proposal, first announced in April, would reclassify cannabis from a so-called schedule one drug to a schedule three. Schedule one drugs, such as heroin, are considered
- [Friday, May 17, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-17-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - The staggering cost of mental health inequity in the United States threatens to rise to a cumulative $14 trillion by 2040 if left unaddressed, according to a new analysis by Deloitte and the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College. The U.S. currently spends about $477.5 billion annually in avoidable and unnecessary expenses related to
- [Tea Leaves: January 18, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-18-2024-public-health-prevention/) - New cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to top 2 million for the first time in 2024, driven in large part by an alarming increase in cancers among younger Americans, according to new American Cancer Society (ACS) data. Colon cancer is now the deadliest type of cancer in men younger than 50 years old and
- [Tea Leaves: January 18, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-18-2024-providers/) - Thirteen health systems are collaborating with high schools as part of a $250 million initiative to boost the health care workforce. Announced Wednesday, the new initiative funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies will work with the public school systems in 10 urban and rural communities. New or refurbished high schools will provide a combination of “traditional academic programming”
- [Tea Leaves: January 18, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-18-2024-payers/) - To combat growing criticism of prior authorization delays by payers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule Wednesday that requires health plans to send prior authorization decisions within three days for urgent requests and seven days for standard requests starting in 2026. The guidelines will affect Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, the Children's Health
- [Tea Leaves: January 18, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-18-2024-mental-health/) - Nearly 50,000 veterans made use of an emergency suicide prevention program that was launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs last year. The department said the new policy allowed those experiencing a suicidal crisis to get necessary care, including emergency room visits, up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care, up to 90 days
- [Tea Leaves: January 18, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-18-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - The quality of health care for minority children in the United States is universally worse than it is for white children, even after accounting for insurance coverage, an analysis of dozens of recent studies found. The findings, which come from an analysis of more than 70 studies published between 2017 and 2022, were reported on Wednesday
- [Tea Leaves: January 17, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-17-2024-providers/) - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra will be joining with Democratic lawmakers to launch a reproductive health care series this week to highlight efforts by the administration to ensure access to reproductive and contraceptive care. The health care series will start in D.C. on Wednesday, with Becerra hosting Democratic female Congress members for a
- [Tea Leaves: January 17, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-17-2024-payers/) - Wages have not been able to offset the rising costs of premiums for workers with employer-sponsored coverage over the last three decades, with Black and Hispanic employees hit particularly hard by this development, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. The authors of the study suggest that a possible remedy would be for companies to base premiums on how
- [Tea Leaves: January 17, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-17-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The behavioral health funding landscape is ever-changing as America grapples with increasing demands for mental health and substance use disorder services. In her latest blog, Mindy Klowden, Third Horizon Strategies Managing Director for Behavioral Health, discusses some of the important trends and policy issues related to funding streams to meet the behavioral health needs of communities.
- [Tea Leaves: January 17, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-17-2024-access-coverage/) - Congressional leaders have made another tentative deal to keep the government open and fund key health programs into March, but hospitals and other health care industries continue to await action on vital matters. Congress will act this week to advance a third stopgap appropriations bill, which would prevent a partial government shutdown from commencing Friday and
- [Tea Leaves: January 16, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-16-2024-providers/) - Medically complex older patients who received care through a provider’s hospital-at-home program had “low” rates of mortality and readmission, according to recently published research data. The national review of thousands of Medicare fee-for-service Part A claims was headed by researchers from Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham (MGB), the latter of which has been all-in
- [Tea Leaves: January 16, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-16-2024-life-sciences/) - Federal health officials have proposed reclassification of marijuana after determining that it poses a lower public health risk than other controlled substances and offers possible medical benefits. The extensive scientific review illuminates the rationale underpinning a recommendation last summer that marked a significant shift in how the federal government has treated a drug that is legal
- [Tea Leaves: January 12, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-12-2024-providers/) - Billing for patient messages sent to providers has risen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA. Charging for e-visits, or asynchronous messages that require medical decision-making and take at least five minutes of clinician time over the course of a week, spiked at the beginning of the pandemic as
- [Tea Leaves: January 12, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-12-2024-payers/) - The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association will lead an effort to improve maternity care in about 600 acute care and pediatric hospitals across the nation, including a push to address racial and ethnic disparities. Health equity in maternal care will be added to the list of conditions that the insurer’s Blue Distinction Centers focus on, the
- [Tea Leaves: January 12, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-12-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - A record number of high school teens died of drug overdoses in 2022 in an alarming trend driven primarily by fentanyl poisonings from counterfeit pills, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Using data from the CDC, the Boston researchers found that an average of 22 adolescents ages 14 to
- [Tea Leaves: January 12, 2024: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-12-2024-mental-health/) - Women who suffer from depression during or after a pregnancy are at an elevated risk for suicide, two recent studies found. The first study, published Tuesday in the JAMA Network Open journal, found that women with perinatal depression (PND) were three times as likely to have suicidal behavior. The study found that the risk was especially high among
- [Tea Leaves: January 12, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-12-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - A new study finds that generative AI models can identify social determinants of health (SDOH) in doctors’ notes. SDOH are major drivers of health outcomes, but these factors are notoriously under-documented in existing EHR structured data. While a subset of billing codes exists to capture SDOH data for quality improvement and health equity efforts, they are
- [Tea Leaves: January 11, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-11-2024-public-health-prevention/) - The World Health Organization (WHO) says that nearly 10,000 people died from COVID-19 in the month of December, and hospital admissions jumped 42 percent in Europe and the Americas. The increased transmission was fueled by holiday gatherings and a new variant. While the December mortality rate is much less than the peak of the pandemic, the
- [Tea Leaves: January 11, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-11-2024-health-it/) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached a first-of-its-kind settlement with a data broker that the regulator alleged sold data that could be used to track visits to locations like medical clinics. The FTC alleged that Outlogic, formerly known as X-Mode Social, failed to use safeguards to remove sensitive locations and didn’t fully disclose its practices or
- [Tea Leaves: January 11, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-11-2024-access-coverage/) - Health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) insurance marketplace has reached a record for the third consecutive year, according to the latest update from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS said in a statement Wednesday that enrollment for 2024 ACA plans had broken 20 million so far, with just less
- [Tea Leaves: January 10, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-10-2024-providers/) - According to a recent analysis from KFF, most nonprofit hospitals and health systems had enough cash on hand to cover operating expenses for an extended period of time in 2022. On average, hospitals and systems reported having 218 days of cash on hand in 2022 — S&P Global Ratings generally considers 218 days to be a
- [Tea Leaves: January 10, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-10-2024-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved New York's amended Medicaid section 1115 demonstration on Tuesday, spurring the agency to invest in behavioral health and health equity initiatives. The amendment, which expires March 31, 2027, allows the state to establish base rates for safety net hospitals and establishes the Medicaid Hospital Global Budget Initiative,
- [Tea Leaves: January 10, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-10-2024-access-coverage/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will largely undo a Trump-era rule that boosted the rights of medical workers to refuse to perform abortions or other services that conflicted with their religious or moral beliefs. The final rule released Tuesday partially rescinds the Trump administration’s 2019 policy that would have stripped federal funding from
- [Tea Leaves: January 9, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-9-2024-providers/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has named its first chief competition officer, a new role that aims to boost competition in health care in an effort to lower rising costs. Stacy Sanders, who previously served as a counselor to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and as a Senate staffer, will work with the Federal
- [Tea Leaves: January 9, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-9-2024-payers/) - Walgreens has agreed to pay $360 million to health care insurer Humana to settle a lawsuit claiming that the retail pharmacy giant for years overcharged for prescription drug reimbursements. The settlement ends a legal dispute that began when Humana accused Walgreens of inflating pharmacy prices in 2019. The case went before an arbitrator that awarded Humana
- [Tea Leaves: January 9, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-9-2024-health-it/) - The Mayo Clinic on Monday said it will partner with Silicon Valley startup Cerebras Systems to develop artificial intelligence (AI) models for the health care industry. The Mayo Clinic will use computing chips and systems from Cerebras to tap into decades of anonymized medical records and data to develop its own AI models. Mayo's medical director
- [Tea Leaves: January 9, 2024: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-9-2024-d-c-news/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has named its first chief competition officer, a new role that aims to boost competition in health care in an effort to lower rising costs and crackdown on corporate greed. The agency announced Monday that Stacy Sanders, who previously served as a counselor to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-providers/) - Since COVID-19 struck, many providers have continued to invest in new facilities and expand services, despite the financial challenges related to the pandemic. Projects temporarily stalled and new developments were put on hold, but it wasn’t long before systems resumed their multi-year strategies to reach more patients. Health systems are betting these projects, ranging from acute
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-payers/) - Elevance Health and its state-based subsidiaries initiated a lawsuit against the federal government last week demanding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) undo technical changes to the star ratings program, recalculate scores, and redetermine quality bonus payments. Elevance Health reported one of the largest ratings declines among large insurers last year, which it estimated will reduce
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-inequities-sdoh/) - Uber Health and analytics company Socially Determined are collaborating to help providers and payers link patients with resources like rides to medical appointments and grocery and prescription medication delivery. The two companies are partnering to bring an analytics-first approach to tackling patients' social determinants of health needs. Through the partnership, Socially Determined will leverage its social risk
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-health-it/) - Amazon plans to collaborate with digital health companies to connect customers with virtual care benefits for managing conditions like diabetes and hypertension. The online retail giant tapped virtual-first chronic care provider Omada Health as its first partner. Amazon's new health conditions program aims to help customers find and enroll in virtual care benefits available to them through
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-d-c-news/) - Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal on Sunday setting a roughly $1.6 trillion federal spending level for the year, but the pact drew quick criticism from some conservatives, and it remains unclear whether lawmakers will be able to quickly pass legislation averting a government shutdown. The House and Senate now have less than two weeks to
- [Tea Leaves: January 8, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-8-2024-access-coverage/) - The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily allowed provisions of Idaho’s near-total abortion ban that could penalize doctors who perform the procedure in medical emergencies to take effect. In an unsigned order Friday, the court granted a request by the state to overrule an injunction issued by a federal appeals court that prevented the state from prosecuting
- [Tea Leaves: January 5, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-5-2024-public-health-prevention/) - To tackle America’s gun problem, a growing number of states are using Medicaid dollars to pay for community-based programs intended to stop shootings. The idea is to boost resources for violence prevention programs, which have been overwhelmed in some cities by a spike in violent crime since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. An infusion of
- [Tea Leaves: January 5, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-5-2024/) - Elevance Health is acquiring Paragon Healthcare, a Texas-based company specializing in infusible and injectable drug therapies. Paragon Healthcare patients will receive medical and pharmacy benefits from Elevance Health subsidiaries and operate within CarelonRx, according to a release. Elevance Health said it will look to "expand Paragon's Healthcare geographical footprint" once the acquisition is finalized. The deal
- [Tea Leaves: January 4, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-4-2024-providers/) - A recent survey found that nearly half of patients have missed or forgotten to pay a bill because of difficulties communicating with their providers’ offices. The survey was conducted in December by Artera, which makes and sells software for patient communications, and reached more than 2,000 patients. The poll aimed to assess provider communication methods and
- [Tea Leaves: January 4, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-4-2024-payers/) - Health insurance companies are expanding their coverage of bariatric surgery amid rising demand for pricey new weight loss drugs. Geisinger Health Plan and Blue Cross and Blue Shield carriers in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Vermont are among those easing access to bariatric surgery over the past year as patients seek weight loss medications that can cost about
- [Tea Leaves: January 4, 2024: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-4-2024-ma/) - Cigna is in exclusive talks to sell its Medicare Advantage (MA) portfolio to Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC) at a price of up to $4 billion. Should there be a deal, it would mark a major expansion for HCSC, a big nonprofit health insurer that is the parent of Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in five
- [Tea Leaves: January 4, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-4-2024-access-coverage/) - More patients on insulin will pay less for the drug this year after a leading manufacturer joined rivals in curbing monthly costs or lowering prices. As of January 1, insulin maker Sanofi capped monthly out-of-pocket costs at $35 for its most popular product, Lantus, for patients with private insurance. Patients without insurance have already been able
- [Tea Leaves: January 3, 2024: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-3-2024-payers/) - According to a recent study, Medicare Part D overpays for certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that are covered when prescribed by a doctor. In addition, these higher costs filtered down to beneficiaries, and in some cases, their cost-sharing was also higher. Researchers at Johns Hopkins identified 22 drugs that are available both OTC and via prescription; in
- [Tea Leaves: January 3, 2024: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-3-2024-health-it/) - Researchers found that ChatGPT incorrectly diagnosed over 8 in 10 selected pediatric case studies, raising questions about some bots' suitability for helping doctors size up complex conditions. The chatbot misdiagnosed 72 of 100 cases selected and delivered too broad a diagnosis to be considered correct for another 11, the researchers wrote in JAMA Pediatrics. The study
- [Tea Leaves: January 3, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-3-2024-access-coverage/) - A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that Texas can prohibit emergency abortions despite the Biden administration arguing that federal guidance trumps state laws. The suit, brought by the state of Texas in 2022, argues that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot cite the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) in
- [Tea Leaves: January 2, 2024: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-2-2024-public-health-prevention/) - Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government and industry data reviewed by The Associated Press. The figures underscore the chaotic state of the nation’s $7 billion vaping market and raise questions about how the
- [Tea Leaves: January 2, 2024: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves-january-2-2024-providers/) - According to a new report from Fitch Ratings, the labor outlook is stabilizing for U.S. nonprofit hospitals as employment increases and health care job openings decline. According to the credit ratings agency, hospital and ambulatory health care services payrolls have risen for 22 and 34 consecutive months, respectively. Wage growth has remained “relatively flat” at 4
- [Tuesday, January 2, 2024: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-2-2024-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Consulting giant McKinsey & Company agreed to a $78 million settlement in a case over its role in advising opioid manufacturers to design misleading marketing campaigns. A group of U.S. health insurers and company benefit plans, referred to in court documents as third-party payers, alleged in the suit that the firm helped add fuel to the
- [Tuesday, January 2, 2024: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-2-2024-life-sciences/) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has seized “thousands of units” of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug widely used for weight loss, that had been distributed through legitimate drug supply sources. The FDA and the drug’s maker, Novo Nordisk, are testing the shots. They do not yet have information about the drugs’ identity,
- [Tuesday, January 2, 2024: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-2-2024-access-coverage/) - California will become the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants. Starting January 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, became qualified for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes. Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive comprehensive health insurance but were allowed to receive emergency
- [Virtual Third National Health Care Transparency & No Surprises Act Summit](https://thirdhorizon.com/virtual-third-national-health-care-transparency-no-surprises-act-summit/) - Third Horizon Strategies is pleased to participate in the Third Virtual National Health Care Transparency and No Surprise Act Summit.
- [Director](https://thirdhorizon.com/director/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Duties and Responsibilities Manage key behavioral health client relationships and provide customer-focused services to a diverse clientele. Produce high-quality work products and deliverables such as written reports, PowerPoint presentations, policy analysis, and facilitation engagements. Develop proposals,
- [Indiana Statewide Mobile Integrated Response System Program Evaluation](https://thirdhorizon.com/indiana-statewide-mirs-program-evaluation/) - In the Fall of 2022, DMHA selected Third Horizon Strategies to evaluate the MIRS program statewide. THS authored a report of its findings, including key observations and recommendations.
- [Standing in the Fire: A Reflection on Two Years in a Pandemic](https://thirdhorizon.com/standing-in-the-fire-a-reflection-on-two-years-in-a-pandemic/) - Transformative leadership includes innovating for today and envisioning the future positive impacts and challenges that can drive lasting innovation. As we witness the hard lessons of the COVID-19 era – how do we move forward?
- [Taking Stock: Employer Investments in Mental Health Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/taking-stock-employer-investments-in-mental-health-care/) - Mental health issues inside the workplace have been on the rise for over a decade. Yet, there has been a historic disconnect between employee benefit plans and supporting the mental health needs of employees.
- [Thursday, January 27, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-27-2022-mental-health/) - Numerous reports and studies have highlighted the importance of employers offering mental health support to employees. Doing so not only increases employee engagement and productivity, but reduces direct and indirect costs. A new blog authored by Cheryl Matochik discusses the various factors that employers must consider as they examine mental health solutions. In the piece,
- [The Greater Chicago Food Depository](https://thirdhorizon.com/the-greater-chicago-food-depository/) - During the firm's retreat in May, the team volunteered with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a nonprofit organization that works to combat hunger and food insecurity in the Chicago metropolitan area.
- [State- and Employer-based Solutions to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness](https://thirdhorizon.com/state-and-employer-based-solutions-to-address-social-isolation-and-loneliness/) - Social connection is critical to health and well-being across the lifespan. Stakeholders can leverage several promising interventions to address isolation.
- [Request for Information (RFI): Competitive Proposal Writing](https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Proposal-Writing-RFI_Third-Horizon-Strategies.pdf) - Third Horizon Strategies has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to learn more about external proposal writing services that may be available to THS on a contract basis. Responses are due February 2, 2024.
- [2024 Watch: Funding for Community Behavioral Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/2024-watch-funding-for-community-behavioral-health/) - The behavioral health funding landscape is ever-changing as America grapples with increasing demands for mental health and substance use disorder services. This piece addresses funding streams to meet the behavioral health needs of communities.
- [New Guide Helps CCBHCs Develop Value Proposition](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-guide-helps-ccbhcs-develop-value-proposition/) - Third Horizon Strategies is proud to announce the release of "Developing Your Value Proposition: A Guide for CCBHCs" produced in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
- [Third Horizon Strategies Impact Report](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-strategies-impact-report/) - Third Horizon Strategies is committed to driving positive change. Since 2018, we have strategically approached our growth and sustainability to align with individuals and organizations that share our values.
- [Third Horizon Strategies is on a Mission to Power Better Health Care by Bringing Transparency to Health Care Costs ](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-strategies-is-on-a-mission-to-power-better-health-care-by-bringing-transparency-to-health-care-costs/) - Over the last year, THS developed a dedicated analytics team and data platform to help mission-aligned organizations access and make sense of new price transparency data.
- [Digital Divides – An Update on DEA Rules for Remote Prescribing of Controlled Substances](https://thirdhorizon.com/digital-divides-an-update-on-dea-rules-for-remote-prescribing-of-controlled-substances/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Background Earlier this year, Third Horizon Strategies (THS) published an overview of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) proposed rules regarding the remote prescribing of controlled substances via telehealth. These proposed rules were in response to the
- [Manager, Health Care Council of Chicago](https://thirdhorizon.com/manager-health-care-council-of-chicago/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Responsibilities The HC3 manager position will lead program operations, coordinate with community partners, and implement strategies for key HC3 initiatives and activities, with a specific focus on managing and facilitating the PATH (Pediatric Adolescent
- [Senior Data Analyst](https://thirdhorizon.com/senior-data-analyst/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Overview Third Horizon Strategies (THS) is seeking a full-time Senior Data Analyst with 6+ years of experience to support its work examining the organization, delivery and financing of health care, from the perspectives of payers, providers
- [New Report Recommends Performance Measures for Assessing OUD Services in Jails and Prisons](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-report-recommends-performance-measures-for-assessing-oud-services-in-jails-and-prisons/) - In collaboration with Viaduct Consulting, LLC, Third Horizon Strategies released the second of three reports outlining recommendations for Medicaid coverage of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) services in jails and prisons.
- [Third Horizon Strategies Selected by New York State for Restructuring Addiction Financing Project](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-york-oasas-selects-ths/) - The New York Office of Addiction Services And Supports (OASAS) contracted with Third Horizon Strategies to review the current system of financing addiction services and to make recommendations for alternate funding approaches.
- [New Report Recommends First-Ever Approach to Medicaid Coverage of Services for Opioid Use Disorder in Prisons and Jails](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-report-recommends-first-ever-approach-to-medicaid-coverage-of-services-for-opioid-use-disorder-in-prisons-and-jails/) - In collaboration with Viaduct Consult, Third Horizon Strategies released a report recommending ways to advance evidence-based services for opioid use disorder in prisons and jails by allowing Medicaid to cover those services.
- [A Financial Stress Test of the New Hampshire Substance Use Disorder Delivery System](https://thirdhorizon.com/a-financial-stress-test-of-the-nh-sud-delivery-system/) - June 23, 2023 - In Fall 2022, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation asked Third Horizon Strategies to analyze the financial health of the substance use disorder (SUD) delivery system in New Hampshire.
- [Montgomery County Behavioral Health Crisis System Enhancement Plan](https://thirdhorizon.com/montgomery-county-behavioral-health-crisis-system-enhancement-plan/) - April 30, 2023 - The Montgomery County Department competitively selected Third Horizon Strategies to analyze the local behavioral health crisis system. The enhancement plan is the culmination of that work.
- [Brief: Advancing American Kidney Health Program](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-analysis-advancing-american-kidney-health-program/) - July 17, 2019 - On July 10 President Trump signed an executive order creating the Advancing American Kidney Health program to reduce the number of Americans developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by 25 percent by 2030.
- [Brief: CMMI Primary Care Initiative](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-brief-cmmi-primary-care-initiative/) - May 1, 2019 - HHS and CMS launched a set of new payment models, dubbed the Primary Cares Initiative, that aim to transform primary care through value-based options.
- [Brief: Trump administration unveils plan to allow drug importation from Canada](https://thirdhorizon.com/analysis-trump-administration-unveils-plan-to-allow-drug-importation-from-canada-2/) - August 1, 2019 - On Wednesday, HHS and the FDA released a plan to lay the foundation to import certain low-cost drugs from Canada.
- [Brief: Trump administration releases Medicaid block initiative](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-brief-trump-administration-releases-healthy-adult-opportunity-medicaid-block-initiative/) - January 31, 2020 – Yesterday, the Trump administration released a Medicaid block initiative called the “Healthy Adult Opportunity.”
- [COVID-19 as a Stress Test for the American Health Care System](https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/COVID-as-a-stress-test-v2.pdf) - June 2, 2022 - This paper examines the American health care system’s key features to understand better the effects of stressors caused by COVID-19 and how the country’s institutions withstood their weight.
- [Building a Digital Foundation for the Growth and Rapid Change of the Health System: Secure and Smart Orchestration for an Evolving Connected Care Model](https://thirdhorizon.com/building-a-digital-foundation-for-the-growth-and-rapid-change-of-the-health-system-secure-and-smart-orchestration-for-an-evolving-connected-care-model/) - September 2, 2020 - Third Horizon Strategies released a white paper exploring potential solutions to the challenges posed by integrating disparate technology platforms and ensuring security and connectivity needs are met.
- [Brief: CMS issues final hospital price transparency rule](https://thirdhorizon.com/cms-issues-final-hospital-price-transparency-rule-and-proposes-transparency-rule-for-insurers/) - On November 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two rules to carry-out President Trump’s Executive Order on Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare.
- [Brief: Trump administration nixes drug rebate proposal](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-analysis-advancing-american-kidney-health-program-3/) - July 15, 2019 - On Thursday, the Trump administration withdrew a drug rebate proposal that would have required pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to pass along rebate savings to consumers.
- [Brief: ACO enrollment declines for the first time in seven years](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-analysis-advancing-american-kidney-health-program-2/) - July 22, 2019 - On July 17, CMS Administrator Seema Verma announced that just 66 ACOs joined the Medicare Shared Savings Program for the July 1 start date – less than half the number of new ACOs that joined in 2018.
- [Brief: CMS proposes rule targeting integrity of Medicaid](https://thirdhorizon.com/cms-targets-medicaid-integrity/) - November 14, 2019 - On November 12, the CMS issued a notice of proposed rule-making requiring that states share provider-level information about their supplemental payment and financing agreements under Medicaid.
- [Brief: Trump administration issues drug importation proposals](https://thirdhorizon.com/ths-brief-trump-administration-issues-two-proposals-to-permit-drug-importation/) - December 19, 2019 – Yesterday, the Trump administration released two proposals to lower pharmaceutical prices in the U.S. Collectively, the proposals would effectuate the drug importation action plan released in July.
- [Jefferson Center for Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/jefferson-center-for-mental-health/) - For the past two years, Third Horizon Strategies has partnered with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health - a nonprofit community mental health center serving three counties west of Denver, Colorado.
- [Behavioral Health Asset Mapping: How Visualizing Community Resources Can Strengthen the System of Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/behavioral-health-asset-mapping-how-visualizing-community-resources-can-strengthen-the-system-of-care/) - Behavioral health asset mapping is an effective tool for visualizing systems of care for increased collaboration, relationship building, and better decision-making.
- [The American Telemedicine Association (ATA)](https://thirdhorizon.com/the-american-telemedicine-association-ata/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) brings together health care providers, technology innovators, policymakers, and researchers to collaboratively drive the adoption of telehealth, ensuring that it aligns with the needs of patients and providers. The ATA has
- [Expanding Access to SUD Treatment and Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/expanding-access-to-sud-treatment-and-services/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($20,120 for an individual in 2023) and provided states with an enhanced federal
- [Monday, August 28, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-28-2023-public-health-prevention/) - New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that adolescent COVID-related emergency room visits have nearly doubled over the past week, reaching levels not seen in a year. The increase comes as schools and businesses are now weighing a return to masks and other precautions to curb the virus amid a weeks-long
- [Monday, August 28, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-28-2023-mental-health/) - According to a new study published in the scientific journal JAMA Health Forum, American spending on mental health with private insurance surged during the pandemic. Spending on mental health has continued to rise, even after the popularity of telehealth platforms plateaued, an increase in demand that correlates to a growing mental health crisis. Researchers said it's
- [Monday, August 28, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-28-2023-payers/) - Cigna is exiting the Affordable Care Act exchange (ACA) in Kansas and Missouri and will depart from four counties in Arizona and Utah. A Cigna Healthcare spokesperson said the company’s goal is to provide access to high-quality care and offer significant value to its customers, and the company was unable to offer that standard of product
- [Friday, August 25, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-25-2023-public-health-prevention/) - On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of a new initiative to support sepsis teams at U.S. hospitals in light of new data that found a third of patients who die in hospitals had sepsis while hospitalized. The agency said that the Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements will act as
- [Friday, August 25, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-25-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved a net $1.8 billion in 2022 for accountable care organizations (ACOs), the second-highest annual savings since the program began 10 years ago. According to a news release, it is also the sixth consecutive year the program has generated
- [Friday, August 25, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-25-2023-life-sciences/) - CVS Health said on Wednesday that it has launched a new company called Cordavis that will work directly with manufacturers to commercialize and co-produce biosimilar medicines for the U.S. market. CVS will initially work with the manufacturer Sandoz to produce a low-cost version of the blockbuster arthritis drug Humira. Humira — with a list price that
- [Thursday, August 24, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-24-2023-providers/) - High labor costs, rising interest rates, and looming federal staffing minimums are prompting more nursing homes and senior living operators to file for bankruptcy. According to Gibbins Advisors, a health care advisory and restructuring consultancy, the two kinds of care providers accounted for half of the 40 filings for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in health care
- [Thursday, August 24, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-24-2023-payers/) - The Biden administration is expected to disclose early next week the first 10 prescription drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations, ahead of a White House event Tuesday to celebrate the milestone. The announcement will mark a major step in a bid to lower drug prices through the first-ever direct negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical manufacturers over
- [Thursday, August 24, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-24-2023-life-sciences/) - According to research published Wednesday, gender-affirming surgeries dipped in 2020 after nearly tripling in the years leading up to the pandemic. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that the number of gender-affirming procedures performed in the U.S. increased from 4,552 in 2016 to 13,011 in 2019, before falling to 12,818 in 2020. The decrease
- [Thursday, August 24, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-24-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Health systems are screening more patients for social determinants of health, but distrustful patients and a lack of resources hinder progress. Patients may feel shame or worry about the potential consequences of revealing that their living situations are precarious or that they don't always have enough for their children to eat. They may even fear being
- [Thursday, August 24, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-24-2023-health-it/) - The health care industry has suffered fewer but larger cybersecurity breaches in the first half of 2023, suggesting a shift in targets and tactics among attackers. According to a report from cybersecurity firm Critical Insight, the 308 health care data breaches reported to the federal government from January through June represent a 15 percent sequential decline
- [Wednesday, August 23, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-23-2023-transition-to-value/) - Most Americans support the idea of value-based care but don’t understand or resonate with the term, according to new research from United States of Care (USofCare). USofCare’s latest research found that people desire targeted improvements to their care experience and believe the health care system is too fragmented with little coordination between providers. They also think
- [Wednesday, August 23, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-23-2023-payers/) - According to a survey published Tuesday by the Business Group on Health, employers are increasingly skeptical of virtual health and concerned about medication costs. The industry group representing employers surveyed 152 members, with 19 million total insured workers, on their healthcare-related insights and possible investments for the coming year. In 2019, just over half (52 percent) of
- [Wednesday, August 23, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-23-2023-life-sciences/) - The Biden administration on Tuesday announced the first funding awards from its $5 billion project aimed at developing the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The project is intended to support vaccines that are longer lasting and more protective against a mutating virus, as well as better options like more effective monoclonal antibodies, after some
- [Wednesday, August 23, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-23-2023-access-coverage/) - A lawsuit filed against Florida health officials Tuesday marks the first legal challenge to how states are dropping some enrollees from program rolls after the end of a pandemic-era policy that protected coverage. Three Floridians, including two children, claim the state illegally cut their Medicaid coverage by not providing adequate information and denying them the opportunity
- [Tuesday, August 22, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-22-2023-public-health-prevention/) - New research has found that a record number of U.S. children were killed by firearms in 2021. A study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday reported that gun deaths among children rose again in 2021 to a total of 4,752, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- [Tuesday, August 22, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-22-2023-providers/) - A new AMN Healthcare report found that physician and advanced practitioner salaries are growing, reflecting a strong demand and limited supply workforce. The annual 2023 AMN Healthcare report by the health care talent solutions company reviewed physician and advanced practitioner recruiting incentives based on more than 2,670 search engagements the company conducted from April 1, 2022,
- [Tuesday, August 22, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-22-2023-payers/) - According to a study in JAMA Health Forum, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans should obtain feedback from beneficiaries concerning how much post-acute care helped them recover after being hospitalized. Researchers with Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that MA beneficiaries overall used fewer post-acute care services than enrollees in traditional Medicare and also reported less favorable outcomes, something
- [Tuesday, August 22, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-22-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, along with Third Horizon Strategies, launched a project funded by Elevance Health Foundation, to develop resources to guide state, county, and municipal investments of opioid settlement resources for their communities. The first resource in this project, the Opioid Abatement Needs and Investment Tool (OANI), is an interactive database that allows
- [Tuesday, August 22, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-22-2023-life-sciences/) - People infected with even mild cases of COVID-19 remain at heightened risk for heart problems, blood clots, diabetes, neurologic complications, and other health problems for up to two years, according to a new study. Studies have examined the symptoms that have become known as “long COVID,” but the analysis published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine
- [Monday, August 21, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-21-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration plans to urge all Americans to get a booster shot for the coronavirus this autumn to counter a new wave of infections, a White House official said on Sunday. The official said that while CMS reports an increase in infections and hospital admissions from the virus, overall levels remain low. On Thursday, Moderna
- [Monday, August 21, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-21-2023-providers/) - Middle-class Americans are the most likely to be saddled with medical debt, with nearly 1 in 4 having unpaid medical bills, according to a report from the think tank Third Way. Middle-income Americans, who earn $50,000-$100,000 a year, are more likely than those with lower incomes to seek care but don't qualify for Medicaid or charity
- [Monday, August 21, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-21-2023-payers/) - A new proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would authorize Medicare payments to health care professionals to train family caregivers who manage medications, assist loved ones with activities such as toileting and dressing, and oversee the use of medical equipment. The proposal, which covers both individual and group training, is a long-overdue
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-public-health-prevention/) - People without health insurance won't immediately be able to get free COVID shots at pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens when the next-generation vaccines are unveiled in a few weeks due to delays in finalizing government partnerships with pharmacies. Throughout the pandemic, pharmacies have been a primary point of contact for vaccines as nine out of 10
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-providers/) - A trio of health care professional organizations published a joint policy statement yesterday calling for more support for emergency departments to meet children and adolescents' rising behavioral health needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the Emergency Nurses Association issued the statement. It highlights the increasing role that EDs
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-payers/) - Select Health is teaming up with grocer Kroger to launch new co-branded Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that aim to improve access to healthy food and affordable medications. The plans will be available beginning January 1 and will offer savings to enrollees on groceries and prescriptions and connect members to programs and services that can improve their
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Marijuana, hallucinogen use, and binge drinking reached historic highs among adults ages 35-50, according to a new study released Thursday. In the 2022 annual study of substance use behavior and attitudes, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), adults ages 35-50 reported record-high levels of past-year use of marijuana and hallucinogens. That age group also reported
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Kaiser Permanente has launched a multichannel support center to better address the social needs of members and nonmembers. The Community Support Hub is a self-service online directory of community resources and also includes a call center for referral assistance. The hub will enable Kaiser to have more touch points with patients and better address the overall health
- [Friday, August 18, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-18-2023-access-coverage/) - Federal officials have raised concerns about long wait times at state Medicaid call centers as millions of Medicaid recipients face the potential loss of health coverage for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly one-third of the states have received warnings from federal Medicaid officials that their lengthy call center wait times may be causing
- [Thursday, August 17, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-17-2023-payers/) - The collapse of insurtechs Bright Health and Friday Health Plans might mean that legacy health insurers in states where Bright and Friday operated will not receive over $1 billion worth of expected risk adjustment transfer payments, according to an expert who follows the insurtech industry. That spells trouble for health plans such as Florida Blue, Health
- [Thursday, August 17, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-17-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - The Physicians Foundation has opened applications for a grant award and fellowship program aimed at helping drive awareness and best practices around the social determinants of health (SDOH). A 2022 survey by the organization found that more than 6 in 10 doctors feel they have little time or cannot address SDOH, though nearly all agree they
- [Thursday, August 17, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-17-2023-health-it/) - Cigna has launched a new tool allowing its members to use their smartphones to check for dental health issues, including gum disease and cavities. The insurer announced Thursday morning that the online service, which is backed by Dental.com, will be available for free. It offers guided steps for members to take five photos of their teeth
- [Thursday, August 17, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-17-2023-access-coverage/) - New restrictions on access to a drug used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S. would be imposed under a federal appeals court ruling issued Wednesday, but the Supreme Court will have the final say. The ruling by three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned part of a lower
- [Wednesday, August 16, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-16-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - According to a new survey conducted by KFF, a health policy research group, less than half of those with a substance use disorder have received treatment. The survey, which polled more than 1,300 adults in July, underscores the broad and often harmful influence of opioid addiction across the nation, which recorded around 110,000 fatal drug overdoses last
- [Wednesday, August 16, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-16-2023-ma/) - Data analytics company Definitive Healthcare announced on Monday that it acquired fellow data firm Populi for $52 million in cash. Founded in 2020, Populi offers commercial data to help health care providers analyze their markets, understand when patients leave a service area or network for care, and target marketing campaigns. According to a spokesperson, the company’s
- [Wednesday, August 15, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-15-2023-health-it/) - YouTube on Tuesday announced it is creating a new framework to crack down on medical misinformation on the platform. The platform has faced controversy in recent years for its algorithm and the way it can direct viewers to misleading and extremist content. YouTube said it will use three categories, “Prevention, Treatment and Denial” to sort the
- [Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-15-2023-transition-to-value/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) debuted a slate of changes to ACO REACH on Monday that are designed to boost participation in the value-based care program. The agency's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) elevated financial reserve requirements and reduced enrollment minimums under the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Accountability, and Community
- [Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-15-2023-providers/) - CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is joining forces with Ryse Health, a company that specializes in providing in-person and virtual care for patients with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes, hoping to drive better long-term outcomes. Through the partnership, CareFirst's program allows individuals with diabetes to have more than 20 interactions with Ryse team members in their first three months
- [Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-15-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - As states and counties spend the first wave of opioid settlement dollars from the pharmaceutical industry, public health groups are challenging how some funds are being used. In some states, law enforcement departments receive opioid settlement money for policing resources like new cruisers, overtime pay for narcotics investigators, phone-hacking equipment, body scanners to detect drugs on
- [Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-15-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - According to a new study, Latino children who live in states with harsher laws that apply to immigrants and systemic prejudice against them are more likely to experience mental health or chronic physical health conditions. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that Latino children who lived in states with higher inequities had higher odds
- [Tuesday, August 15, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-15-2023-life-sciences/) - Amazon is taking aim at easing access to affordable insulin by automatically applying drug-manufacturer-sponsored coupons on more than 15 insulin and diabetes care brands during online checkout. With the coupons, many insulin brands are available to eligible customers starting at $35 a month with free delivery and 24/7 access to Amazon’s team of pharmacists, the company
- [Monday, August 14, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-14-2023-providers/) - A Modern Healthcare article discusses how energy tax incentives and grants from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 could save hospitals billions of dollars. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides direct funding and tax incentive opportunities for health systems to finance climate resiliency and renewable energy infrastructure projects. The funding is still becoming available, with
- [Monday, August 14, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-14-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Researchers say that access to SUD care for Medicaid fee-for-service beneficiaries has improved from 2014 until 2021. Some of the improvements that have occurred are related to offering outpatient treatment and detoxification and a decrease in prior authorizations and copayments. Researchers say that while there have been improvements, there is still more that can be done.
- [Monday, August 14, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-august-14-2023-ma/) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is requesting more information from Amedisys regarding its proposed $3.3 billion deal to be acquired by UnitedHealth Group, which pushes back the timing of the deal. Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group filed the required pre-merger notification forms with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the DOJ's antitrust division on July 5, the
- [Friday, August 11, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-11-2023-providers/) - The Biden administration announced a $100 million investment to train more nurses and grow the workforce as the health care industry faces a critical nurse shortage. Officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Thursday that the investments will help address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives,
- [Friday, August 11, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-11-2023-payers/) - Cigna is partnering with Virgin Pulse to launch a new, personalized digital health program for its members. The new platform will be available through the myCigna portal, allowing users to set their health goals and track daily progress. According to an announcement, they can then receive real-time feedback and guidance based on the data they've submitted.
- [Friday, August 11, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-11-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Supreme Court on Thursday froze a bankruptcy reorganization plan for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil claims in exchange for paying up to $6 billion to address the U.S. opioid crisis. Justices will review the agreement and hear arguments in the case
- [Friday, August 11, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-11-2023-mental-health/) - The number of people who died by suicide in the U.S. hit an all-time high last year. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022. The number of suicide deaths was on a downward trend in 2019 and 2020, but it increased by
- [Friday, August 11, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-august-11-2023-ma/) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has agreed to buy Inversago Pharma, a Montreal-based developer of anti-obesity drugs, for upwards of $1.1 billion in cash. Novo isn't content to rest on its weight loss laurels, despite the popularity of its Ozempic and Wegovy products. Inversago uses a different technique than Novo's existing blockbusters by instead targeting CB1 receptors.
- [Thursday, August 10, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-10-2023-payers/) - Most Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries are satisfied with their health plan, but many enrollees feel they are overbilled, have struggled to navigate the prior authorization process, or are confused by the features of their plan, a new survey from Retirement Living recently revealed. The survey found that 71 percent of beneficiaries are satisfied with their MA
- [Thursday, August 10, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-10-2023-providers/) - Health care workers are increasingly being assaulted or shot on the job, making hospitals and clinics among the most dangerous workplaces in America. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, hospitals are strengthening efforts to identify security risks, training staff on violence prevention, and calling in counselors to de-escalate tense situations. Fierce Healthcare reported that
- [Thursday, August 10, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-august-10-2023-life-sciences/) - The accrediting association for psychedelic practitioners has outlined what it says are the first set of professional guidelines for psychedelic-assisted therapy. The principles outlined by the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association (APPA) aim to bring structure to the field amid rapidly growing interest in incorporating psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA into mental health treatment. The standards are
- [Wednesday, August 9, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-9-2023-providers/) - Research from the March of Dimes shows that there has been a 2 percent rise in maternity care deserts since 2020. The report classified more than a third of all U.S. counties as maternity care deserts, meaning the county did not have any hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care or any obstetric providers. Nationwide,
- [Wednesday, August 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-9-2023-payers/) - A new report from KPMG found that health care mergers and acquisition activity hit a lull in the second quarter of 2023. There was a total of 245 deals in Q2 2023, 7 percent below deal volume in Q2 2022 and 41 percent below Q2 2021 levels. Forty-two percent of this year’s Q2 deals involved
- [Wednesday, August 9, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-9-2023-access-coverage/) - Ohio voters rejected an initiative that was largely seen as an effort to undercut a November vote on adding abortion rights to Ohio's constitution. The measure, known as Issue 1, would have raised the threshold for amending the state's constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent, making it easier to help restrict abortion. Ohio becomes
- [Employer Investments in Well-Being, Part II](https://thirdhorizon.com/employer-investments-in-well-being-part-ii/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] This piece is co-authored by Jordana Choucair and Christopher Hart [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Organizations are increasingly recognizing that supporting individual employee well-being is strategically important for overall organizational health. Well-being investments can help
- [Employer Investments in Well-Being, Part I](https://thirdhorizon.com/employer-investments-in-well-being-part-i/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] This piece is co-authored by Jordana Choucair and Christopher Hart [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Studies have shown that an employee’s health and happiness not only increases satisfaction, but also boosts productivity and supports talent
- [CommunityHealth](https://thirdhorizon.com/communityhealth/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Third Horizon Strategies’ (THS) vision for a healthier future has always been strengthened by the conscious decision to promote and support the health and well-being of local communities. Since THS’ inception, the firm has proudly supported
- [Tuesday, August 8, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-8-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - An analysis of new federal data revealed that only one in five adults who had opioid use disorder (OUD) in 2021 received medication to treat it. People who received treatment through telehealth were about 38 times more likely to receive medication for OUD (MOUD) than those who were not treated virtually for any reason. And,
- [Tuesday, August 8, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-8-payers/) - A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis of the preliminary insurance rate filings show that ACA Marketplace insurers are requesting a median premium increase of 6 percent for 2024. According to KFF’s examination of publicly-available documents from 68 insurers, increasing medical care and prescription drug costs are key drivers of the premium growth. Insurers also cite
- [Tuesday, August 8, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-8-providers/) - A Health Affairs study found that hospitals charge commercial health plans two to three times more than what they charge the same insurer's Medicare Advantage plans for the same procedure. Researchers found that the median commercial prices for 46 procedures and services offered in 2022 were 1.8 to 2.7 times more expensive than Medicare Advantage
- [Are We Recovery Ready?](https://thirdhorizon.com/are-we-recovery-ready/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] There is an urgent need for increased substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing challenges in behavioral health. Social isolation, economic hardship, and increased stress levels created a fertile ground for increased SUD
- [Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-2-2023-providers/) - CVS Health is cutting approximately 5,000 jobs to save on costs amid its ongoing push into health care delivery. The layoffs will primarily affect corporate positions, and those affected will receive severance pay and benefits, including outplacement services. It does not expect customer-oriented roles in stores, pharmacies, and clinics to be affected by the layoff
- [Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-2-2023-payers/) - AmeriHealth Caritas announced that it would honor the payments already made toward 2023 plan year deductibles and out-of-pocket caps by former Friday Health Plans members who join AmeriHealth Caritas Next in North Carolina during a special open enrollment period through October 30, 2023. There are approximately 39,000 Friday Health Plan members in North Carolina. AmeriHealth
- [Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-2-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - According to survey results collected in a new study from Urban Institute, black parents and their children are at greater risk of experiencing unfair treatment in health care settings than those of other races and ethnicities. The study, which used national data from the June 2022 round of the Urban Institute Health Reform Monitoring Survey,
- [Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-august-2-2023-access-coverage/) - More than 5.6 million women live in counties with little to no access to maternity care services, according to a report from the March of Dimes. The nonprofit organization's 2022 report shows that 1,119 counties qualify as maternity care deserts, marking a 2 percent increase from the 2020 report or an additional 15,933 women without
- [Tuesday, August 1, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-1-2023-providers/) - CMS announced a final rule that will increase payments to skilled nursing facilities by 4 percent, or $1.4 billion, starting in fiscal year 2024. The payment bump will, in part, make up for a $2.2 billion underpayment to the facilities as a result of the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) for skilled nursing facilities that
- [Tuesday, August 1, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-1-2023-payers/) - Elevance Health, formerly Anthem, is updating the branding for its Amerigroup segment to Wellpoint in a bid to better align the government insurance business with its push toward whole health. The rebrand will roll out in January 2024, pending regulatory approvals, in six states: Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Wellpoint plans offer
- [Tuesday, August 1, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-1-2023-life-sciences/) - CMS will test a dementia care model that aims to improve quality of life for 6.7 million beneficiaries and their unpaid caregivers, the agency announced Monday. The eight-year Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model (GUIDE) seeks to keep Medicare enrollees outside of long-term care facilities by extending a package of local care coordination and management
- [Tuesday, August 1, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-1-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - United Healthcare has awarded $11.1 million in grants spread across 66 nonprofit organizations to improve the health care options for individuals living in underserved communities by addressing social determinants of health. Specifically, the grant funding will be used to target food insecurity, social isolation, behavioral health issues, and health literacy efforts. The organizations to be
- [Tuesday, August 1, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-august-1-2023-health-it/) - The sensitive personal and health information of approximately 612,000 Medicare beneficiaries was exposed as part of the MoveIT transfer service breaches, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Maximus, which contracts with the government on file transfer during the Medicare appeals process, is one of hundreds of organizations that’s been impacted by
- [Acclivus](https://thirdhorizon.com/acclivus/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Acclivus is a community health organization focused on the health and well-being of Chicago’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. One of Acclivus’ strategic activities is serving a network of Chicago-based hospitals treating patients injured by violence, performing a
- [Wednesday, July 26, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-31-2023-payers/) - Blue Shield of California announced that it will collaborate with Microsoft to utilize the cloud to deliver data about members to the insurer and providers in real-time. The companies want to build a data collection, storage, and analysis system that they’re dubbing Blue Shield's Experience Cube, which will run on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. The health plan,
- [Monday, July 31, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-31-2023-providers/) - Lobbying groups representing different camps of the health care industry have come together to urge CMS to reconsider “conflicting regulatory proposals” that require different electronic standards for electronic data exchanges during prior authorization. The American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s sent a joint letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita
- [Monday, July 31, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-31-2023-payers/) - A report from Epic Research found that once joining Medicare, patients are 50 percent more likely to get health screenings for breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Patients with other undiagnosed diseases, such as depression, COPD, type 2 diabetes, lung or prostate cancer, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, are also more likely to discover their condition in their first
- [Monday, July 31, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-31-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first version of over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone from a nonprofit company, a move that could bring cheap and even free doses of the opioid overdose drug to Americans who need it most. RiVive, made by Harm Reduction Therapeutics, is the second over-the-counter naloxone product approved by FDA this
- [Monday, July 31, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-31-2023-access-coverage/) - Nearly 4 million Medicaid recipients have lost coverage since the end of the public health emergency, but most of those were disenrolled due to procedural issues, not ineligibility. Such issues include misdirected paperwork, mistakes by state agencies, and other "red tape." Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra sent a letter Friday to all governors
- [Friday, July 28, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-28-2023-providers/) - Government loans during the COVID-19 pandemic helped boost staffing hours at some nursing homes, with lower-paid certified nursing assistants benefiting the most, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open on Thursday. Researchers found that within four weeks of receiving the loans, the nursing homes began increasing staff time by an average 16.7 hours per
- [Friday, July 28, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-28-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A study published in JAMA Network Open found that alcohol-related death rates among women increased by an average of nearly 15 percent each year from 2018 to 2020. For men, the rate of alcohol-related deaths has been on the rise since 2009, with particularly sharp increases each year since 2018. But the upward trend for women started
- [Friday, July 28, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-28-2023-ma/) - Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services have called off their 58-hospital merger plans after multiple delays and opposition from “certain Minnesota stakeholders,” the former system announced Thursday evening. The deal was announced in November and would have yielded an organization employing nearly 80,000 people that, according to the nonprofits, would improve care quality, outcomes, patient
- [Friday, July 28, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-28-2023-life-sciences/) - The Biden administration is launching a new initiative aimed at helping surgeons distinguish and remove cancer cells without damaging surrounding tissue to improve health outcomes for cancer patients. The initiative is the first cancer-focused program under the administration’s multi-billion-dollar Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and just its second program overall. It’s paired with the
- [Thursday, July 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-27-2023-payers/) - A key Senate committee on Wednesday advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the intermediaries in the prescription drug supply chain who negotiate discounts with drug companies on behalf of insurance plans. While other committees have also passed PBM reform bills, the Finance Committee has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, which make up
- [Thursday, July 27, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-27-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, black women’s fetal mortality rate declined by nearly four percent in 2020 but remained much higher than other racial groups. Black women’s fetal mortality rate declined from 10.34 deaths per 1,000 live births to 9.89. Though this was
- [Thursday, July 27, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-27-2023-health-it/) - On Wednesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a new AI-powered service for health care software providers that will help clinicians with paperwork. AWS HealthScribe uses generative AI and speech recognition to help doctors transcribe and analyze their conversations with patients and draft clinical notes. With the new service, health care software providers can use a single
- [Wednesday, July 26, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-26-2023-transition-to-value/) - On Tuesday, the American Medical Association, the insurance trade group AHIP, and the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) jointly released recommendations to facilitate data sharing among participants in value-based care arrangements. The three organizations described the guidelines as the first product emerging from their partnership. The AMA, AHIP, and NAACOS seek to address differences
- [Wednesday, July 26, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-26-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. is seeing high levels of heat-related illness this year, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency has been collecting national data on heat-related illness from emergency departments since 2018 and currently releases it daily through its Heat & Health Tracker. The CDC collects this data through its National
- [Wednesday, July 26, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-26-2023-life-sciences/) - An article on The Hill offers an outlook on the Medicare drug price negotiation legal battle. As of last week, three pharmaceutical companies and two trade groups are now suing the federal government over the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program established through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Hill discusses the timeline of negotiations and the expected
- [Wednesday, July 26, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-26-2023-access-coverage/) - The Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 International Health Policy Survey found that 36 percent of rural Americans did not get the care they needed due to costs, which is more than double the rate for rural residents in six of the other countries the study looked at. The survey found that nearly 25 percent of rural Americans reported serious problems
- [Tuesday, July 25, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-25-2023-providers/) - A new report found that hospital consolidation leads to larger premiums and out-of-pocket spending for consumers. The report from Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms specifically notes that as hospitals acquire ambulatory care centers, consumers are more likely to be forced to pay outpatient fees for routine care that is traditionally covered by physician offices
- [Tuesday, July 25, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-25-2023-payers/) - Two Cigna members filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status in a California federal court on Monday, alleging the health insurance company leveraged an algorithm to improperly deny claims and systematically shift costs to its 2.1 million members. Lawyers anticipate more insurers will be hit with similar complaints as carriers increasingly automate their claims management processes. Monday's lawsuit
- [Tuesday, July 25, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-25-2023-life-sciences/) - Pfizer Inc. said over 30 drugs, including injections of painkiller fentanyl and anesthetic lidocaine, may see supply disruption after a tornado destroyed a warehouse at its Rocky Mount, North Carolina, plant last week. The company sent a letter late last week to its hospital customers saying it had identified around 64 different formulations or dosages of
- [Friday, July 21, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-21-2023-providers/) - On Wednesday, a tornado caused extensive damage to a Pfizer drug manufacturing site in Rocky Mount, N.C., threatening critical supplies for hospitals across the country. The company estimated that one-fourth of the injectable medications it supplies to U.S. hospitals were made at the Rocky Mount property, including drugs used during surgeries and other procedures to help
- [Friday, July 21, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-21-2023-payers/) - An analysis from the American Academy of Actuaries offers a look into the major factors that could lead to rising premiums in the individual and small group markets next year. According to the report, the top issues to watch over the next several months include ongoing inflation, the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and
- [Friday, July 21, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-21-2023-d-c-news/) - Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair, Senator Bernie Sanders, unveiled a legislative package Wednesday with billions in funding for community health centers and training of primary care doctors and other clinicians. The Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act has already drawn condemnation from the committee’s Republican leadership, who said the legislation contains “irresponsible”
- [Friday, July 21, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-21-2023-access-coverage/) - Nearly two years after Texas' six-week abortion ban went into effect, the state's infant mortalities spiked by over 10 percent in 2022, according to preliminary data obtained by CNN. Texas' ban, which was the strictest in the U.S. at the time of its enactment, may be driving the increase in infant deaths by forcing people to carry
- [Thursday, July 20, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-20-2023-providers/) - Stanford Health Care's resident physicians, who unionized last year, rallied in front of the hospital Wednesday to demand improved pay, working conditions, and care standards as they continue to negotiate their first contract. The physicians, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, say Stanford Health Care prioritizes profit over patient and physician well-being and is
- [Thursday, July 20, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-20-2023-payers/) - Colorado insurance officials announced Wednesday that despite their best efforts, they cannot keep troubled insurtech Friday Health Plans afloat and will instead liquidate the company on August 31. State officials put Friday Health Plans into receivership on June 21 in the hope that their oversight of the company’s finances would allow the approximately 35,000 enrollees in the state to
- [Thursday, July 20, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-20-2023-health-it/) - An effort to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to pull a widely used prescription drug monitoring software package off the market is stoking a broader debate over how much technology is influencing opioid prescribing. The Center for U.S. Policy says Bamboo Health's NarxCare should be classified as a medical device and subject to regulation
- [Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-19-2023-providers/) - In the past 10 years, there has been a dramatic shift in physician practice ownership as less than half of doctors now work in private practices, according to a new analysis. Between 2012 and 2022 the share of physicians working in private practices fell from 60 percent to 47 percent. In contrast, the share of physicians
- [Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-19-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could remove PET scan restrictions to better determine whether patients qualify for new drugs and to shine a light on whether a drug is slowing cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. The memo, released July 18, suggests removing the national coverage determination (NCD) that is currently
- [Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-19-2023-life-sciences/) - Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday became the latest drugmaker to go to court to halt Medicare drug price negotiations established by the Inflation Reduction Act. The lawsuit increases the odds that negotiated prices won't take effect on schedule, beginning in 2026. And the filing in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., also drives up the odds
- [Wednesday, July 19, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-19-2023-d-c-news/) - The White House plans to impose a 10-year funding ban on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the lab at the center of the COVID-19 origins debate, according to a government memo and an official familiar with the issue. The memo, written by an official at the Department of Health and Human Services, said that the lab
- [Tuesday, July 18, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-18-2023-transition-to-value/) - Efforts to move dialysis care into the home are gaining traction three years after then-President Donald Trump set a goal of having 80 percent of newly diagnosed kidney failure patients receive transplants or home dialysis by 2025. Last year, 26.6 percent of Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease were receiving dialysis, compared with 13.3 percent in 2020, according to
- [Tuesday, July 18, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-18-2023-providers/) - The Lown Institute released its ranking of the most socially responsible hospitals, with just 54 out of 3,600 receiving “A” grades for their work across the three main categories of equity, value, and outcomes. The Lown Institute is a health care think tank that launched its Hospitals Index for Social Responsibility in 2020 in an attempt
- [Tuesday, July 18, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-18-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a treatment for the prevention of RSV among infants and toddlers, making it the first preventive drug for the common virus that surged last winter among small children. The FDA approved nirsevimab-alip, or Beyfortus, for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among newborns and infants born during
- [Tuesday, July 18, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-18-2023-health-it/) - Teladoc is tapping into its two-year partnership with tech giant Microsoft to integrate AI and ambient clinical documentation tech into its Solo virtual care platform, the two companies announced Tuesday. Teladoc and Microsoft teamed up in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to streamline the technology and administrative processes associated with virtual care and integrate
- [Tuesday, July 18, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-18-2023-d-c-news/) - Friday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its withdrawal of two policy statements outlining its former position on antitrust enforcement in health care markets, echoing a similar decision from the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year. The agencies’ decisions come amid tightened scrutiny of dealmaking within the health care industry. More broadly, the FTC proposed a change to its
- [Monday, July 17, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-17-2023-transition-to-value/) - The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has released a request for information to design a future episode-based payment model. The center is looking for feedback on questions related to care delivery, incentive structure alignment, clinical episodes, participants, health equity, quality measures and multipayer alignment, payment methodology and structure, and model overlap, according to the
- [Monday, July 17, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-17-2023-mental-health/) - Americans of all ages are seeking far more mental-health care for conditions including anxiety, depression, and substance-use problems. UnitedHealth Group said the percentage of people getting psychological visits and other services was up by double digits just since last year, and it believes the shift represents a long-term change. The company said people feel increasingly comfortable
- [Monday, July 17, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-17-2023-ma/) - According to a new roundup report, hospital merger and acquisition deal volume has returned to pre-pandemic levels as of the second quarter of 2023. Twenty new deals were announced from April to June, up from 15 in the first quarter and 14 in the second quarter of 2020, and 14 and 13 transactions announced in the second quarter
- [Monday, July 17, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-17-2023-life-sciences/) - For the first time, a semi-independent committee for the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday it has determined that aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener found in thousands of products like diet sodas and sugar-free gum, should be categorized as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The committee also noted that "safety is not a major concern" in the
- [Monday, July 17, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-17-2023-access-coverage/) - Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming care for young transgender people was restored Friday when a federal judge lifted an injunction he issued last month that had temporarily blocked the restrictions. The latest ruling by U.S. District Judge David Hale means the Kentucky prohibition goes into effect, preventing transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Kentucky
- [Friday, July 14, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-14-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its proposed Medicare payment rates and policy updates under the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System. In the proposed calendar year 2024 rule, set to be published in the Federal Registrar, CMS floated payment rates for hospitals that meet applicable
- [Friday, July 14, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-14-2023-mental-health/) - More than 4 million people have called the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline since it launched last July, but a new poll from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 82 percent of Americans remain unaware of the 911 alternative for mental health crises. Thus far, the Biden-Harris administration has invested $1 billion in
- [Thursday, July 14, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-14-2023-ma/) - The proposed merger of Colorado-based UCHealth and Parkview Health System has stalled due to "regulatory matters," according to financial documents filed this week. Parkview said in the filing that its pending combination with UC Health would not close in mid-2023 as expected, and did not provide a new timeline for the deal's closure, saying it "remains
- [Thursday, July 13, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-13-2023-payers/) - A new study asserts that while payers should cover telehealth, where these services are the most valuable still requires investigation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made the rules about telehealth usage more flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some lawmakers want to make those changes permanent. But according to research from the University of
- [Thursday, July 13, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-13-2023-ma/) - Urgent care center chain FastMed has signed another deal handing off many of its Southwest locations to a health system buyer. Arizona-based HonorHealth announced that it had signed a deal to buy out 26 urgent care centers it had been running jointly in the state with FastMed. Terms of the deal, set to close during the
- [Thursday, July 13, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-13-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter, more effective at preventing
- [Wednesday, July 12, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-12-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Many who increased their drinking during the pandemic were already on the verge of developing severe alcoholic liver disease, said Jovan Julien, a postdoctoral
- [Wednesday, July 12, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-12-2023-providers/) - Hospitals told a major Senate panel that a $385 million bucket of annual emergency preparedness funding up for reauthorization should “be at least doubled” if the country’s health care system is to be ready for another public health threat. In a letter to the Senate HELP Committee’s leading members, the American Hospital Association (AHA) told lawmakers
- [Wednesday, July 12, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-12-2023-ma/) - Virginia-based UVA Health announced on Tuesday a partnership with Riverside Health System, the latest move in the academic health system’s efforts to form a statewide network. UVA Health will acquire a 5 percent ownership stake in Riverside, which operates four acute-care hospitals and a behavioral health hospital, as well as a physical rehabilitation hospital and a
- [Wednesday, July 12, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-12-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - A campaign is being launched to diversify images used in medical textbooks and diagnosis manuals. The campaign was announced last month in collaboration between Johnson & Johnson, the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI), and Chidiebere Ibe, whose illustration of a Black fetus went viral a year and a half ago. The scarcity of such illustrations can
- [Wednesday, July 12, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-12-2023-access-coverage/) - Iowa lawmakers Tuesday passed a law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, weeks after the state Supreme Court deadlocked on whether the state’s current ban was enforceable. The bill’s passage sets up another legal challenge, as abortion rights groups said they would fight the new law. Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up
- [Tuesday, July 11, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-11-2023-providers/) - HCA Healthcare on Monday reported a data security incident where personal information, including patient names and contact details, was stolen and posted online. The data lists could contain 27 million rows of data with information from about 11 million patients who received care at HCA hospitals or physicians’ offices in 20 states. The health system, which
- [Tuesday, July 11, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-11-2023-mental-health/) - A KFF HealthNews article says that mental health respite facilities are filling care gaps in over a dozen states. These facilities, established nationwide over the past 20 years, offer a short-term, homelike, nurturing environment for people experiencing a mental health crisis, but don’t need immediate medical attention. At respites, patients are treated like guests and can
- [Tuesday, July 11, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-11-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is opening the way for more cancer drugs from China as the U.S. continues to deal with an ongoing shortage in key chemotherapy treatments. A spokesperson for the FDA confirmed Monday that the agency is permitting 10 additional lots of the common cancer drug cisplatin to be distributed by the
- [Tuesday, July 11, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-july-11-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - KFF HealthNews shared an analysis of data on the state councils that wield immense power over how opioid abatement dollars are spent in various states. The data shows that councils are as unique as states are from one another. They vary in size, power, and the amount of funds they oversee. Councils are made up of
- [Monday, July 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-10-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Half of U.S. adults skip important health screenings, according to a survey released by Aflac. The survey noted that women have a less positive outlook than men regarding their current and future health prospects. Skipping regular checkups is common among individuals who feel healthy. One in 4 respondents said they miss routine checkups. Reasons cited include
- [Monday, July 10, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-10-2023-providers/) - The federal government will pay eligible hospitals in the 340B program $9 billion to offset payment cuts the Supreme Court ruled unlawful last year. In 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut prescription drug payments for 340B-covered entity hospitals by nearly 30 percent. The American Hospital Association and other hospital groups sued to
- [Monday, July 10, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-10-2023-ma/) - A federal judge on Wednesday granted Teladoc Health's motion to dismiss a securities class-action suit against the telehealth company stemming from its merger with Livongo. The amended version of the complaint, originally filed as a putative class action against Teladoc in June 2022 by shareholder Jeremy Schneider, alleged that the company violated the Securities Act of
- [Monday, July 10, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-10-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Medicare’s value-based programs are penalizing inpatient hospitals for community-level health equity factors that impact outcomes but are largely out of hospitals’ control, according to a recent analysis. Specifically, the study, based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data, pointed to patient populations with greater medical complexity, greater need for uncompensated care, and who more
- [Friday, July 7, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-7-2023-payers/) - President Joe Biden on Friday rolled out a new set of initiatives to reduce health care costs, including a crackdown on scam insurance plans, new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills, and an effort to reduce medical debt tied to credit cards. A proposed rule on short-term health care plans would limit the duration of these
- [Friday, July 7, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-7-2023-ma/) - Baylor Scott & White Health (BSW) is adding dozens of Texas urgent care clinics to its network thanks to a newly announced deal with NextCare Urgent Care. Forty-one facilities in “fast-growing areas” such as Houston, San Antonio, and Abilene will give the state’s largest nonprofit health system a foothold in new markets. The deal also catapults
- [Friday, July 7, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-july-7-2023-life-sciences/) - On Thursday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted traditional full approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said Thursday that it will now expand coverage of the drug, broadening access for up to an estimated million people with early forms of the disease. The expansion of coverage comes
- [Friday, July 7, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-july-12-2023-access-coverage/) - Adults in Arizona can now obtain contraceptive medications over the counter at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription under a governor’s order announced Thursday. Governor Katie Hobbs said the rule will go into effect immediately. It applies to self-administered birth control, such as hormonal and oral contraceptives, and patients 18 or older need only complete a
- [Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-5-2023-public-health-prevention/) - To prevent a repeat of last winter’s “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses, Americans will be encouraged this fall to receive vaccines to stave off the flu, a new COVID variant, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Last year's convergence of seasonal influenza, RSV, and COVID shook health systems still dealing with the effects of the pandemic, posing a major
- [Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-5-2023-providers/) - Stanford Medicine and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) unveiled plans Friday to collaborate on a project that will bring a new National Cancer Institute-designated joint cancer care and research center to the VA Palo Alto campus in California. The two organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin discussions on the partnership, Stanford Medicine representatives said.
- [Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-5-2023-payers/) - A new report from the Urban Institue says that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) quality bonus program is ineffective in many cases as it overpays Medicare Advantage organizations and needs reform. The bonus program, established by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, offers 5 percent bonus payments to Medicare Advantage contracts with ratings of
- [Wednesday, July 5, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-5-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - Teenagers who could benefit from drug treatment for opioid addiction are rarely receiving the appropriate medication, according to a study led by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. Less than a quarter of residential treatment centers nationwide catering to adolescents offer buprenorphine, one of few drugs considered to be the gold standard for treating opioid
- [Wednesday, July 5, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-july-5-2023-d-c-news/) - A federal judge in Louisiana ordered key Biden administration officials and agencies not to contact social media platforms to suppress speakers and viewpoints they disagree with, a major development that pits free-speech rights against government efforts to curb misinformation. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty granted a preliminary injunction barring a wide swath of officials from the
- [Monday, July 3, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-3-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Only a third of Americans infected with hepatitis C from 2013 to 2022 were treated and cured, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that pointed to barriers to diagnoses, drugs, and preventive services. The Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States from the Department of Health
- [Monday, July 3, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-3-2023-providers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed cutting reimbursements to home health providers by 2.2 percent in fiscal 2024 in a draft regulation published Friday. Home health advocates were universally upset with the proposed rule on Friday. LeadingAge CEO Katie Smith Sloan called the rule proposal a “direct contradiction” to the Biden administration’s stated
- [Monday, July 3, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-3-2023-ma/) - Bright Health Group announced that it will sell its final insurance assets to Molina Healthcare for up to $600 million in cash. Bright Health needed to ink a proposed sale agreement for its Medicare Advantage business in California by Friday to avoid bankruptcy after it overdrew its $350 million revolving credit facility earlier this year. The
- [Monday, July 3, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-3-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Death rates from certain cancers rose in Hispanic men and women over the two decades ending in 2020 while the rest of the population saw mortality decline, according to a new JAMA Oncology study. The study highlights how lack of access to health care has contributed to cancer being the leading cause of death among Hispanics,
- [Monday, July 3, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-july-3-2023-access-coverage/) - Georgia is set to become the only state in the country to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, and the success or failure of its plan could be a test case for other states that are planning ahead for the next Republican White House. The newly launched program will allow able-bodied adults who have never qualified for
- [Thursday, June 29, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-29-2023-providers/) - Health care costs are expected to rise 7 percent next year as providers deal with higher expenses and seek rate increases during contract negotiations with insurers. The projection by PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PWC) Health Research Institute tops the consultancy's estimates in 2022 and 2023, which were 5.5 percent and 6 percent, respectively. Given the increase of costs, PwC
- [Thursday, June 29, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-29-2023-payers/) - UnitedHealthcare will end out-of-pocket costs for its 24/7 Virtual Visits in some of its fully insured plans beginning July 1. The insurance giant revealed the change through a notice to its brokers about the new offering. According to the alert, the $0 cost for these urgent care visits will become available upon renewal or at new enrollment
- [Thursday, June 29, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-29-2023-life-sciences/) - On Thursday, the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) recommended that adults aged 60 and older get one of two respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines this fall, making them the first shots against the disease to be authorized in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. The
- [Thursday, June 29, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-29-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started using the area deprivation index (ADI) to adjust payment rates and quality incentives in some models to encourage participating providers to offer care to disadvantaged populations, but providers participating in alternate payment models fear the tool may inadvertently divert resources from some communities that need them. An analysis by
- [Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-28-2023-providers/) - Recent study findings suggest that hospital consolidation is associated with a reduction of inpatient pediatric services during subsequent years, a new data point for policymakers weighing whether and how to rein in health systems’ consolidation of smaller provider facilities. The analysis by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers reviewed American Hospital Association annual survey reports
- [Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-28-2023-payers/) - Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries given home-delivered meals in the four weeks after being discharged from a hospital were not only less likely to be readmitted within 30 days, they were also less likely to die, according to a study in JAMA Health Forum. The 2018 Chronic Care Act gave MA plans greater leverage to address the
- [Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-28-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Health care companies pursuing mergers would have to disclose more information about the transactions under a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposal that could slow health care deal-making. The antitrust agency voted Tuesday to publish a proposed rule that would, in part, require merging parties to disclose any minority investors in an effort to weed out
- [Wednesday, June 27, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-27-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Racial disparities in food insecurity persist among low-income households that don’t participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but not among those that do, according to a new study. Food insecurity is considered a critical public health threat, and the new evidence suggests that SNAP can effectively minimize inequities created by a lack of access
- [Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-28-2023-health-it/) - Nuance Communications, Microsoft’s speech recognition subsidiary, is building on its long-standing partnership with Epic to broaden the availability of generative AI tools for medical note-taking. Nuance is integrating its Dragon Ambient eXperience Express into Epic's electronic health record software to help cut down on clinicians' administrative workloads. The ambient AI technology aims to automate clinical documentation by
- [Tuesday, June 27, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-27-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning doctors and public health officials about a handful of locally acquired cases of malaria. Four people in Florida and one person in Texas seem to have been exposed to the disease locally. The four cases in Florida are all in the same area, so there is active surveillance in
- [Tuesday, June 27, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-27-2023-providers/) - About 2,000 registered nurses are slated to launch a one-day strike Tuesday morning and, upon completion, will be locked out of their Ascension hospitals for an additional three days, according to statements from their union and the major Catholic health system. The nurses are employed at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and Ascension Via
- [Tuesday, June 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-27-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a payment boost for dialysis providers next year in a draft regulation released Monday. The agency is proposing to raise the end-stage renal disease Prospective Payment System base rate for dialysis services provided to Medicare beneficiaries by $4.42, or 1.7 percent, to $269.99. It projects that total
- [Tuesday, June 27, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-27-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The U.S. Justice Department on Friday filed criminal charges against four Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and eight individuals over allegations that they illegally trafficked the chemicals used to make fentanyl. The indictments mark the first time the U.S. has sought to prosecute any of the Chinese companies responsible for manufacturing precursor chemicals used to make the
- [Tuesday, June 27, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-27-2023-mental-health/) - In Fall 2022, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation asked Third Horizon Strategies (THS) to conduct an analysis of the financial health of the substance use disorder (SUD) delivery system in New Hampshire. The Charitable Foundation commissioned this report to inform shared learning and elevate guidance that can inform private, philanthropic, and public investments to continue to grow, stabilize,
- [Monday, June 26, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-26-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Efforts to develop the next generation of Covid vaccines are running up against bureaucratic hassles and regulatory uncertainty, scientists say, obstacles that could make it harder to curb the spread of the coronavirus and arm the United States against future pandemics. After months of delay, the Biden administration has now addressed at least a shortfall in
- [Monday, June 26, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-26-2023-providers/) - A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open found physician-owned hospital prices to be about a third lower than traditional hospitals in the same market, potentially fueling debate over legislation that would remove the ban on building more physician-owned hospitals. In February, a group of senators introduced legislation allowing new physician-owned hospitals to
- [Monday, June 26, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-26-2023-ma/) - Digital health company Babylon Health finalized plans to go private and will combine with digital therapeutics company MindMaze. The combination of Babylon Health and MindMaze will form a "powerful digital-first global AI-driven health care business that will help transform the industry from sick care to predictive and preventative health care," executives said in a press release. The
- [Addressing Barriers to Behavioral Health Care Delivery for the LGBTQ+ Community](https://thirdhorizon.com/addressing-barriers-to-behavioral-health-care-delivery-for-the-lgbtq-community/) - In honor of Pride Month, Third Horizon Strategies (THS) recently interviewed Chicago-based Psychotherapist Spencer Rogers, LSW, to learn about their experiences as a front-line clinician at Howard Brown Health.
- [Thursday, June 22, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-22-2023-life-sciences/) - The pharmaceutical industry’s largest trade group has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Biden’s drug-price negotiation law, the latest legal test of a program that could cost drugmakers billions of dollars over the next decade. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) alleged in the complaint that the law violates the separation
- [Thursday, June 22, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-june-22-2023-access-coverage/) - In a KFF survey of 569 board-certified OB-GYNs across the U.S., 68 percent say the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade has worsened pregnancy-related medical emergencies, while 64 percent report that the ruling has worsened pregnancy-related mortality. The poll reveals that the Dobbs ruling affected maternal mortality and how pregnancy-related medical emergencies are managed,
- [Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-21-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is accepting applications for expert writing group members to develop and draft the Adolescent volume of the 4th Edition of The ASAM Criteria. The Adolescent volume of the 4th Edition of The ASAM Criteria will update and expand standards and decision rules for the adolescent population using a
- [Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-21-2023-mental-health/) - According to a new recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force released Tuesday, adults ages 19 to 64 in the United States should be screened for anxiety disorders. Thefinal recommendation, published in the medical journal JAMA, marks the first time the USPSTF has made a final recommendation on screening for anxiety disorders in adults, including
- [Wednesday, June 21, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-21-2023-ma/) - Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that it has entered into a deal to acquire Dice Therapeutics for $2.4 billion, a move that will bulk up its treatment portfolio for immune-related diseases. Dice is a biopharmaceutical company that uses a proprietary technology platform to develop new oral therapeutic drugs for autoimmune diseases, in which the body’s immune
- [Wednesday, June 21, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-21-2023-access-coverage/) - A federal judge struck down Arkansas’ first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for children as unconstitutional Tuesday, the first ruling to overturn such a prohibition as a growing number of Republican-led states adopt similar restrictions. S. District Judge Jay Moody issued a permanent injunction against the Arkansas law, which would have prohibited doctors from providing gender-affirming
- [Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-20-2023-payers/) - The largest Medicare Advantage insurers want to cut benefits, increase premiums and make other structural changes to their plans next year to account for higher-than-anticipated medical expenses this year. Both Humana and United HealthGroup have reported that their Medicare Advantage members are scheduling more doctor visits than anticipated.The two insurers say that claims for inpatient
- [Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-20-2023-mental-health/) - A Modern Healthcare article discusses why gaps exist in mental health care insurance coverage. Some of the issues discussed include compliance with parity rules, prior authorizations, and lower reimbursements to mental health providers. The article also discusses the lack of mental health providers included in insurance networks and the possibility of creating a national registry of
- [Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-20-2023-life-sciences/) - The body mass index (BMI) metric has caused "historical harm," including racist exclusion, according to a new report by the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health. Doctors have long relied on BMI to measure obesity, but it is an imperfect measurement that does not directly assess body fat, the nation's largest
- [Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-20-2023-access-coverage/) - Texas has joined a growing number of states extending the period in which new moms can qualify for Medicaid insurance after giving birth, offering coverage beyond the required 60 days postpartum to 12 months. On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 12, which extends the duration of Medicaid coverage provided postpartum
- [Wednesday, June 14, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-14-2023-providers/) - In a new survey, 94 out of 100 senior health system executives polled by health care career marketplace Incredible Health in May described their nursing shortage as “critical,” and just over two-thirds said they don’t have adequate nursing staff to handle a large-scale health crisis. Ninety-three of the respondents said their system leaned on travel nurses to
- [Wednesday, June 14, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-14-2023-payers/) - Overpayments to insurers administering Medicare Advantage plans now exceed $75 billion a year due to aggressive coding of patients' health conditions and easily achieved bonus payments tied to quality, researchers with the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics found. More seniors are choosing private Medicare Advantage plans over traditional Medicare, and continued overpayments
- [Wednesday, June 14, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-14-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A new study published in JAMA found that many residential rehab centers for young people addicted to opioids don’t offer lifesaving medication for opioid use disorder. Only 1 in 4 residential addiction treatment programs for teenagers provide buprenorphine or even know what it is, according to the study. In fact, equine therapy was more commonly
- [Wednesday, June 14, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-14-2023-health-it/) - The American Medical Association's House of Delegates is taking a harder look at artificial and augmented intelligence and its impact on patient care. Delegates voted Monday to study A.I.'s benefits and unforeseen circumstances, including large language models such as GPTs and other intelligence-generated medical content, and propose appropriate state and federal regulations, according to AMA documents. In those documents,
- [Wednesday, June 14, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-june-14-2023-access-coverage/) - The Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) preventive care mandate remains in effect as a federal appeals court mulls a legal challenge to the requirements. A panel of judges at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay Tuesday that partially halts a lower court ruling striking down the mandate. As part of the order, the
- [Tuesday, June 13, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-13-2023-providers/) - As health care is more frequently being delivered in the home, home health agencies and nursing schools have created partnerships and launched new initiatives to prepare for the growing trend of treating people where they live. Duke University launched a four-year program this spring with a $3.9 million federal training grant aimed at helping better prepare
- [Tuesday, June 13, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-13-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Attorneys representing New Mexico announced on Friday that the state has reached a $500 million settlement with Walgreens for the pharmacy retail giant's alleged involvement in the opioid epidemic. The half-a-billion dollar settlement comes on top of $274 million in settlements obtained by the state last fall from Albertsons, CVS, Kroger and Walmart. Attorneys representing the
- [Tuesday, June 13, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-june-13-2023-access-coverage/) - The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) announced new flexibilities for states to use during the Medicaid redeterminations process, as Secretary Xavier Becerra expressed concern at the number of enrollees removed from the program. The expanded flexibilities allow managed care plans to assist beneficiaries with enrollment, including with filling out some of the renewal forms,
- [Monday, June 12, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-12-2023-providers/) - Cancer centers are contending with shortages of key chemotherapy drugs, with potentially dire consequences once the scarcity starts hitting patients. A news survey released this week by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) found that 93 percent of cancer centers are reporting shortages of carboplatin and 70 percent are reporting shortages of cisplatin. These two
- [Monday, June 12, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-12-2023-ma/) - Walgreens Boots Alliance sold its remaining stake in post-acute care and infusion services company Option Care Health for $330 million. The drugstore chain announced Thursday it sold 10.8 million shares of Option Care Health and plans to use the proceeds primarily for debt paydown, continued support of the company's strategic priorities, and to help fund
- [Monday, June 12, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-12-2023-life-sciences/) - A panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers on Friday unanimously endorsed an experimental Alzheimer's drug that's been shown to have modest success slowing the progression of the disease, clearing a hurdle for full agency approval. Leqembi could become the first treatment of its kind to receive traditional approval from the FDA, which is expected
- [Monday, June 12, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-12-2023-access-coverage/) - More than 725,000 Medicaid recipients have been pushed off the safety net program's rolls as of last week, based on data from 14 states that are unwinding a pandemic-era policy that assured continuous coverage, according to a KFF tracker. KFF has estimated that 17 million people could ultimately lose Medicaid coverage, including those who are
- [Monday, June 5, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-5-2023-providers/) - Evernorth has inked a strategic partnership with CarepathRx Health System Solutions that aims to boost access to specialty pharmacy care. Through the partnership, the two will provide integrated specialty pharmacy services to CHSS' growing clientele, which includes more than 600 hospitals, health systems, and physicians. This will allow these providers to diversify the ways they
- [Monday, June 5, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-5-2023-ma/) - BJC HealthCare of St. Louis and Saint Luke's Health System of Kansas City said that they are exploring a merger that could create a 28-hospital academic health system valued at around $10 billion. The combined company wouldn't have geographic overlap, which seems to be key for U.S. hospital operators that want to expand (and cut
- [Monday, June 5, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-june-5-2023-access-coverage/) - On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that bars transgender kids from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies, though the new law could face legal challenges before it takes effect on September 1. Senate Bill 14’s passage brings to the finish line a legislative priority for the Republican Party of Texas, which
- [Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-31-2023-providers/) - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a new survey of nursing professionals, in which 80 percent of respondents said they have seen or experienced racism from patients, and 60 percent from colleagues. The survey found that fewer than 1 in 4 nurses reported the incidents. In interviews with pollsters, nurses said they felt human resources
- [Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-31-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 17 people and entities based in China and Mexico who it accused of enabling production of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills, as the Biden administration seeks to stem imports of the deadly drug. The Treasury Department said it slapped sanctions on seven entities and six people based in China,
- [Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-31-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - OptumRx launched initiatives designed to expand the services available at community and rural pharmacies amid a looming legislative crackdown on pharmacy benefit managers’ business practices. The PBM, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, will work with pharmacies in seven states to connect pregnant women and patients with diabetes with housing, transportation, and food support, the company
- [Ascension Recovery Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/ascension-recovery-services/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Ascension Recovery Services (Ascension RS) helps individuals and organizations build financially viable behavioral health treatment programs offering a continuum of high-quality, effective services. Since 2013, Ascension RS has assisted in opening and providing ongoing management support
- [Tuesday, May 23, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-23-2023-d-c-news/) - Congressional Democrats are having second thoughts about taking back unspent coronavirus funds as part of a debt limit deal, concerned that doing so could have serious consequences for myriad public health initiatives. House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro recently released a list of the programs and initiatives that would be affected if the funds were rescinded.
- [Tuesday, May 23, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-23-2023-providers/) - Minnesota is poised to become the first state to enact legislation establishing a board that will set minimum wages and benefits for nursing home workers. The measure is the latest effort by states to help attract workers to post-acute care as demand for those services skyrockets from aging baby boomers. The nursing home standards board
- [Tuesday, May 23, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-23-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - The Biden administration called on Congress Monday to pass a bill aimed at tackling fentanyl trafficking in the U.S., which would see the synthetic opioid raised to the highest classification of illegal drugs. The bill would permanently place all fentanyl-related substances into a Schedule I class, which means the currently labeled Schedule II drug would
- [Systemic Approaches to Behavioral Health Crisis Services](https://thirdhorizon.com/systemic-approaches-to-behavioral-health-crisis-services/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] According to Mental Health America’s 2023 State of Mental Health report, 21 percent of adults are experiencing a mental illness yet 55 percent of those (equating to more than 28 million Americans) do not receive treatment. Recent data
- [Third Horizon Strategies Partners with Elevance Health Foundation and Duke-Margolis to Release Opioid Abatement Needs and Investment Tool](https://healthpolicy.duke.edu/opioidtools) - The new Opioid Abatement Needs and Investment (OANI) tool will assist leaders in using settlement funds to address the opioid epidemic.
- [Tuesday, May 16, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-16-2023-ma/) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is expected to file a lawsuit as early as Tuesday to block Amgen Inc's $27.8 billion deal to buy Horizon Therapeutics PLC. Amgen struck a deal last year to buy Horizon to strengthen its rare diseases drugs portfolio. The company has said it hopes to complete the acquisition in the first half of
- [Tuesday, May 16, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-16-2023-life-sciences/) - CVS Health is closing down its clinical trials arm just two years after its launch. The company began its collaboration with pharmaceutical companies in 2021 and will shut it down at the end of 2024. To date,CVS Health has worked with more than 30 drugmakers on 50 phase II, II and IV studies involving 33,000 participants.
- [Tuesday, May 16, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-16-2023-d-c-news/) - President Joe Biden on Monday nominated cancer specialist Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to become director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bertagnolli is a cancer surgeon and researcher who, last fall became the first female head of the NIH’s National Cancer Institute. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the second woman named permanent
- [Tuesday, May 16, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-16-2023-access-coverage/) - A federal appeals court Monday partially paused a ruling from a Texas district court judge that jeopardized access to free preventive care for 150 million Americans. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit granted the Biden administration’s request for a partial administrative stay while Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling is appealed. (Articles here and here)
- [Friday, May 12, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-12-2023-d-c-news/) - A key Senate panel advanced a package of bipartisan bills aimed at improving generic drug competition and reforming the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The bill would prohibit a PBM practice known as “spread pricing,” or charging health plans more for a drug than the PBM reimburses to the pharmacy, a tactic that’s
- [Friday, May 12, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-12-2023-mental-health/) - New CDC data show that U.S. adolescents made fewer weekly visits to emergency departments for mental health issues in Fall 2022 compared to 2021, but teen suicide and overdose ED visit rates remain high. By late 2022, pandemic restrictions had been loosened or lifted, and adolescents had generally returned to schools, with better social engagement
- [Friday, May 12, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-12-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration finalized new guidance on Thursday that will allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blo The change formally ends the FDA's blood donor restrictionsfor men who have sex with men that originated during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which have been denounced as discriminatory by medical and LGBTQ organizations. The
- [Friday, May 12, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-12-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Payers can and should be doing more to address health inequities, a new report by the United Hospital Fund says. The New York-based nonprofit aims for the report to serve as a road map for payers looking to do the work of elevating equity. Payers are uniquely positioned to address disparities as they are major
- [Thursday, May 11, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-11-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Today marks the end of the public health emergency in the United States, more than three years after it was first declared to combat the novel coronavirus by unlocking powerful tools to detect and contain the emerging threat. Several core aspects of America’s pandemic-era emergency safety net are also coming to a close, from extra food assistance
- [Thursday, May 11, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-11-2023-life-sciences/) - A panel of outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously voted Wednesday that the benefits of making a birth control pill available over the counter outweigh the potential risks.The 17-0 vote represents a major step forward in the decades-long push to make birth control pills available without a prescription for the first
- [Thursday, May 11, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-11-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Seventeen health systems including big names like CommonSpirit Health and Providence have signed onto a pledge that at least 10 percent of their new hires will hail from “economically disadvantaged areas” by 2027, according to a release from social determinants of health leadership organization the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN). The so-called Impact Workforce Commitment agreed to
- [Thursday, May 11, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-11-2023-access-coverage/) - Vermont’s Republican governor signed abortion and gender-affirming shield bills into law Wednesday that are the first in the country to explicitly include protecting access to abortion medication even if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdraws its approval of the pill, mifepristone. The bills protect providers from discipline for providing legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care
- [Wednesday, May 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-10-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new guidance Tuesday advising that women begin receiving annual breast cancer screenings at age 40 instead of its previous recommendation of 50, citing updated science. The independent volunteer panel of physicians’ recommendation was Grade B, meaning the task force believes with high certainty this guidance has a “moderate
- [Wednesday, May 10, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-10-2023-life-sciences-2/) - Some of the world’s biggest drugmakers are laying legal groundwork to fight the U.S. plan to negotiate drug prices for its Medicare health coverage, including the argument that a ban against speaking about these talks violates constitutional rights, according to six industry sources. The first-ever Medicare drug price reduction process begins in September when the
- [Wednesday, May 10, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-10-2023-life-sciences/) - Marijuana and other products containing THC have grown more potent and more dangerous as legalization has made them more widely available. Although decades ago, the THC content of weed was commonly less than 1.5 percent, some products on the market today are more than 90 percent THC. Marijuana-related medical emergencies have landed hundreds of thousands
- [Wednesday, May 10, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-10-2023-d-c-news/) - The White House isn’t quite ready to launch its new pandemic response office for a neat handoff at the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha told reporters Tuesday. Jha said White House officials are in the middle of setting up an Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response
- [Tuesday, May 9, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-9-2023-providers/) - Telehealth rules created during the pandemic that allowed for the prescribing of controlled substances without an in-person visit will stay in place as is until November 11. The Drug Enforcement Administration filed the rule to extend telehealth flexibilities, which will take effect on Thursday when the COVID-19 public health emergency expires. Any existing provider-patient telehealth
- [Tuesday, May 9, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-9-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The U.S. government will pay more than $5 million for a large study measuring whether overdoses can be prevented by supervised injection sites, places where people can use heroin and other illegal drugs and be revived if they take too much. The grant funding will be used over four years by New York University and Brown
- [Tuesday, May 9, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-9-2023-mental-health/) - Two nonprofits and Teva Pharmaceuticals are expanding donations of medications for anxiety and depression to seven new states, potentially reaching more than 650,000 uninsured patients through more than 400 clinics. Launched last summer with the humanitarian organization Direct Relief and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the program is aimed at expanding medication
- [Monday, May 8, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-may-8-2023-life-sciences/) - As U.S. health regulators are weighing thefirst-ever request to make a birth control pill available without a prescription, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists on Friday expressed skepticism about whether the birth control pill can be switched from prescription to over-the-counter. In its review of drugmaker Perrigo’s application for Opill, the FDA cited problems with the reliability of
- [Monday, May 8, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-may-8-2023-providers/) - California lawmakers have fast-tracked legislation to loan out $150 million to hospitals across the state struggling to stay open with promises to provide further support when finalizing the state’s budget next month. The bill, passed last week in California’s senate and assembly, would establish a Distressed Hospital Loan Program through January 1, 2032. The program
- [Friday, May 5, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-5-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Covid was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States last year, dropping from its place as the third leading cause in 2020 and 2021 when virus fatalities were superseded only by heart disease and cancer, the National Center for Health Statistics reported on Thursday. The latest New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey
- [Friday, May 5, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-5-2023-providers/) - Seven states have established tax incentives worth up to $10,000 a year for physicians who take on the responsibility of helping train the next generation. These programs improve medical training and bolster the clinical pipeline, said Denise Kornegay, associate dean at Augusta University Medical College of Georgia and executive director of the Georgia Statewide Area
- [Friday, May 5, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-5-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Immigrant adults and children under the age of 65, including those who are undocumented, account for 8 percent of the U.S. population but make up nearly 32 percent of the uninsured population in the country, according to a new report from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Despite tax credits being available for
- [Friday, May 5, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-may-5-2023-access-coverage/) - During the period of continuous Medicaid enrollment (February 2020 - March 2023), the uninsured rate in the US dropped to the lowest level ever recorded, but as of April 1, 2023, several states resumed disenrolling people from Medicaid, leading to concerns over coverage loss. States are granted up to a year to begin Medicaid eligibility checks, with Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho,
- [Thursday, May 4, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-4-2023-payers/) - Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment accounts for just over half of all Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF researchers analyzed data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and found that 30.19 million of the 59.82 million people enrolled in Medicare as of January 2023 were in an
- [Thursday, May 4, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-may-4-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved the first vaccine to prevent infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a widespread pathogen that can be deadly in young children and older adults. Approval of the vaccine, which was developed by GSK, represents a research milestone after decades of unsuccessful efforts to develop an
- [Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-3-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - Drug overdose death rates involving fentanyl more than tripled in the US from 2016 to 2021. The rate of overdose deaths involving fentanyl spiked by 279 percent between 2016 and 2021, according to a report published by the National Center for Health Statistics. Overdose death rates for methamphetamine and cocaine also rose over the same
- [Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-may-3-2023-access-coverage/) - Vermont on Tuesday become the first state in the nation to update its medically assisted suicide law to allow out-of-state terminally ill people to use the procedure to end their lives. The law, which for a decade has permitted doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill people 18 or older, was amended when Gov.
- [Tuesday, May 2, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-2-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory on Tuesday calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in the United States. The report cites recent research showing that approximately half of U.S. adults experienced loneliness daily, even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights that a lack
- [Tuesday, May 2, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-2-2023-mental-health/) - Close to a third of LGBTQ youth say laws and policies that target LGBTQ people have had a substantial and negative impact on their mental health over the past year, according to an annual report published Monday by The Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group. Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ young people
- [Tuesday, May 2, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-2-2023-ma/) - CommonSpirit Health finalized its acquisition of Steward Health Care's Utah locations, the health systems said Monday. The deal,announced earlier this year, includes more than 35 clinics, imaging and urgent care centers, and five hospitals. Chicago-based CommonSpirit, which operates 145 hospitals and more than 2,200 care sites across 23 states, said it is changing the facilities to the
- [Tuesday, May 2, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-may-2-2023-life-sciences/) - A new bipartisan bill seeks to limit drug shortages by staying ahead of new demand increases. Florida Rep. Cory Mills and California Rep. Sara Jacobs filed a bill on April 28 that, if passed, would require drugmakers to tell the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if they have experienced six straight weeks of increased product
- [Monday, May 1, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-may-1-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to stop tracking the spread of Covid in communities across the U.S., the agency said Friday. Moving forward, the CDC is expected to rely more heavily on Covid-related hospitalizations, according to two people familiar with the plans — much like it does to track the spread
- [Monday, May 1, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-may-1-2023-providers/) - Nearly a third of nurses nationwide say they will likely leave nursing for another career due to the pandemic, according to a new survey by AMN Healthcare. Some sectors of the health care industry plagued by significant labor shortages during the pandemic appear to be rebounding, but the AMN Healthcare survey suggests a shortage of
- [Monday, May 1, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-may-1-2023/) - The Biden administration has asked a federal appeals court to pause a judge's order blocking the Affordable Care Act's mandate that insurers cover preventive care. In the filing, the U.S. Justice Department said the order "has no legal justification and threatens the public health." It asked the court to stop the order from taking effect until
- [Friday, April 28, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-28-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is relaxing COVID-19 restrictions on international travelers as the national public health emergency is set to expire next month. The CDC said in an update on its website posted Thursday that it will consider anyone who has received a single dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine on or
- [Friday, April 28, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-28-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed new reporting rules for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs health plans that would, among other things, set national standards for appointment wait times and require disclosure of provider payment rates.The rulemaking is a push from the administration to better serve the 92 million Americans enrolled in the
- [Friday, April 28, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-28-2023-life-sciences/) - A bipartisan coalition of representatives and senators introduced legislation that would pay drug manufacturers to develop antibiotics and antifungal drugs to treat drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, as many companies stopped making the medications because the business was not highly profitable. The proposed legislation would establish a committee of federal officials to decide in consultation with
- [Friday, April 28, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-28-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - A new study from the Urban Institute found that more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults without access to a vehicle or public transportation missed or skipped a medical appointment in the previous year. The researchers noted that telehealth may have reduced transportation barriers for mental health, primary care, and some other services, but it's
- [Friday, April 28, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-28-2023-access-coverage/) - Abortion bans failed to pass in the legislatures of two conservative states yesterday. A near-total abortion ban failed to pass in South Carolina's Senate by 22 votes to 21, marking the third time such a measure hasn't passed in a GOP-led chamber since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. In the Nebraska Legislature, a bill proposing to
- [Thursday, April 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-27-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is strengthening enforcement of its hospital transparency rule by imposing stricter timelines and levying fines more quickly, the agency announced Wednesday. Hospital compliance with the requirement that they publicly disclose prices has been mixed, and some facilities have deemed it less onerous to pay civil monetary penalties than to provide
- [Thursday, April 27, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-27-2023-ma/) - Kaiser Permanente is acquiring 10-hospital Geisinger Health in a deal described as the first step toward a new multisystem value-based care organization, according to a Wednesday announcement. That new entity, called Risant Health, will be a nonprofit organization that operates “separately and distinctly from Kaiser Permanente’s core integrated care and coverage model,” the organizations said.
- [Thursday, April 27, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-27-2023-d-c-news/) - Yesterday, House Republicans passed the debt ceiling bill, which pushes work requirements for millions receiving Medicaid and food stamps. The supporters of the bill see work requirements as serving two purposes, allowing reduced government spending while bolstering the nation’s labor force at a time when many businesses are still struggling to staff up. Under the package,
- [Thursday, April 27, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-27-2023-access-coverage/) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee's new law that bansgender-affirming care for minors, which is due to take effect on July 1. The DOJ argues in its court filingthat the legislation violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. In a Wednesday nightstatement, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called the DOJ lawsuit
- [Wednesday, April 26, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-26-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a trio of bills meant to address gun violence Tuesday, onebanning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles, one imposing a 10-day waiting period on firearms purchases, and one clearing the way for lawsuits against gun makers or sellers in certain cases. The sales ban, which took effect immediately, drew a
- [Wednesday, April 26, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-26-2023-providers/) - Newly announced limits on visas for foreign nurses threaten to further a staffing strain on hospitals, nursing homes, and other major health employers. The State Department, in its May Visa Bulletin, announced that nearly all the available green card slots that nurses are eligible for had been filled. Only people who applied prior to June
- [Wednesday, April 26, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-26-2023-life-sciences/) - Yesterday, senate health committee leaders Bernie Sanders and Bill Cassidy announced an agreement on a bipartisan package to increase access to generic drugs and increase transparency required of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).The package includes four bills that would increase oversight of the Food and Drug Administration’s citizen petition process, reduce incentives for generic drug manufacturers
- [Wednesday, April 26, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-26-2023-access-coverage/) - The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Biden administration have two vastly different estimates of the number of people who would become uninsured under the House Republicans' debt bill, which would impose Medicaid work requirements. According to the CBO, about 600,000 people would become uninsured under the plan to impose Medicaid work requirements, but an
- [Tuesday, April 25, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-25-2023-public-health-prevention/) - A group of crisis experts and federal advisers conclude in a report out today that a lack of disaster preparedness and coordination led to an unraveling of the nation's pandemic response and that the crisis exposed a "collective national incompetence in governance.” The group praised certain aspects of the response, like Operation Warp Speed, but questioned
- [Tuesday, April 25, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-25-2023-life-sciences/) - The health insurance industry trade association AHIP launched a national advertising campaign with the goal of exposing pharmaceutical companies' role in high drug costs, saying they deflect blame for their role onto other areas of the health system. The ads, targeted to consumers, say that 22 cents of every insurance premium dollar go to Big
- [Tuesday, April 25, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-25-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - The Biden administration on Saturday held its first “Nationwide Vaccination Day,” running vaccine pop-ups across 21 cities to boost vaccination rates in Black communities. The event was part of the White House’s broader “We Can Do This” COVID-19 Vaccine Public Education Campaign. Community organizations like the Black Nurse Collaborative, Top Ladies of Distinction, and 100 Black Men of America
- [Tuesday, April 25, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-25-2023-access-coverage/) - A new Washington law aims to make it easier for patients to access aid-in-dying services under the state's Death with Dignity Act. A measure Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law earlier this month will cut down the wait time between when patients first ask for life-ending medication and when they can receive it. The new law also
- [Monday, April 24, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-24-2023-providers/) - A report published last week by the American Hospital Association (AHA) shows a 17.5 percent increase in hospital expenses from 2019 to 2022 that more than doubled the period’s 7.5 percent rise in Medicare reimbursement. The report identified that labor costs represent nearly half of a hospital’s operating expenses and have become a key issue
- [Monday, April 24, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-24-2023-payers/) - Reps. Adrian Smith and Debbie Dingell introduced a new bill that would attempt to lower Medicare spending by moving more hospital care into the home. The legislation would create a new Medicare benefit allowing certain beneficiaries not eligible for Medicaid to have a home health worker for up to 12 hours a week. It would facilitate
- [Monday, April 24, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-24-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A New York Times article covers concerns that members of the Sackler family, owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, donated millions of dollars to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which has been a source of advice to the White House and Congress on the opioid crisis. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
- [Monday, April 24, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-24-2023-access-coverage/) - The Supreme Court voted 7-2 to keep the abortion pill mifepristone broadly available as the legal battle over its Food and Drug Administration approval status plays out in the lower courts, according to a Friday evening decision. The court’s action stands to leave access to mifepristone unchanged, at least into next year, as appeals play
- [Friday, April 21, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-21-2023-payers/) - Express Scripts will increase reimbursement for independent rural pharmacies, whose ranks havecontinued to dwindle over the past decade. Express Scripts, the pharmacy benefit manager of insurer Cigna, plans to pay more to rural pharmacies that aren’t affiliated with a drug wholesaler, as well as increase outcome-based reimbursement, such as metrics related to drug adherence. (Article here)
- [Friday, April 21, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-21-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - The longstanding racial gap in U.S. stroke death rates widened dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, government researchers say. Stroke death rates increased for both Black and white adults in 2020 and 2021, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. But the difference between the two groups grew by about 22 percent compared
- [Friday, April 21, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-21-2023-access-coverage/) - Three LGBTQ rights groups are suing the state of Tennessee over a new law that prohibits medical professionals from administering gender-affirming health care to transgender minors. In a lawsuit filed in federal court, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its Tennessee affiliate, Lambda Legal, allege Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 will “cause severe and irreparable harm” to transgender young
- [Thursday, April 20, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-20-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an Office of Rural Health at the agency to improve rural health research and provide analyses that lead to good public health policies for rural communities. In December 2022, President Biden signed an omnibus appropriations bill that gave the CDC $5 million for the
- [Thursday, April 20, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-20-2023-providers/) - According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the cost of malpractice insurance is surging in some states, and the increased premiums threaten access to health care in areas seeing the biggest bumps. The AMA report marks the fourth year in a row of increased premiums for medical liability insurance and comes as clinicians also face additional risks in
- [Thursday, April 20, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-20-2023-life-sciences/) - The White House is planning to nominate Boston cancer surgeon Monica Bertagnolli to run the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The decision would end a lengthy vacancy atop the health research agency and vault Bertagnolli into the role just months after being appointed as director of the government’s National Cancer Institute. As Chief, Bertagnolli would
- [Thursday, April 20, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-20-2023-access-coverage/) - The Supreme Court has temporarily extended women's access to an abortion pill until Friday while the justices consider whether to allow restrictions on mifepristone to take effect as a legal challenge to the medication's FDA approval continues. In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday, the court indicated it will act by Friday
- [Wednesday, April 19, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-19-2023-providers/) - New doctors applying to medical residency programs were likelier to avoid practicing in states with the most stringent abortion restrictions, an analysis from the Association of American Medical Colleges found. The drop in applications could exacerbate the lack of maternal health care in those states, which already have the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Additionally, far
- [Wednesday, April 19, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-19-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a second omicron booster for people who are at least 65 or immune-compromised, an option intended to bolster protection for the most vulnerable Americans even as the pandemic The action appears likely to provide a measure of reassurance to people whose age or medical issues put them at
- [Wednesday, April 19, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-19-2023-access-coverage/) - The Biden administration plans to roll out a new initiative this week guaranteeing free COVID vaccines, treatments, and tests for the uninsured into 2024. The program comes as the White House prepares to wind down its pandemic response operation. It also represents an effort to ensure vulnerable Americans can still access shots and treatments once
- [Tuesday, April 18, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-18-2023-mental-health/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a final rule yesterday that will require insurers on the Affordable Care Act exchanges to include substance abuse and mental health providers in their plans, among other things. CMS will require insurers to market their coverage of substance use disorders, mental health treatments, federally qualified health centers,
- [Tuesday, April 18, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-18-2023-life-sciences/) - The industry lobby group PhRMA made a list of complaints to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about Medicare's new drug price negotiation program, including complaints of only allowing for a 30-day comment period on guidance, limited meetings between the agency and manufacturers during the price-setting process, and gag clauses on manufacturers during
- [Tuesday, April 18, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-18-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - An analysis that took place at a Pennsylvania health system found that pregnant Black patients were drug tested more often than white patients before delivery. The study was published in the JAMA Health Forum and noted that Black patients were no more likely to test positive for using substances while pregnant, but even those with
- [Tuesday, April 18, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-18-2023-health-it/) - The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has released free online cybersecurity training resources and best practice reports for cybersecurity in health care. Announced Monday, the new resources comprise an online education and training platform called Knowledge on Demand and a pair of reports that outline sector-wide best practices and characterize hospitals’ current
- [Monday, April 17, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-17-2023-payers/) - Humana will invest $40 million in expanding affordable housing options, the company said Thursday. The new funding will bring Humana's total investment in affordable housing to $90 million. The investments aim to address shortages of low-cost housing units in the communities that Humana serves. The insurer has invested in properties nationwide, and the latest infusion will
- [Monday, April 17, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-17-2023-ma/) - Merck & Co. will buy Prometheus Biosciences Inc. for about $10.8 billion to bolster its research pipeline and strengthen its portfolio of autoimmune drugs. The agreement to buy the biotech company, one of the largest pharma deals in recent history, comes as Merck’s blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda faces a looming patent cliff. Merck has been on the hunt for deals
- [Monday, April 17, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-17-2023-life-sciences/) - The Department of Health and Human Services said that it is planning to keep pharmacists' shot-administering powers even after the official end of the COVID emergency in May. The rules that let pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns give Covid-19 vaccines and tests and seasonal flu vaccines will stay in place through December 2024. Normally,
- [Monday, April 17, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-17-2023-access-coverage/) - The Supreme Court said Friday that it will temporarily keep in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug while it takes time to consider the issues raised in a court challenge. In an order signed by Justice Samuel Alito, the court asked both sides to weigh in by Tuesday over whether lower court
- [Friday, April 14, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-14-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that it will require new safety warnings to be added in the prescribing information on labels for opioid pain relievers, including a warning about increased sensitivity to pain. FDA said data suggests patients who use opioids for pain relief after surgery often have leftover tablets, which puts them
- [Friday, April 14, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-14-2023-mental-health/) - Suicide rates in the U.S. rose in 2021 after two years in decline, federal data showed, driven by more deaths among men in nearly every age group. Suicides rates increased 4% in 2021 from a year earlier to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, the National Center for Health Statistics said Thursday, the largest one-year increase
- [Friday, April 14, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-14-2023-life-sciences/) - Pharmacy benefit management giant Express Scripts is rolling out multiple new programs in a bid to evolve its model to be more transparent and predictable for patients and plan sponsors. The company, a subsidiary of Cigna's Evernorth,unveiled two new programs Thursday morning that serve as the cornerstone of the refresh. The first, called Copay Assurance, caps
- [Friday, April 14, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-14-2023-access-coverage/) - Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued new regulations Thursday severely limiting gender-affirming care for both adults and youth. The order institutes a three-year waiting period for medical intervention and requires psychological or psychiatric assessment. The assessments must consist of at least 15 sessions over 18 months, at least 10 of which must be with the same therapist,
- [Thursday, April 13, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-13-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Biden administration is declaring xylazine-laced fentanyl an official emerging drug threat to the nation, the first time any drug has been given that label. Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary drug approved for use in animals as a sedative and pain reliever. But it is also being used by drug
- [Thursday, April 13, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-13-2023-life-sciences/) - Electronic cigarette company Juul has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with six states and the District of Columbia to resolve multiple lawsuits alleging the company illegally targeted young people with its advertising campaigns. Without admitting to any wrongdoing, Juul agreed to pay out $462 million in the multistate settlement. The plaintiffs included California, Colorado, D.C., Illinois,
- [Thursday, April 13, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-13-2023-access-coverage/) - The White House proposed a new federal rule to limit how law enforcement and state officials collect medical records if they investigate women who flee their home states to seek abortions elsewhere. The White House's proposed rule would prohibit health care organizations from sharing personal medical records with authorities for investigations related to reproductive care
- [Wednesday, April 12, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-12-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a record of 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States as rates worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a 32 percent increase in cases of syphilis in 2021 to more than 176,000. White House officials are concerned that a ruling from a federal
- [Wednesday, April 12, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-12-2023-mental-health/) - The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Expansion Grantee National Training and Technical Assistance Center (CCBHC-E NTTAC), in partnership with the National Council and Third Horizon Strategies, have created a toolkit resource after conducting an environmental scan to assess the sustainability landscape for CCBHC-E grants. The toolkit aims to summarize the results of those efforts and identify impactful strategies being
- [Wednesday, April 12, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-12-2023-d-c-news/) - The Biden administration is launching a $5 billion-plus program to accelerate the development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments, seeking to better protect against a still-mutating virus, as well as other coronaviruses that might threaten us in the future. “Project Next Gen,” the long-anticipated follow-up to “Operation Warp Speed,” the Trump-era program that sped coronavirus vaccines to
- [Wednesday, April 12, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-12-2023-access-coverage/) - In recent weeks, House Republicans have been eyeing new work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries and food stand recipients. Top lawmakers have publicly endorsed rules that could force some enrollees to find a job and work longer hours or risk losing the government’s help entirely. The demands largely come in the context of a brewing fight
- [Friday, April 7, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-7-2023-providers/) - A new bipartisan House bill seeks to tie physician payment rates to inflation as doctor groups have implored lawmakers to overhaul the federal pay process. The Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, introduced Thursday, aims to address concerns amid the industry that Medicare payments have not kept pace with financial challenges such as inflation. Data compiled
- [Friday, April 7, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-7-2023-life-sciences/) - On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its final decision to withdraw its approval of Makena, a drug approved more than a decade ago to reduce the risk of preterm birth that had been the only medication approved for the condition. The FDA says that the drug is not effective and that the benefits
- [Friday, April 7, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-7-2023-health-it/) - Digital mental health startups that sprang up during the pandemic would lose the ability to prescribe medicines remotely under a proposed rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that would restore the pre-pandemic requirement that patients visit clinicians in person to obtain prescriptions for drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin. The comment period on the
- [Friday, April 7, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-april-7-2023-access-coverage/) - Idaho’s governor signed a law this week making it illegal for an adult to transport a minor to get an abortion without parental consent, making Idaho the first state to limit interstate travel for abortion. Governor Brad Little signed legislation creating a new crime called “abortion trafficking,” which was defined in Idaho’s House Bill 242 as an
- [Thursday, April 6, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-6-2023-payers/) - Medicaid covers one-fifth of Americans who seek behavioral health services, but what the program pays psychiatrists varies widely across the country, according to a new study. Additionally, psychiatrists received 81 percent of the pay that they’d get from Medicare for treating the same conditions in Medicaid beneficiaries. The study’s lead author said that “Medicaid programs
- [Thursday, April 6, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-6-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - Four new vending machinesinstalled around D.C. offer free Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug, and fentanyl testing strips. The vending machines are strategically placed in locations with higher-than-average drug use, officials say. Two harm-reduction community organizations, HIPS and Family and Medical Counseling Services, installed the vending machines using grant money, and they’re planning to add two more
- [Thursday, April 6, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-6-2023-life-sciences/) - An experimental vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was found to be 82 percent effective for infants when given to pregnant mothers, according to data published Wednesday, after a spike in cases of the virus last fall. The vaccine that was developed by Pfizer was found to be 82 percent effective in preventing severe cases
- [Thursday, April 6, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-april-6-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - A new study found that black women have a disproportionately high maternal death rate regardless of the circumstances in their local community. The study noted that Black mothers disproportionately live in counties with higher maternal vulnerability but racial disparities exist in counties with low and high levels of vulnerability. Black mothers living in the least vulnerable counties still
- [Wednesday, April 5, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-5-2023-life-sciences/) - The U.S. National Institute on Aging is funding a 6-year, up to $300 million project to build a massive Alzheimer's research database that can track the health of Americans for decades and enable researchers to gain new insights into the disease. Last month, the agency, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), posted a notice
- [Wednesday, April 5, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-april-5-2023-access-coverage/) - Washington state's government said on Tuesday it had purchased a three-year supply of abortion pill mifepristone as a Texas judge mulls a nationwide ban on the medication's sale. Governor Jay Inslee says he ordered the Washington Department of Corrections to use its pharmacy license to buy 30,000 doses of mifepristone. Inslee noted that Washington is
- [Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-4-2023-payers/) - A Modern Healthcare article discusses the value of community health workers (CHW) and the critical role they may play in helping 15 million individuals sign up for other coverage when Medicaid redeterminations restart for the first time in two-and-a-half years. A growing number of states are using their Medicaid programs to fund the CHW workforce
- [Tuesday, April 4, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-4-2023-ma/) - Between 2010 and 2018, 17 percent of unprofitable rural hospitals merged with another organization, while 7 percent closed, according to an analysis from Health Affairs using data from 325 unprofitable hospitals. Of the financially unstable hospitals that didn’t close or consolidate, about half became profitable over that span. Four rural hospitals have already closed this year,
- [Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-4-2023-health-it/) - The homepages of nearly all U.S. hospital websites shared data with third-party trackers in 2021, according to research published Monday in Health Affairs. Of 3,747 hospitals included in the 2019 American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey, 98.6 percent of their website home pages had at least one third-party data transfer, and 94.3 percent had at least one third-party
- [Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-april-4-2023-access-coverage/) - A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that inflation and higher health spending contributed to monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act coverage increasing an average of 3.4 percent between 2022 and 2023, reversing a trend of recent declines. Some of the increase was also attributed to uncertainty over whether Congress would extend or
- [Monday, April 3, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-3-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday that it will phase in controversial changes to the Medicare Advantage risk adjustment model over three years. The Biden administration wasn’t persuaded by the insurance industry and other health care groups that its proposed changes, including the removal of more than 2,000 diagnoses from the risk
- [Monday, April 3, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-april-3-2023-access-coverage/) - The Justice Department on Fridayappealed a federal judge's decision to invalidate the Affordable Care Act requirement for free coverage of specified preventive health services. The move kicks off a legal process that could wind up at the Supreme Court and has financial implications for some 150 million Americans on employer-sponsored health plans. The appeal to the
- [Friday, March 31, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-31-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Prescriptions for stimulants used primarily to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased by more than 10 percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic as access to the drugs expanded via telehealth opportunities, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The finding comes as one common ADHD treatment, Adderall, has
- [Friday, March 31, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-31-2023-d-c-news/) - Yesterday, House Democrats reintroduced the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would enshrine federal abortion rights, among other protections to abortion access. The bill, re-introduced in the House for the seventh time, would legally protect providing and accessing abortion care nationwide for patients and abortion providers. It also includes proposed protections for interstate travel for abortion care, as well as for people who assist
- [Friday, March 31, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-31-2023-access-coverage/) - A federal judge on Thursday issued a ruling that would block the federal government from enforcing mandates for preventive care within the Affordable Care Act, which required insurers to provide a slew of critical screenings to members at no cost. The ruling stemmed from a case brought by six individuals and two Christian-owned businesses who
- [Thursday, March 30, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-30-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Kansas is set to become the latest state to raise the age for buying tobacco to 21. The state Senate passed a bill to raise the required age by a 28-11 vote after the state’s House approved it earlier this month. The bill will now be sent to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk for approval. Congress raised the
- [Thursday, March 30, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-30-2023-payers/) - Bill Cassidy and Jeff Merkley introduced legislation to cut overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans by updating risk adjustment policies, with Cassidy saying in a statement that the bill will help squeeze out waste in the MA program. The legislation comes amid criticisms that MA plans inflate patients' risk scores to make them appear sicker and
- [Thursday, March 30, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-30-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - As substanceuse disorder and alcohol use disorder remain the leading cause of death for those under 50, the Alliance for Addiction Payment Reform is proud to publish a substantial update to the Addiction Recovery Medical Home- Alternative Payment Model, which incorporates learnings and advancements in recent years. The update includes key challenges exacerbated and highlighted during the COVID-19
- [Thursday, March 30, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-30-2023-d-c-news/) - The Senate voted 68-23 in favor of immediately ending the COVID-19 pandemic national emergency after the House passed the legislation in February, which likely ends the declaration before the current expiration date of May 11 but leaves the public health emergency declaration in place. While President Joe Biden opposes the legislation, a White House official
- [Wednesday, March 29, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-29-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration warned Congress on Monday that the nation's efforts to develop and stockpile key medicines for guarding against public health threats are underfunded by some $35 billion. Over the next five years, the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the U.S. will need $64 billion overall to fund the work of
- [Wednesday, March 29, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-29-2023-providers/) - A new report from Kaufman Hall says that although hospital margins remain flat, they are stable. The report found that the unpredictability that plagued hospital margins for the last three years is relaxing as small margins become the new normal. External economic factors like labor shortages, higher material expenses, and a growing segment of patients
- [Wednesday, March 29, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-29-2023-payers/) - UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest health insurer, is expected to announce plans today to reduce the number of prior authorization requirements for a list of medical procedures and devices. The insurer also said it would eliminate, starting next year, many prior-authorization requirements for so-called gold-card doctors and hospitals whose requests it nearly always approves. And it
- [Wednesday, March 29, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-29-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration scheduled a May advisory meeting to discuss if HRA Pharma's birth control pill should be available over the counter, an approval that would be the first of its kind from the agency. FDA advisers originally planned to review the drug in November of last year, but the date was pushed
- [Tuesday, March 28, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-28-2023-transition-to-value/) - Wellvana Health, a value-based care technology company that assumes downside risk for partner physicians through an underwriting program, has reached $84 million in a series B round of funding. The investment was co-led by Heritage Group and Valtruis with participation from Memorial Hermann Health System. The round brings Wellvana’s total funding to approximately $140 million and will
- [Tuesday, March 28, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-28-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - A Pennsylvania program that incorporates addiction treatment into emergency care for opioid use disorder could help limit the high risk of death for patients who overdose after they're discharged, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum. Emergency departments are increasingly encountering nonfatal opioid overdoses as the addiction crisis worsens, but it's still rare for EDs to offer
- [Tuesday, March 28, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-28-2023-ma/) - CVS Health is set to close its major acquisition of health services company Signify Health this week in adeal valued at $8 billion. The acquisition will help advance the health giant’s push into value-based care. It is the latest bid by CVS to get further into health care services. CVS noted that Signify Health will still be
- [Tuesday, March 28, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-28-2023-access-coverage/) - 22 Democratic lieutenant governors are forming a coalition built around protecting abortion access in their states that will likely involve crafting model executive orders and legislation. The Reproductive Freedom Coalition, led by Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, comes as afederal judge in Texas weighs a case that could end nationwide access to one of the most commonly used abortion
- [Monday, March 27, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-27-2023-transition-to-value/) - A collection of nearly 30 provider groups wants the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to explore a hybrid payment method for primary care physicians participating in value-based care. In a letter, the groups ask the Biden administration to combine fee-for-service and prospective payments to primary care doctors to bolster the workforce. The request comes
- [Monday, March 23, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-23-2023-providers/) - The American Hospital Association (AHA) is pushing back against the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) report to congress on hospital finances. Earlier this month, MedPAC advised lawmakers to adopt a modest 2024 Medicare reimbursement bump (1 percent increase over market basket) for most hospitals, saying that hospitals’ prior pandemic relief funding and strong investment returns
- [Monday, March 27, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-27-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Teen overdose deaths have doubled in three years, an alarming trend amid a historic decline in drug and alcohol use among high school students. Many sources point to fentanyl as the leading cause of teen overdose death. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of adolescent deaths from black-market fentanyl and related synthetics rose more than twenty-fold,
- [Monday, March 27, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-27-2023-mental-health/) - States and local governments are increasingly pursuing legislation and legal action against social media companies as they are increasingly being blamed for historically high rates of depression, suicidality, and other mental health issues in youth. Utah just passed a law limiting social media for minors, and school districts in Seattle and San Mateo County, California, are suing leading platforms, charging
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-access-coverage/) - A Medicaid expansion deal in North Carolina received final legislative approval yesterday, capping a decade of debate over whether the closely politically divided state should accept the federal government’s coverage for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults. North Carolina is among states with Republican leaders that are considering expanding Medicaid after years of steadfast opposition. Voters in
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-mental-health/) - A new survey shows that a significant number of college students struggle with their mental health, and a growing number say they have considered dropping out of school. Two out of 5 undergraduate students, including nearly half of female students, say they frequently experience emotional stress while attending college, according to a survey published by
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Federal health officials are continuing to investigate a multi-state outbreak of drug-resistant infections linked to eye drops. At least 3 people have died, and 68 people from 16 states were diagnosed with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in connection with the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said patients
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-providers/) - Aledade, the nation’s largest independent primary care network, announced yesterday that Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage customers can now receive value-based care from Aledade’s network of independent primary care practices in Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Participating practices can access Aledade’s cutting-edge data analytics, user-friendly guided workflows, and health care policy expertise, as well
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts attributed the change to improved screening and autism services for all kids and to increased awareness and advocacy for Black
- [Friday, March 24: 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-24-2023-d-c-news/) - The US government is setting more goals around biomanufacturing efforts, with a vision for stronger supply chains and greater domestic production. A report released by The White House yesterday lays out “bold goals,” including an aim to produce at least a quarter of all active pharmaceutical ingredients in the U.S. for small-molecule drugs within five
- [Thursday, March 23, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-23-2023-payers/) - California Governor Gavin Newsom is tapping federal health care funding to cover rent for homeless people and those at risk of losing their housing. States are barred from using federal Medicaid dollars to pay directly for rent, but California’s governor is asking the Biden administration to authorize a new program called “transitional rent,” which would
- [Thursday, March 23, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-23-2023-d-c-news/) - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced plans to overhaul the country’s organ transplant system. HRSA said it will focus on accountability and transparency by seeking more contracts to operate the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and sharing data more transparently. The system has only ever been managed by the nonprofit United Network for
- [Wednesday, March 22, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-22-2023-providers/) - A Modern Healthcare article says that health care providers such as Advocate Health, Ochsner Health, and Inspira Health are turning their focus to long-term, creative, and cost-effective investments to support employee mental health. With greater attention to employee satisfaction and mental health, health system leaders are ramping up programs that existed before the pandemic, investing
- [Wednesday, March 22, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-22-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A Kaiser Health News article discusses how relaxed legal requirements for clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with substance use disorder, but stigma around prescribing the medication still exists. One study from 2021 shows that taking buprenorphine or methadone, another opioid agonist treatment, reduces the mortality risk for people with
- [Wednesday, March 22, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-22-2023-ma/) - The U.S. Justice Department has dismissed its own appeal challenging UnitedHealth Group's nearly $8 billion acquisition last year of Change Healthcare, a court filing showed. The health care deal was seen as a blow to the Biden administration's tougher enforcement of antitrust issues. The Justice Department had argued the deal would give UnitedHealth, the largest
- [Wednesday, March 22, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-22-2023-access-coverage/) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned part of the state’s near-total abortion ban, ruling in a 5-to-4 decision that the procedure would be lawful if there is a reasonable chance that a pregnancy could threaten a pregnant person’s life. Oklahoma’s constitution protects the right to an abortion if “the woman’s physician has determined to a reasonable
- [Sara Howe Discusses Reducing Fentanyl Overdoses with Spectrum News](https://spectruminfocus.com/section/in-focus/in-focus-shows/2023/03/17/reducing-fentanyl-related-deaths#) - Sara Howe joined Spectrum News "In Focus with Loretta Boniti" to discuss efforts to reduce fentanyl overdoses in North Carolina. Watch the segment at the 15:48 mark.
- [Tuesday, March 21, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-21-2023-providers/) - Dozens of safety-net hospitals across five states filed a lawsuit last week against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleging that yearslong delays in correcting Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments have cost them "tens of millions" of dollars. DSH payments are intended to offset the costs incurred by hospitals that largely serve low-income patients.
- [Tuesday, March 21, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-21-2023-payers/) - The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released proposals for Congress as part of its March report last week and included a recommendation that would give states the power to not pay full prices under Medicaid for drugs approved under the Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway. The recommendation is the latest
- [Tuesday, March 21, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-21-2023-mental-health/) - The New York Times interviewed U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, focusing on his mission to address the adolescent mental health crisis. The interview discusses mental health in the context of the current generation, how stigma and other factors keep young people from seeking help, and the connection between values and mental health. (Read the
- [Tuesday, March 21, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-21-2023-access-coverage/) - Minnesota has advanced legislation that would shield local providers and their out-of-state patients from action by states that punish those seeking or providing abortions. The state House passed a bill by a 68-62 vote to prohibit enforcement in Minnesota of laws, subpoenas, judgments, or extradition requests from other states against people who get, perform, or assist
- [Monday, March 20, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-20-2023-providers/) - The Washington Post and Axios say Match Day trends show more medical student graduates are shunning the ER and instead choosing specialties like orthopedics and plastic surgery. More than 550 slots for emergency medicine residents were left unfilled this year, according to the National Resident Matching Program, which pairs newly minted doctors with post-graduate opportunities in
- [Monday, March 20, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-20-2023-payers/) - A group of House lawmakers is hoping to outlaw the use of spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the Medicaid program. The Drug Transparency in Medicaid Act, reintroduced Friday, is the latest PBM reform bill launched by this Congress. The bipartisan bill would ban spread pricing in Medicaid managed care plans, a tactic where PBMs
- [Monday, March 20, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-20-2023-access-coverage/) - Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has signed into law the nation’s first explicit ban on abortion pills since they became the predominant choice for abortion in the U.S. in recent years. The pills are already banned in 13 states that have blanket bans on all forms of abortion, and 15 states already have limited access to
- [Friday, March 17, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-17-2023-providers/) - Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to people in other states would be protected from prosecution under a new bill to be unveiled Friday in the state Legislature. The bill would not let California extradite doctors who are facing charges in another state for providing abortion medication. It would also shield doctors from having
- [Friday, March 17, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-17-2023-mental-health/) - Schools vying for some of the $25 million the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will award to improve primary care must include mental health services in their programs, according to an HHS announcement. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that “ensuring that children can access the care they need in schools, including mental health
- [Friday, March 17, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-17-2023-d-c-news/) - Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), awarded 15 states each with $1 million, one-year Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) planning grants. This announcement marks the first time these planning grants have been available since the program began in 2015. The
- [Friday, March 17, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-17-2023-access-coverage/) - French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, one of the top three insulin manufacturers for the U.S., announced on Thursday it would be cutting the list price for its most prescribed insulin product, Lantus, by 78 percent, joining fellow major insulin manufacturers in drastically minimizing the prices of some of their insulin products. The company also said it
- [Thursday, March 16, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-16-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Deaths of pregnant women in the U.S. fell in 2022, dropping significantly from a six-decade high during the pandemic, new data suggests. More than 1,200 U.S. women died in 2021 during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, according to a final tally released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, there were 733
- [Thursday, March 16, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-16-2023-providers/) - Nonprofit hospitals received $28 billion in taxpayer subsidies in 2020 but only provided $16 billion in free or discounted care, a new analysis found. Hospitals have long argued that nonprofit providers do more for their communities than can be adequately measured and that their various investments vastly exceed their exemptions from federal and state income taxes, sales
- [Thursday, March 16, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-16-2023-payers/) - As the public health emergency ends, Medicaid enrollees and the health insurance companies that cover them face major disruptions in the coming months as states resume removing people who no longer qualify for the program. A Modern Healthcare article states that an estimated 5 million people will lose Medicaid coverage, and health insurance companies could
- [Thursday, March 16, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-16-2023-d-c-news/) - A new staff report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that Pfizer’s antiviral COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, is safe and effective at treating adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to severe disease, including hospitalization or death. In addition, the report said the drug doesn’t cause patients to
- [Thursday, March 16, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-16-2023-access-coverage/) - The judge in a closely watched lawsuit seeking to overturn federal approval of a widely used abortion pill questioned lawyers publicly for the first time yesterday. The wide-ranging hearing included discussion about whether the anti-abortion plaintiffs had the legal standing to sue the government and what type of ruling the judge has the power to issue.
- [Prescribing via Telehealth: What DEA Proposed Rules Could Mean for Behavioral Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/prescribing-via-telehealth-what-dea-proposed-rules-could-mean-for-behavioral-health/) - With the PHE now confirmed to end on May 11, the DEA has proposed two rules that will be used to govern the remote prescribing of controlled substances in the future.
- [Wednesday, March 15, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-15-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The US Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first national drinking water standard for “forever chemicals” that are dangerous to human health. The move could radically affect drinking water for nearly everyone in the United States. The new rule intends to set drinking water standards for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or
- [Wednesday, March 15, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-15-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Office of National Drug Control Policy released the Model Substance Use Disorder Treatment In Emergency Settings Act for the purpose of establishing and aligning mechanisms for maximizing emergency medical settings as intervention points for people who experience a substance use-related emergency. The model act addresses barriers to implementing protocols in emergency medical settings that
- [Wednesday, March 15, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-15-2023-d-c-news/) - The Biden administration will fine manufacturers who hiked prices for 27 medicines faster than the rate of inflation. Pfizer had five drugs on the list, the most of any manufacturer. AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis drug, Humira, was also on the list. Officials said the goal, in part, is to send a message to other drug companies.
- [Wednesday, March 15, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-15-2023-access-coverage/) - Yesterday, fourteen Democratic governors asked seven leading pharmacy retailers to clarify their plans for dispensing mifepristone, a pill used in medication abortions. The move comes shortly after Walgreens announced that it would not dispense mifepristone in some Republican-led states where abortion remains legal. The move prompted California to announce it would not renew a $54 million contract with
- [Tuesday, March 14, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-14-2023-public-health-prevention/) - President Biden is expected to sign an executive order today that would increase the number of background checks to buy guns, promote better and more secure firearms storage, and ensure U.S. law enforcement agencies are getting the most out of a bipartisan gun control law enacted last summer. The order will be signed during Biden’s visit
- [Tuesday, March 14, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-14-2023-payers/) - Thousands of patients have called on a federal court to reverse a landmark ruling allowing a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary to develop mental and substance abuse coverage guidelines they allege deviate from clinical standards. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, multiple states, and others have submitted amicus curiae briefs in support of the appeal.
- [Tuesday, March 14, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-14-2023-access-coverage/) - The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) announced yesterday that it intends to pay for the experimental Alzheimer's drug, Leqembi, that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has to date declined to cover. The decision by VHA stands in contrast with Medicare, which has declined to cover the treatment except in very limited circumstances. Leqembi received accelerated approval
- [Monday, March 13, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-13-2023-life-sciences/) - Researchers have found long-term evidence that actively monitoring localized prostate cancer is a safe alternative to immediate surgery or radiation. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine directly compared the three approaches of surgery to remove tumors, radiation treatment, and monitoring. Most prostate cancer grows slowly, so it takes many years to
- [Monday, March 13, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-13-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Despite a record-low infant mortality rate in 2020, a new study finds an unexpected jump in unexplained deaths in Black infants during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. The rate of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, increased by 15 percent in a single year, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and
- [Monday, March 13, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-13-2023-d-c-news/) - Assistant White House press secretary Kevin Munoz, who worked on messaging on the coronavirus pandemic and other health policy issues, is set to leave his post later this month. In his role, he worked on COVID-19 issues, from vaccinations and boosters to mask mandates and congressional funding. He also worked on abortion issues in the
- [Senior Director Sara Howe applauds NC’s decision to expand Medicaid](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article272807895.html#storylink=bignews_main) - Howe, who also serves as the CEO of Addiction Professionals of NC, stated, “By having this access and coverage, we’ll hopefully start to stem the tide. It will take time but I hope this is the first step,” she said.
- [Friday, March 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-10-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The FDA is updating mammography guidelines in a move that could protect people at higher risk of developing breast cancer but also drive up demand for more tests and screenings. The agency's new rule requires mammogram providers to notify patients about breast density, which can make it harder to detect cancer and, as a result, puts some at increased
- [Friday, March 10, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-10-2023-providers/) - Eliminating “bureaucratic” requirements such as prior authorization or other workflow tasks that keep providers from caring for patients will go a long way toward addressing the nationwide crisis of clinician burnout, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. said yesterday as part of a webinar with the American Medical Association (AMA). He said that the administration
- [Friday, March 10, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-10-2023-d-c-news/) - Yesterday, President Biden released his budget proposal for fiscal 2024, which includes numerous items that would affect providers, health insurance companies, and patients. Some of the budget initiatives include: $11 billion to fund a program to eliminate hepatitis C in the United States. (Article here) $2.8 billion to fund cancer-fighting goals. (Article here) $20 billion cash
- [Friday, March 10, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-10-2023-access-coverage/) - States can restart Medicaid redeterminations in less than a month, and a new coalition aims to avoid coverage lapses for people who may be culled from the program. The Connecting to Coverage Coalition is spearheaded by AHIP, the health insurance industry's largest lobbying group, and its other founding members include the American Cancer Society Cancer
- [Thursday, March 9, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-9-2023-transition-to-value/) - CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has tapped Aledade to help its in-network primary care practices better offer value-based care. As part of the "strategic alliance," CareFirst's member physicians will have access to Aledade's on-site business supports, technology platform, and expertise in health care policy and regulatory topics. (Article here)
- [Thursday, March 9, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-9-2023-mental-health/) - The rise of AI in mental health care has providers and researchers increasingly concerned over whether glitchy algorithms, privacy gaps, and other perils could outweigh the technology's promise and lead to dangerous patient outcomes. AI-enabled chatbots like Wysa and FDA-approved apps are helping ease a shortage of mental health and substance use counselors, but the American
- [Thursday, March 9, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-9-2023-d-c-news/) - President Biden will release his FY2024 budget today and is expected to pressure Republicans to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for all Americans, according to administration officials. In Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, lawmakers agreed to cap insulin at $35 for Medicare recipients, but a proposal to limit it for all Americans was
- [Thursday, March 9, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-9-2023-access-coverage/) - A new survey from Morning Consult found that patients will likely avoid preventive care if the courts dismantle a list of no-cost preventive care services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The organization polled a representative sample of 2,199 adults and found that more than half would be unwilling to pay for a number of
- [Wednesday, March 8, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-8-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. government is planning to lift COVID-19 testing requirements on travelers from China on Friday, amid a decline in cases there following a winter surge, according to people familiar with the matter. Those traveling to the U.S. from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau were previously required to submit a negative Covid test before departure following a
- [Wednesday, March 8, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-8-2023-d-c-news/) - President Biden, as part of his budget set for release on Thursday, will propose raising and expanding a tax on Americans earning more than $400,000 as part of a series of efforts to extend the solvency of Medicare by 25 years and provide a degree of middle-class stability to millions of older adults. Biden wants
- [Wednesday, March 8, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-8-2023-access-coverage/) - Low-income new mothers in Mississippi will be eligible for a full year of Medicaid health coverage under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Legislature. The bipartisan move is the culmination of a two-year effort to convince a majority of the Republican-controlled House to provide longer postpartum coverage in one of the poorest states in
- [Tuesday, March 7, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-7-2023-access-coverage/) - A collection of nine hospital groups wrote to congressional leadership Monday calling for action to stave off $8 billion in cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments that could start October 1. While Congress has traditionally delayed the cuts, Republicans and Democrats have been sparring lately on whether the GOP aims to cut Medicaid.
- [Tuesday, March 7, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-march-7-2023-access-coverage-2/) - Five women filed a lawsuit against Texas Monday over laws they say prevented them from getting abortions despite the life-threatening circumstances of their pregnancies. It's the first lawsuit that's been filed against a state that has enacted a ban shutting down abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, per a statement from the Center for
- [Monday, March 6, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-6-2023-public-health-prevention/) - California, Washington, and Oregon are dropping mask requirements in health care settings. California health officials on Friday unveiled plans to relax guidance on masking in high-risk settings and to end vaccination requirements for health care workers. On April 3, Washington and Oregon will no longer require health care workers, patients, or visitors to wear a
- [Monday, March 6, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-6-2023-mental-health/) - Nearly a quarter of physicians reported clinical depression in a new Medscape survey, while 9 percent admitted to suicidal thoughts. Medscape surveyed 9,100 physicians across 29 specialties last year. Two-thirds of doctors reported colloquial depression, according to the survey. Twenty-four percent of doctors reported clinical depression, and the survey also found that doctors are more
- [Monday, March 6, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-march-6-2023-access-coverage/) - A common asthma drug is in short supply after one of the last major manufacturers shut down operations. Albuterol is used to treat asthma, along with conditions like Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which surged earlier in the year. Akorn Pharmaceuticals, one of the major suppliers of albuterol, shut down operations at the end of February as part of Chapter 7
- [Monday, February 27, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-27-2023-dc-news/) - The federal government is moving to require doctors to evaluate patients in person before writing prescriptions for some controlled medications, such as Adderall and OxyContin. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Friday that it is seeking to revert rule changes under the COVID-19 public health emergency that allowed doctors to prescribe powerful drugs via telehealth appointments. Though the Biden administration is
- [Wednesday, March 1, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-1-2023-dc-news/) - Federal health advisers narrowly backed an experimental vaccine from Pfizer that could soon become the first shot to protect older adults against the respiratory illness known as RSV. The Food and Drug Administration panel voted 7-4 on two separate questions of whether Pfizer’s data showed the vaccine was safe and effective against the respiratory virus
- [Thursday, March 2, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-2-2023-dc-news/) - House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer announced Wednesday that he is launching an investigation into pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and actions that increase health care costs for patients. Comer called for enhanced transparency in the PBM industry in order to better ascertain the impact it has on the pharmaceutical market and health care
- [Friday, March 3, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-3-2023-dc-news/) - The Federal Trade Commission has fined digital mental health care provider BetterHelp $7.8 million for sharing the personal health information of millions of consumers with advertisers like Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest during a seven-year period. Under the proposed order, which the company agreed to, BetterHelp also would be banned from sharing consumers' health data for advertising
- [Friday, March 3, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-3-2023-ma/) - Iowa-based UnityPoint Health and New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services announced Thursday that they have signed a letter of intent “to explore the formation of a new health care organization,” a merge that would create an organization with roughly $11 billion in annual revenue.The combined nonprofit organization would have 48 hospitals, a health insurance plan offered
- [Friday, March 3, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-march-3-2023-access-coverage/) - Walgreens Boots Alliance said it will not dispense abortion pills in 20 states, acting out of an abundance of caution amid a shifting policy landscape, threats from state officials, and pressure from anti-abortion activists. Nearly two dozen Republican state attorneys general wrote to Walgreens in February, threatening legal action if the company began distributing the drugs, which
- [Thursday, March 2, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-2-2023-payers/) - Health insurers' margins in Medicare Advantage were more than double those seen in other markets in 2021, reinforcing the way the program can produce strong financial returns for plans, a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows. Private Medicare plans are expected to draw more than half of eligible beneficiaries this year. But government payments to insurers for
- [Thursday, March 2, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-march-2-2023-life-sciences/) - Adults across the United States are being diagnosed with colon and rectal cancers at younger ages, and now 1 in 5 new cases are among those in their early 50s or younger, according to the American Cancer Society’s latest colorectal cancer report. The report says that the proportion of colorectal cancer cases among adults younger
- [Wednesday, March 1, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-1-2023-providers/) - A new white paper that has yet to be peer-reviewed makes a case for the removal of restrictions on physician-owned hospitals (POH), stating that removing the POH ban would allow physicians to invest and innovate in the hospitals where they apply their expertise every day. The white paper was written by antitrust lawyers and experts
- [Wednesday, March 1, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-march-1-2023-access-coverage/) - The Mississippi state legislature moved one step closer this week to expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers for up to a year — making it another Republican-controlled state to implement or consider the expansion. As Mississippi inches closer to adopting the expansion, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican who has been skeptical in the past of
- [Tuesday, February 28, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-28-2023-life-sciences/) - The misuse of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic points to a need for provider systems to shore up their antimicrobial stewardship programs, according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. A new research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Health Forum examined the use—or, rather, misuse—of antibiotics to treat
- [Tuesday, February 28, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-28-2023-access-coverage/) - Almost 7 million children and teens are at risk of losing their health coverage when the public health emergency ends, new estimates from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute show. In April, states will begin redetermining Medicaid eligibility as pandemic-inspired coverage requirements lapse and enhanced federal matching funds dry up. The Georgetown study predicts that
- [Tuesday, February 28, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-28-2023-payers/) - A new study found that Medicare Advantage (MA) had fewer avoidable hospitalizations for acute conditions compared to traditional Medicare, a trend that may be caused by shifting patients to other sites of care. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) last week, compared hospitalization rates between Medicare fee-for-service and MA. The
- [Monday, February 27, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-27-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The temporary boost to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic will end this week. The end of the emergency allotments aimed at combating food insecurity will impact more than 41 million Americans who received the increased benefit last year alone. The emergency allotments added almost three years ago allowed SNAP households to get
- [Monday, February 27, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-27-2023-providers/) - Fourteen rural-state senators are calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to extend a payment policy that increases payments to hospitals in areas with lower overall wages, which is set to expire at the end of the government’s 2023 fiscal year. The Low Wage Index Hospital Policy (also referred to as the Lowest
- [Monday, February 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-27-2023-payers/) - Payers should be keeping a close eye on developments in the drug pipeline for Alzheimer's disease therapies—and how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responds to those developments, according to a new report from Optum. The report highlighted two monoclonal antibody drugs that target beta-amyloid plaques to treat Alzheimer's: lecanemab and donanemab. Optum's
- [Monday, February 27, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-27-2023-mental-health/) - The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) tapped 10 digital health innovators for their suicide prevention solutions as part of its $20 million Mission Daybreak grand challenge. The VA launched the multiphase challenge in May 2022, receiving more than 1,300 pitches for the initial phase from veterans and veteran service organizations, community-based organizations, startups, and universities. A total of
- [Friday, February 24, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-24-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this year’s flu shot provided “substantial protection” against the virus, majorly reducing the risk of hospitalization in those vaccinated. The CDC said in a release on Wednesday that the vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization resulting from influenza A among children by nearly three-quarters and among adults by almost
- [Friday, February 24, 2023: Provider's](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-24-2023-providers/) - A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis is the latest to sound alarms over rural hospitals’ finances in the coming year, especially if those hospitals are operating in the 11 states that haven’t opted to expand Medicaid. KFF found median operating margins between July 2021 and June 2022 dropped to 3.3 percent and, when excluding
- [Friday, February 24, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-24-2023/) - Republicans listed fentanyl and opioids as the top public health threat plaguing the U.S. in a new Axios-Ipsos survey, as both parties in Congress seek to spotlight the country’s overdose crisis.The new poll, published on Thursday, found that 37 percent of Republican respondents list fentanyl and other opioid drugs as the top public health threat, compared
- [Thursday, February 23, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-23-2023-providers/) - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) leaders say the agency has handed out nearly 500 warnings to hospitals falling short on price transparency as of January and plans to streamline enforcement and standardize hospital reporting requirements. Enforcement of the transparency requirements has also included more than 230 requests for corrective action plans. Almost 300
- [Thursday, February 23, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-23-2023-payers/) - A federal judge has temporarily forbidden a former Cigna executive from taking a position at CVS Health as part of an anti-poaching lawsuit. CVS Health hired Amy Bricker, then president of Cigna's Express Scripts pharmacy benefit manager subsidiary, to be chief product officer for its consumer offerings last month. ButCigna alleges that Bricker breached the terms
- [Thursday, February 23, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-23-2023-ma/) - UnitedHealth has closed its $5.4 billion acquisition of home health business LHC Group, continuing a trend of payers elbowing into direct care delivery. LHC Group will be folded into UnitedHealth's Optum subsidiary. The combination will allow Optum and LHC to harness their joint expertise to offer value-based home care, according to the filing. (Articles here
- [Thursday, February 23, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-23-2023-access-coverage/) - A group of 20 Democratic members announced they are forming a coalition to protect and expand abortion access in their states as bans continue to be enacted following the fall of Roe v. Wade. Led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Reproductive Freedom Alliance creates a formal structure for governors "to strengthen reproductive freedom in the face of an
- [Wednesday, February 22, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-22-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The dropoff in cancer screenings during the pandemic didn't result in significantly more breast, cervical, and colon cancer cases, or how advanced those cases were, according to a review of nearly 375,000 diagnoses in electronic health records. The findings from Epic Research could ease concerns about countless hidden cases and more advanced stages of disease stemming from
- [Wednesday, February 22, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-22-2023-payers/) - Medicare Advantage growth slowed for the 2023 plan year, according to a report published by the Chartis Group. Enrollment increased 5.5 percent for this year, down from a record 9 percent the prior year. The study indicates that the trend is driven by California and a handful of other states where the number of people
- [Wednesday, February 22, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-22-2023-ma/) - Amazon has closed its $3.9 billion deal to acquire primary care company One Medical. The announcement comes after the Federal Trade Commission declined to block the deal between the two companies after a five-month review that began in September. One Medical offers virtual and brick-and-mortar primary care services to commercially insured patients. Acquiring One Medical is one
- [Wednesday, February 22, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-22-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - Black and Hispanic veterans' access to specialty health care declined during the pandemic, according to a recently published study that also found non-Hispanic white veterans were largely unaffected. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) late last month, looked at wait times for over a million veterans seeking cardiology or orthopedic appointments, two of the
- [Maximizing Community Needs Assessments: Not Just a Report on the Shelf](https://thirdhorizon.com/maximizing-community-needs-assessments-not-just-a-report-on-the-shelf/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Co-authored by Mindy Klowden and Caleb Allen Many local public health agencies, tax exempt hospitals, state agencies, and charitable foundations conduct community needs assessments every 3-5 years to identify the strengths and resources available in the
- [Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-21-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Deaths in state and federal prisons across America rose nearly 50 percent during the first year of the pandemic, and in six states, they more than doubled, according to the first comprehensive data on prison fatalities in the era of COVID-19. The tremendous jump in deaths in 2020 was more than twice the increase in the United
- [Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-21-2023-life-sciences/) - The United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit managing the country’s organ transplant system, is pushing for policy changes to make the transportation of organ donations more seamless. Interim CEO Maureen McBride wants organ transit via commercial air to revert to the pre-September 11, 2001, process, when packaged organs were placed in the cockpit just before departure
- [Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-21-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - A new report from Millennium Health shows that nearly every person that tested positive for fentanyl last year also had signs of other substances, and more than 43 percent of fentanyl-positive tests were positive for up to three additional drugs, including methamphetamine and heroin. Researchers said that multiple substances in a person’s body can increase overdose
- [Tuesday, February 21, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-21-2023-d-c-news/) - Two House committees, and potentially several more, are getting involved in investigating the origins of COVID, setting them up for a lot of overlap and even friction. What comes out of these COVID-origin investigations could have implications for federal funding of scientific research, vaccination campaigns, and future pandemic responses, but some are concerned the committees
- [Friday, February 17, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-17-2023-payers/) - Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug plans told the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) that too much regulation at once could drive up costs and result in increased premiums or fewer benefits. Public comment closed this week on a proposal to crack down on Medicare Advantage marketing practices, impose other standards on Medicare drug plans,
- [Friday, February 17, 2023: Inequities & SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-17-2023-inequities-sdoh/) - When Black patients see Black doctors, they are more likely to get preventative care, according to the National Institutes of Health. Sixty percent of African Americans have cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association, but fewer than 3 percent of cardiologists are Black, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical
- [Friday, February 17, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-17-2023-access-coverage/) - The Pentagon will allow service members up to three weeks of leave to travel for abortions and other noncovered reproductive health care,according to a slate of new policies announced on Thursday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first announced in October that the Defense Department would provide leave to and reimburse service members for travel required to access reproductive health care. The three policies
- [Thursday, February 16, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-16-2023-providers/) - Workforce hurdles such as personnel shortages were the top headache for community hospital CEOs in 2022, outweighing the longtime go-to of financial issues for a second consecutive year in the American College of Healthcare Executives' latest annual survey. The group’s poll included responses from 281 member CEOs and sought to rank issues of “immediate concern”
- [Thursday, February 16, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-16-2023-payers/) - The advocacy group Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) launched a new effort Wednesday to persuade the Biden administration to overhaul a proposal it says will cut Medicare Advantage (MA) plan payments by 2.27 percent. BMA, which lobbies Congress and the federal government on MA issues,released a new analysis Wednesday that predicts a proposed payment rule will lead
- [Thursday, February 16, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-16-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Two federal panels of addiction experts on Wednesday unanimously recommended that Narcan, the overdose-reversing nasal spray, be made widely available without a prescription, a significant step in the effort to stem skyrocketing drug fatalities. Making Narcan an over-the-counter drug has been urged by doctors, patient advocacy groups, and the Biden administration. The unanimous vote by the
- [Thursday, February 16, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-16-2023-ma/) - CommonSpirit Health, a Chicago-based nonprofit system, is buying five hospitals to extend its western U.S. footprint, despite a challenging operating environment that continues to weigh on the health care industry. CommonSpirit said on Wednesday it will acquire Steward Health Care's Utah locations, which include more than 35 clinics and five hospitals for an undisclosed amount. (Article
- [Monday, December 12, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-12-2022-providers/) - The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is poised to recommend that Congress increase 2024 Medicare payment to hospitals by 1 percent over what the law prescribes. The group is also likely to recommend a pay boost for clinicians paid through the physician fee schedule and larger increases for providers caring for low-income traditional Medicare patients.
- [Wednesday, February 15, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-15-2023/) - CommonSpirit Health and AdventHealth will unwind their longtime Centura Health joint venture, with CommonSpirit taking control of most of the 20 hospitals. The joint venture has reached its “natural maturity,” the health systems said in a news release. Florida-based AdventHealth will operate and manage five hospitals—in Colorado. CommonSpirit Health, formerly Catholic Health Initiatives, will operate and
- [Wednesday, February 15, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-15-2023-2/) - The Biden administration rolled out three new payment models intended to lower drug costs, including new Medicare coverage options for drugs cleared under accelerated approval. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) did not give a timeline for when the models will start soliciting applications or launch, but CMMI director Liz Fowler indicated that
- [Wednesday, February 15, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-15-2023-3/) - Changes to school nutrition standards that pushed more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products significantly decreased kids’ and teens’ body mass index after the standards were implemented in 2010, a new study finds. The new study comes as the United States again considers updates that would put more limits on added sugars and sodium in
- [Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-14-2023-providers/) - Kaiser Permanente closed out 2022 with an operating loss of $1.3 billion and a net loss of nearly $4.5 billion, according to a press release with the system's top-line financials released Friday. A $4.2 billion rise in operating expenses, despite the $2.3 billion rise in operating revenues, put the nonprofit health system’s operating loss in stark contrast to
- [Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-14-2023-mental-health/) - After two consecutive years of declines, suicide rates in the United States increased in 2021, nearly matching the record high from 2018. There were 48,183 deaths by suicide in 2021, after 45,979 in 2020 and 47,511 in 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Increased suicide rates among younger Black Americans
- [Tuesday, February 14, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-14-2023-ma/) - Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services have agreed to push back their planned megamerger by two months. The delay comes weeks after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison asked the companies to slow down the deal, which was to close by March 31, while his office continued to review it. The deal includes 58 hospitals, and
- [Monday, February 13, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-13-2023-access-coverage/) - A Wall Street Journal article discusses how the Biden administration is expanding states’ ability to use Medicaid funding to pay for food and nutritional counseling. Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved three state demonstrations allowing Arkansas, Oregon, and Massachusetts to use federal and state funds on health-related social needs, which
- [Monday, February 13, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-13-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A study published in JAMA Network Open found that insurance type plays a role in how significant the financial barriers are to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) used to treat opioid use disorder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers found that the overall daily average of out-of-pocket costs for buprenorphine decreased from $4.79 in 2015
- [Monday, February 13, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-13-2023-payers-2/) - An analysis conducted by the Health Care Cost Institute found that employer-sponsored health plans pay significantly more than Medicare for costly physician-administered drugs. Researchers found that between 2016 and 2020 price markups increased for five of the top 10 drugs that account for the most spending and more than doubled for three. Furthermore, workplace plan
- [Monday, February 13, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-13-2023-payers/) - CMS notified providers and health plans involved in dispute resolution under the Surprise Billing Act to put their payment determinations on hold. Last week, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Texas Medical Association regarding a challenge against the Biden administration and certain components of the rule. According to the statement, "The Departments are
- [Friday, February 10, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-10-2023-life-sciences-2/) - The Biden administration released proposed guidance that outlines the first of a pair of major drug price reforms contained in the Inflation Reduction Act. The initial guidance documents for both physician-administered and pharmacy drugs offer details about the formulas that officials plan to use to calculate the penalties, and the process for fines if drugmakers
- [Friday, February 10, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-10-2023-life-sciences/) - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved via voice vote five bipartisan drug pricing bills that could go before the full Senate soon. One of the bills would limit anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable follow-on versions of branded pharmaceuticals. Others look to eliminate citizen petition abuses and set a definition for
- [Friday, February 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-10-2023-public-health-prevention-2/) - The Biden administration notified governors that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will expire on May 11. During a call, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said the federal government expects up to 15 million people could lose Medicaid coverage. He also outlined how countermeasures will transition from the government
- [Friday, February 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-10-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added COVID-19 shots to the list of recommended routine vaccines for kids and adults. However, the move does not mean vaccination will be required by schools or workplaces because state or local jurisdictions, not the CDC, determine school-entry vaccination requirements. Key changes to the recommendations also include
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-access-coverage/) - A review conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that a five-year experiment aimed at improving care for some of California’s most at-risk Medicaid patients resulted in fewer hospitalizations and ER visits. The researchers found that for every 1,000 people enrolled in California’s Whole Person Care pilot program, there were 45 fewer
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-d-c-news/) - The Biden administration will soon release a roadmap to transition the U.S. out of the COVID-19 public health emergency. According to sources, the roadmap intends to try to lay out for the public in a clear way what the end of the declaration "does and does not mean," as well as possibly provide guidance on
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-ma/) - Abbott Laboratories has agreed to acquire Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (CSI) in a deal with a total equity value of about $890 million. In a statement, Abbott officials said the deal would strengthen its portfolio of devices treating vascular disease. The companies have agreed to the terms, but the transaction still needs approval from CSI stockholders
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-payers-4/) - A new survey from Willis Towers Watson revealed that employers are examining their relation with health and wellbeing vendors to ensure they are getting their money’s worth and receiving the services that the vendor said they would deliver. The survey found that 88 percent of respondents are planning to make changes to their vendor partnerships
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-payers-3/) - Centene Corp. has agreed to pay more than $215 million to California over allegations it overcharged the state for pharmacy services. The agreement makes California at least the 17th state to settle pharmacy billing claims totaling $939 million with Centene and the biggest payout to date. (Articles here and here)
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-payers-2/) - UnitedHealthcare announced UnitedHealthcare Rewards – a new wearables-based rewards program for members and their spouses. Via the program, eligible members can earn up to $1,000 per year by using wearable devices to complete health goals and activities. The insurer designed the new rewards program with the goal of getting more hesitant plan members onboard by
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-payers/) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it collected $2.2 billion in False Claims Act settlements and judgments for the federal fiscal year 2022, with over $1.7 billion related to the health care industry. The $1.7 billion in collections range from fraud in Medicaid, Medicare Advantage (MA) overpayments, unlawful kickbacks, and substandard care. The largest
- [Thursday, February 9, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-9-2023-providers/) - A new study predicts that rural hospital closures will increase in 2023 as COVID-19 pandemic relief dollars erode. The study found nearly 51 percent of rural hospitals have a negative operating margin, and the number of facilities eliminating services like obstetrics increased in 2022. The Provider Relief Fund and other relief programs helped keep hospital
- [Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-8-2023-access-coverage/) - Mississippi state senators passed a bill Tuesday that would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from two months to a full year. State senators voted last year for an extension, but it failed in the House amid opposition from the Republican House Speaker, Phillip Gunn. This year, Gunn said that he would back the extension only if
- [Wednesday, February 8, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-8-2023-d-c-news/) - The Biden administration told the Supreme Court Tuesday that Title 42 will end in May when the COVID-19 public health emergency expires. Title 42 is a Trump-era public health authority that allows border officials to turn away migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border in the name of Covid-19 prevention. Republican-led states have argued that the
- [Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-8-2023-payers-2/) - A study published in Health Affairs found that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans added 22.2 million beneficiaries while traditional Medicare lost 1 million enrollees from 2006 through 2022. According to the research, MA growth occurred broadly across counties and age groups, with nearly two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries living in a county with 45 percent MA penetration
- [Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-8-2023-payers/) - Centene expects to lose an estimated 2.2 million Medicaid members during the redetermination process over the next 18 months, which would significantly dial back the insurer's pandemic-era growth. For full-year 2022, Centene reported $1.2 billion in profit, down from the $1.3 billion it brought in during 2021. Full-year revenue jumped, however, reaching $144.5 billion. The
- [Wednesday, February 8, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-8-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released a draft recommendation to screen everyone who is pregnant for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The statement is consistent with a 2017 statement that urges doctors to monitor blood pressure throughout pregnancy as a “screening tool” for hypertensive disorders. The draft recommendation is a “B recommendation,” meaning the
- [Tuesday, February 7, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-7-2023-d-c-news/) - President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address this evening. During the speech, he will ask for insulin cost caps for privately insured patients and a renewed bid to close the Medicaid coverage gap in Republican-controlled states that haven't accepted the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. Neither proposal has much of
- [Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-7-2023-health-it/) - A bipartisan group of senators requested that three telehealth providers provide a list of all third-party platforms they’ve shared user information with over the past three years, along with details about what types of user information they shared. The letters – sent to Monument, Workit Health, and Cerebral – follow an investigation by STAT and
- [Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-7-2023-life-sciences/) - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden vowed that Democrats intend to protect Medicare drug price negotiation measures passed last year as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and that the pharmaceutical industry is targeting. Wyden said during an event that pharmaceutical companies are attempting to "water down" certain consumer protections , but he said Democrats
- [Tuesday, February 7, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-7-2023-ma/) - CVS Health is closing in on a deal to acquire Medicare-focused primary care company Oak Street Health for about $10.5 billion including debt. Per the Wall Street Journal, if the companies agree to the terms, the deal could be announced as soon as this week. Oak Street Health shares jumped more than 35 percent in
- [Tuesday, February 7, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-february-7-2023-providers/) - The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled in favor of the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA) motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit opposing certain components of the surprise billing rule. The TMA filed this lawsuit in September alleging the final rule favored insurers over providers in payment disputes. The lawsuit is
- [Monday, February 6, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-6-2023-life-sciences/) - A Wall Street Journal article examines how Amazon's new RxPass prescription service and Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Co. are increasing the downward pressure on the cost of generic drugs. The competition from both entities has instigated more established players to act. For example, Optum Rx last month announced that it was launching a new
- [Monday, February 6, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-6-2023-mental-health/) - Governors in at least a dozen states—including California, Ohio, South Carolina. and Georgia—are pushing for more money for mental health. The budget proposals seek to address the nationwide scarcity of mental health workers, the mental health needs in schools, and growing demand for emergency services. They represent a rare bipartisan point of agreement for more
- [Monday, February 6, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-6-2023-providers/) - A new report found that only 24.5 percent of the 2,000 hospitals studied were fully compliant with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule. Though the majority of hospitals have posted files, 75.5 percent of hospitals were deemed noncompliant because their files were incomplete, illegible, or did not have prices clearly associated with both payer and
- [Monday, February 6, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-6-2023-public-health-prevention-2/) - The House plans to vote this week on a bill that would terminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) mandate for most foreign travelers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. In June, the Biden administration ended its policy that people flying into the United States must test negative for COVID-19, but kept the
- [Monday, February 6, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-february-6-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration proposed new, more rigorous standards for school meal that would limit sugar, increase whole grains, and lower sodium. Previously, there was no federal standard for how much sugar could be included in school meals. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the updated standards, to be rolled out over the next several years, were
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-life-sciences/) - The Biden administration unveiled new partnerships directed at cancer care and prevention. The 13 initiatives, announced on the anniversary of the revived Cancer Moonshot, are part of the White House's overarching effort to reduce cancer death rates and improve the experience for families surviving cancer. They include providing clinical and patient navigation support to families
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A bipartisan group of lawmakers urged President Biden to reinstate the Office of National Drug Control Policy's director to a cabinet-level position to help improve the administration's efforts addressing the overdose epidemic. The group commended Biden for prioritizing the opioid epidemic in his State of the Union address last year and asked that announce the
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-payers/) - A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans denied two million (six percent) of the 35 million prior authorization requests for health care services in whole or in part in 2021. The analysis also finds that, in general, insurers with higher numbers of prior authorization requests denied a lower share of
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-providers-2/) - More states are considering allowing non-doctors to provide medical services and addressing conflicts with the patchwork of state "scope of practice" laws to address workforce shortages. New York, and Nevada have both taken steps to allow physicians and nurses licensed in other states to practice in in their respective state and California this year is
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-providers/) - More than half of physicians report feeling burned out and nearly a quarter say they're depressed. According to Medscape’s U.S. Physician Burnout & Depression Report, the numbers reflect a big jump from just five years ago, when 42 percent of physicians say they felt burned out and 15 percent said they were depressed. Emergency medicine
- [Friday, February 3, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-february-3-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study indicating that over half of U.S. adults support banning sales of all tobacco products and nearly two-third support banning menthol cigarette sales. Although cigarette smoking has declined in recent decades, it remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S.,
- [Thursday, February 2, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-2-2023-life-sciences-2/) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined GoodRx Holdings Inc. $1.5 million for allegedly sharing users' health data with advertising platforms like Meta Platforms Inc.'s Facebook and Alphabet Inc.'s Google. The action is the first of its kind under the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR). FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson wrote in a statement that concurred
- [Thursday, February 2, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-2-2023-life-sciences/) - A coalition of 20 Republican attorneys general told Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and CVS Health Corp. that they could face legal action if they mail and distribute abortion pills, stating in a letter that federal law prohibits using the mail to send or receive abortion drugs. The letter comes roughly one month after the Food
- [Thursday, February 2, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-2-2023-mental-health/) - Public school districts that received COVID-19 relief funds for mental health services are confronting how to sustain programs when the money runs out. The funds expire in September 2024, putting schools in "use it or lose it" mode, without assurances of a future funding stream. According to advocates, researchers, and administrators, schools will be hard-pressed
- [Thursday, February 2, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-2-2023-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the advance notice of methodological changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) capitation rates and payment policies for MA and Part D. The notice includes a 2.09 percent rate increase and a 1.03 percent average change in revenue for MA plans in 2024. The rate notice builds on
- [Thursday, February 2, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-february-2-2023-public-health-prevention/) - House Republicans' scrutiny of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the Biden administration's response, began with a pair of hearings from the Oversight and Accountability Committee and an Energy and Commerce subcommittee. While the Energy and Commerce subcommittee focused on the origins of COVID-19, the Oversight committee focused on fraud and abuse
- [Wednesday, February 1, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-1-2023-d-c-news/) - House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday to end the COVID-19 public health emergency, one day after the Biden administration announced it would end on May 11. The Pandemic is Over Act — which passed in a 220-210 party-line vote – is unlikely to move in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The House also voted mostly along
- [Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-1-2023-payers-2/) - Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released two new analyses exploring the demographics of the 12.5 million dual eligibles and the spending associated with this population. According to the analyses, 87 percent of dual eligibles had an income of less than $20,000 in 2020, and 49 percent were people of color. Medicare spending per dual eligible enrollee
- [Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-1-2023-life-sciences/) - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf proposed that the food portion of the FDA should be reorganized under a new deputy commissioner for Human Foods. Under the proposed plan, several existing centers "will be unified into a newly envisioned organization called the Human Foods Program.” The new deputy commissioner will report directly to
- [Wednesday, February 1, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-february-1-2023-payers/) - Blue Shield of California announced it is partnering with Accolade to launch a new virtual-first health plan. Beginning April 1, members who choose the Virtual Blue plan will be able to access a slew of virtual health services – including 20 different types of specialty care, integrated mental health care and around-the-clock urgent care –
- [Tuesday, January 31, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-31-2023-access-coverage/) - The Biden administration proposed a new rule that would reverse a Trump-era policy that made it easier for employers to refuse to offer birth control coverage in company-sponsored health plans. The new rule would omit the "moral" exemption and retain the "religious" one. It would also create an "independent pathway" for people who have insurers
- [Tuesday, January 31, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-31-2023-d-c-news/) - President Joe Biden told Congress that he plans to end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, ending the declarations more than three years after they were put in place. The decision comes as House Republicans plan to introduce resolutions to end the public health emergencies and launch investigations into the federal
- [Tuesday, January 31, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-31-2023-payers-2/) - The Biden administration finalized a rule that will implement audits of Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers in an effort to identify and recover overpayments. Medicare projects to get back $479 million for audits of 2018 plans, and the government expects to recoup $4.7 billion for plan years 2023 to 2032. The rule comes as more seniors
- [Tuesday, January 31, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-31-2023-payers/) - A new issue brief from the Commonwealth Fund found that the U.S. continued to far outspend other developed nations while seeing worsening health outcomes in the first year of the pandemic. According to the brief, the U.S. spent nearly $12,000 on health care per capita, including more than $1,200 in household out-of-pocket spending in 2020
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-access-coverage/) - Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved California's landmark Medicaid 1115 reentry waiver, allowing California inmates to access limited services 90 days before being released. Not only will this waiver improve health care access for people who are incarcerated, but also strengthen continuity of care. We congratulate Vikki Wachino and the
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-inequities-and-sdoh/) - CVS Health launched the Community Equity Alliance, an initiative aimed at addressing barriers to care in underserved communities. The initiative will fund three partners – Meharry Medical College, Sinai Chicago, and Wayne State University – for locally tailored initiatives. Meharry Medical College will recruit and train community health workers to incorporate into primary care teams.
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-life-sciences-2/) - A study published in JAMA Health Forum found that a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act (Act) that allows Medicare to negotiate prices on the costliest prescription drugs each year will likely save the U.S. billions of dollars. Researchers identified 40 drugs that would have been selected by Medicare for drug pricing negotiation under the
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-life-sciences/) - The U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity unanimously approved draft recommendations to push for broader oversight of research on pathogens. The recommendations also call for stopping exemptions for research related to vaccine development and surveillance of emerging viruses. The meeting came after two federal watchdogs criticized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-mental-health/) - A new study from the Pew Research Center found that kids’ mental health is now parents' biggest concern. Forty percent of parents said they are extremely or very worried that their kids will struggle with anxiety or depression. Parents also reported being extremely or very worried about their kids being bullied (35 percent) and being
- [Monday, January 30, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-30-2023-public-health-prevention/) - Kaiser Permanente announced a five-year, $25 million commitment and new partnership that will scale up its research and community-based work into gun violence prevention. The investment will support the Center for Gun Violence Research and Education that was established by the organization last summer. It was initially funded with $1.3 million to explore and collaborate
- [CMS Approves California's Landmark Medicaid 1115 Reentry Waiver](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hhs-approves-californias-medicaid-and-childrens-health-insurance-plan-chip-demonstration-authority) - On January 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved California's landmark Medicaid 1115 reentry waiver, allowing California inmates to access limited services 90 days before being released.
- [Friday, January 27, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-27-2023-life-sciences/) - A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert panel voted unanimously on a proposal to simplify the nation's strategy for vaccinating people against COVID-19. Currently, unvaccinated individuals still receive monovalent vaccines based on the original COVID-19 strain as the primary series. They must then receive bivalent shots as boosters. The panel voted to update all vaccines
- [Friday, January 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-27-2023-payers-4/) - At least 40 state legislatures are expected to consider measures that would streamline the prior authorization process. So far, 26 prior authorization bills have been introduced in 16 states. In 2021, Texas passed a law allowing clinicians who have 90 percent of their prior authorization requests for a service or drug approved over six months
- [Friday, January 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-27-2023-payers-3/) - A new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families proposes several reforms to ensure the Transparency in Coverage data are more usable and accessible. The report found that most insurers have complied with the rule, however; the data is too hard to find and understand, some data have questionable quality, and many
- [Friday, January 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-27-2023-payers-2/) - Blue Shield of California announced it will bring its Wellvolution program to Medi-Cal. The program, created in collaboration with Solera Health, offers app-based programs in four key areas: disease prevention, chronic condition reversal, mental health support, and tobacco cessation. The platform also providers general fitness options for members through its Everyday Fitness component, such as
- [Friday, January 27, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-27-2023-payers/) - Humana announced it will open 10 CenterWell clinics in the Dallas-Fort Worth region over the course of this year. CenterWell and its sister company, Conviva Care Center, offer senior-focused primary care at more than 220 locations across 11 states. Each of the locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be staffed with board-certified physicians, nurses,
- [Health Industry Trend Spotting: 2023 Edition](https://tcoc.substack.com/p/health-industry-trend-spotting-2023) - Third Horizon Strategies CEO and Founder David Smith shares his view on the five most important signals in the health care industry. Read his blog to learn why he feels they are significant and how they could impact the industry.
- [Thursday, January 26, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-26-2023-access-coverage/) - A record 16.3 million people signed up for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace in the 2023 enrollment period. The record mark, boosted by extended pandemic-era subsidies, represents a 13 percent year-over-year increase. According to the White House, 3.6 million people, or 22 percent of those who signed up in this
- [Thursday, January 26, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-26-2023-life-sciences-2/) - New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that updated COVID-19 boosters are cutting the risk that a person will get sick from the coronavirus by about half. For adults between the ages 18 and 49, the studies showed COVID-19 boosters lowered the odds of getting a symptomatic infection caused by
- [Thursday, January 26, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-26-2023-life-sciences/) - Frank Yiannas, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy commissioner for the Office of Food Policy and Response, is resigning less than two months after a report criticized the structure and culture of the FDA's food program and recommended a major overhaul. Yiannas wrote in a resignation letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf that the "decentralized
- [Thursday, January 26, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-26-2023-ma/) - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is considering a sale of its pharmacy automation business, which could be valued at as much as $2 billion. According to people familiar with the matter, the company has engaged advisors for the sales process, which could start next month or so. They also indicated that rival health care companies and
- [Wednesday, January 25, 2023: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-25-2023-inequities-and-sdoh/) - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the NYU Grossman School of Medicine launched a new dashboard that aims to help policymakers examine and eliminate disparities. The tool compiles 36 key measures of health (e.g., deaths from cardiovascular disease and breast cancer) and social determinants of health (SDOH), like housing affordability and access to nutritious foods,
- [Wednesday, January 25, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-25-2023-payers/) - The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) released a white paper outlining several policy priorities for the current Congress. The policies are organized under three main aims: Improve competition among health care providers, enhance consumer access to lower-cost prescription drugs, and ensure patients receive high-quality care delivered at the right place and the right time.
- [Wednesday, January 25, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-25-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is making several changes to its organizational structure to improve the agency’s operations and efficiency. Under the new structure, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will oversee several divisions more directly with specific attention toward health equity and data across the agency. Dr. Walensky also plans to establish
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-life-sciences-3/) - New documents show that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to make Covid-19 vaccination a regular, once-a-year shot that is updated to match current strains of the virus. The agency would recommend two annual boosters of the revised shot for people who are older or immunocompromised. The agency's independent vaccine advisers are scheduled to
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-life-sciences-2/) - Amazon.com Inc announced it will offer a $5 monthly subscription plan for U.S. Prime members that will cover a range of generic drugs and their doorstep delivery. The RxPass program includes more than 50 generic medications addressing over 80 chronic conditions. The program doesn’t use insurance, and people with government-funded Medicaid or Medicare coverage are
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-life-sciences/) - Optum Rx launched Price Edge – a new tool that aims to make it easier to compare the direct-to-consumer price for generic drugs to the price with insurance. The tool, which is available at no additional cost to all of its pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) clients, scans the prices that are available for a traditional
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-ma/) - Elevance Health announced plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield for an undisclosed price. The acquisition builds on an existing partnership between the two insurers – the two jointly own Healthy Blue, a plan that serves Medicaid and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Elevance Health’s Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans will operate in 15 states if
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Premier Inc. released a three-part series examining the impact of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in the United States. The first blog found that treating OUD is costing hospitals more than $95 billion a year – just under 8 percent of all hospital expenditures. According to the analysis, 87 percent of people with OUD do not
- [Tuesday, January 24, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-24-2023-payers/) - A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that more than $60 billion may have been paid out in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department of Labor (DOL) has taken steps to address fraud risks; however, the GAO said the department has yet to develop an anti-fraud strategy based
- [Monday, January 23, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-23-2023-access-coverage/) - A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) brief found that at least 14 states have ongoing litigation in which providers, clinics, and other groups are challenging state bans and restrictions. These challenges generally fall into three categories: broad constitutional, health care amendment, and religious freedom. Another raft of bills is emerging as state legislatures enter their 2023
- [Monday, January 23, 2023: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-23-2023-d-c-news/) - President Joe Biden is expected to tap Jeff Zients to succeed Ron Klain as the next White House chief of staff. A longtime corporate executive, Zients first entered government during the Obama administration and served in multiple senior roles, including running the Office of Management and Budget and the National Economic Council. He returned to
- [Monday, January 23, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-23-2023-providers-2/) - Discount retailer Dollar General announced it is partnering with DocGo, a provider of mobile health and transportation services, to provide medical services. The company will pilot mobile health clinics at three stores in Tennessee to provide customers with basic, preventive, and urgent care services along with lab testing. The two companies plan to evaluate customer
- [Monday, January 23, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-23-2023-providers/) - The Wall Street Journal reports that turnover and churn among home care providers is making it harder to line up care for loved ones. With an ever-growing number of aging baby boomers who need elder care, as well as the COVID-fueled reluctance to seek care in nursing homes, demand for home care is surging. According
- [Friday, January 20, 2023: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-20-2023-inequities-and-sdoh/) - The Commonwealth Fund posted a new blog indicating that Medicare beneficiaries of color are more likely to rely on informal caregivers for home health. Among home health users, Black (non-Hispanic) and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries reported, on average, that they received care from home health care providers more than seven months in a year, about half
- [Friday, January 20, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-20-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected Eli Lilly & Co.'s attempt for accelerated approval for its Alzheimer's therapy donanemab because not enough patients in the trial had received the drug for a full year. The company said the FDA did not identify any other deficiencies. (Article here)
- [Friday, January 20, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-20-2023-mental-health/) - The new 988 national mental health crisis line has seen a significant rise in call volume since its transition six months ago from the former 1-800-273-TALK number. A CNN analysis shows that more than two million calls, texts, and chats to 988 have been routed to a response center, with the majority being answered in
- [Friday, January 20, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-20-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that doctors sent patients home with opioids after emergency department (ED) visits about 8 percent of the time in 2019–2020. The latest figures continue a downward trend from about 12 percent in 2017–2018 and approximately 21.5 percent in 2010-2011. The data also show
- [Thursday, January 19, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-19-2023-health-it/) - A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis suggests that expanded use of telehealth services did not lead to significant cost savings early in the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the analysis, 52 percent of mental health therapy claims in 2020 for people with private health coverage were delivered over telehealth. For the most common mental health
- [Thursday, January 19, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-19-2023-life-sciences-2/) - A new report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) process for monitoring high-risk research on viruses and other agents that can cause pandemics does not meet the standards for effective oversight. The report – which comes as House Republicans plan to increase pressure on health agencies
- [Thursday, January 19, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-19-2023-life-sciences/) - The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reported that a Phase 3 clinical trial of Janssen’s HIV vaccine was stopped because the vaccine was ineffective. The trial began in 2019 and included 3,900 gay men and transgender people at over 50 sites in Europe and the Americas. The leaders of the study decided to
- [Thursday, January 19, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-19-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - West Virginia State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced the state has agreed to an $83 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the company's failed control measures contributed to an oversupply of opioids in the state. Walgreens will pay the settlement within eight years. The deal is not part
- [Thursday, January 19, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-19-2023-providers/) - KFF published a synthesis of recent studies on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion on providers. Thirty-nine states plus Washington D.C. have adopted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), with the federal government covering 90 percent of the cost and states 10 percent, while 11 states have not. According to the analysis, providers,
- [Calculating Potential Savings Generated by Implementing Value-based Models for Substance Use Disorder Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/calculating-potential-savings-generated-by-implementing-value-based-models-for-substance-use-disorder-care/) - The Alliance for Addiction Payment Reform has created a simple interactive Value-based SUD Opportunity Calculator that estimates the potential savings opportunity generated by implementing value-based SUD care.
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-access-coverage/) - Providers warn that the anticipated end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will cause a “disruptive” and “abrupt return” to the old way of dispensing controlled substances. The PHE allowed physicians to prescribe controlled substances remotely. After the PHE ends, patients will be required to have an in-person medical evaluation for such prescriptions, including
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-life-sciences/) - Moderna Inc. said its experimental RSV vaccine was 83.7 percent effective in a large clinical trial at lowering the risk of a viral respiratory disease in older adults. The company said it will apply for U.S. approval in the coming months, potentially allowing the vaccine to be on the market by early 2024. (Articles here,
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-payers/) - A new Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) report shows that fewer individuals had difficulty paying medical costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to National Health Interview Surveys, 10.5 million fewer people were in families having problems paying medical bills in 2021 than in 2019 — amounting to a 3.2 percentage point decline. Researchers
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-providers/) - The Biden administration announced two new steps to reduce the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications and strengthen nursing home safety and transparency. First, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will increase oversight of inappropriate antipsychotics use by conducting targeted, off-site audits to determine whether nursing homes are accurately assessing and coding individuals with
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-public-health-prevention/) - A new report warns that the CDC is in "a moment of peril" and needs a significant overhaul to protect national security. The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies states that the CDC needs to improve data collection processes, improve its global work to better detect and prepare for threats, and have
- [Wednesday, January 18, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-18-2023-transition-to-value/) - The CMS announced that more than 700,000 health care providers and organizations will participate in at least one of three accountable care programs, covering more than 13.2 million Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. The Medicare Shared Savings Program has 456 accountable care organizations (ACOs) and 10.9 million assigned beneficiaries. The Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access,
- [Tuesday, January 17, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-17-2023-life-sciences/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it is “very unlikely” the Pfizer omicron booster carries a risk of stroke for seniors. According to a CDC spokesperson, the Vaccine Safety Datalink detected that 130 of the 550,000 seniors who received the booster had a stroke within 21 days of receiving the shot.
- [Tuesday, January 17, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-17-2023-life-sciences-2/) - Pfizer Inc. said it will sell its drugs to 45 low-income countries at a not-for-profit price, including off-patent medicines like chemotherapies and oral cancer treatments. The pharmaceutical manufacturer will now offer 500 products as part of a program to increase treatment access in poorer countries after only offering its patented medicines at a not-for-profit price
- [Tuesday, January 17, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-17-2023-mental-health/) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a new policy stipulating that U.S. military veterans who are in a suicidal crisis will be eligible for free emergency medical care from the VA. The policy, effective today (January 17), covers up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care and up to 90 days of
- [Tuesday, January 17, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-17-2023-providers/) - Hospitals are reducing or omitting maternity services as they attempt to shed unprofitable business lines. Hospital administrators say closures are driven by low Medicaid reimbursement rates, staffing shortages and, in some cases, declining birth rates in areas the hospitals serve. Providers and advocacy groups also point out that "maternal care deserts" are developing in states
- [Request for Information (RFI): Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Training](https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/DEI-RFI_Third-Horizon-Strategies.pdf)
- [Friday, January 13, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-13-2023-life-sciences/) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new legislative proposal that seeks to provide consumers more flexibility in buying prescription drugs and more information about their costs. The bill would specifically bar prescription benefit managers from forcing consumers to use mail programs for prescription drugs and require drug manufacturers to issue a report each year justifying
- [Friday, January 13, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-13-2023-ma/) - Kaufman Hall released its 2022 year-end report, showing that there were 17 hospital merger and acquisition deals announced during the fourth quarter of 2022. Of those, four are set to merge two billion-dollar organizations. In total, 53 deals were announced in 2022, up from 2021’s recent historic low of 49 announced transactions. However, the combined
- [Friday, January 13, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-13-2023-payers/) - The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended yesterday that Congress should raise Medicare payment rates for hospitals and physicians next year. MedPAC advised that hospitals should get a 1 percent bump and doctors should see an increase of 50 percent of the Medicare Economic Index to keep up with high inflation. The board also recommended
- [Friday, January 13, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-13-2023-providers/) - Transcarent, an employee health care navigation company, is partnering with the Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, the hospital's joint venture with telehealth company Amwell, to expand access to medical specialists. Through the partnership, Transcarent members will gain access to 3,500 specialists in more than 550 advanced subspecialties for expert second opinions on diagnoses and to confirm treatment
- [Friday, January 13, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-13-2023-public-health-prevention/) - A new study found that U.S. cancer death rates have fallen by a third since 1991, with about 3.8 million deaths averted in that time. According to the study, there were “noteworthy” drops in mortality from leukemia, melanoma, and kidney cancers between 2016–2020, despite steady or even increasing incidence. The five-year survival rate for many
- [Thursday, January 12, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-12-2023-transition-to-value/) - A study published in American Journal of Managed Care found that a risk stratification model developed by Medical Home Network (MHN) can more accurately identify high- and rising-risk members than traditional models. According to the study, MHN’s AI-based model, which incorporates social determinants of health (SDOH) and includes non-traditional, real-time data sources, identified 41 percent
- [Thursday, January 12, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-12-2023-life-sciences-2/) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the specific timeline for the first year of Medicare prescription drug price negotiations. HHS will reveal in early September the first 10 high-cost drugs, and plans to negotiate the prices with drug manufacturers in February 2024. The maximum negotiated prices will be announced in September
- [Thursday, January 12, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-12-2023-life-sciences/) - Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs announced it will partner with pharmacy benefits manager RxPreferred Benefits to an effort to offer lower priced drugs through some employer-backed health insurance plans. Under the partnership, RxPreferred Benefits’ customers will have the option to use Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs as part of their health insurance plans. (Press release
- [Thursday, January 12, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-12-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorder/) - New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the state will join a national settlement with several pharmacy chains and drug makers for their roles in the opioid epidemic. The state has signed five agreements with CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Allergan. New Jersey could receive a total of $508 million, if all five agreements
- [Thursday, January 12, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-january-12-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for another 90 days. The renewal comes amid the emergence of the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant and a spike in new cases. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has pledged HHS would give states and health providers 60 days' notice before the emergency expires or is terminated. The
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-access-coverage-2/) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that nearly 16 million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace so far, a year-over-year increase of 13 percent. Just over 3 million enrollees for 2023 health plans are new signups. (Press release here)
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-access-coverage/) - A new analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that approximately 5 million uninsured people in the United States could get coverage through an ACA Marketplace health plan with virtually no monthly premium if they enroll before January 15. All Marketplace subsidy-eligible enrollees with incomes up to 150 percent of poverty ($20,385 for individuals or
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said its advisory panel will meet on February 15 to review Emergent Biosolutions Inc's over-the-counter nasal spray to treat suspected opioid overdoses. Emergent is asking the FDA to approve for the prescription-free sale of Narcan, its nasal spray form of the drug naloxone. Narcan is already cleared for the
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-mental-health-2/) - KFF released two new analyses examining how state Medicaid programs have utilized telehealth to increase access to behavioral health care during the pandemic and the strategies they are employing to address workforce shortages in behavioral health. The first analysis found that states’ expansion of telehealth has taken a variety of forms and that most states
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-mental-health/) - New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed a $1 billion, multiple-year mental health investment plan. The plan would increase inpatient psychiatric treatment capacity by 1,000 beds, make a capital investment to fund 3,500 new residential units for New Yorkers living with mental illness, and increase insurance coverage. The plan would also expand outpatient services by adding
- [Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-11-2023-providers/) - A federal judge ordered HHS to create a plan to correct underpayments made to 340B hospitals. The department cut 340B reimbursement by nearly 30 percent in 2018 and redistributed the $1.6 billion in savings to all hospitals. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that HHS lacked the legal authority to implement its changes to the
- [Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-10-2023-access-coverage/) - A new study published in Health Affairs found that expanding Medicaid coverage leads to fewer post-birth hospitalizations. According to the study, the rate of hospitalizations of the newborn or mother within 60 days of birth decreased by 17 percent in states that have extended their postpartum coverage. Additionally, the rate of postpartum hospitalizations between 61
- [Tuesday, January 10, 2023:  Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-10-2023-inequities-and-sdoh/) - Black medical trainees were far more likely to carry a heavier debt burden than their peers in other racial and ethnic groups, according to a study published in Health Affairs. The study found trainees from nearly all underrepresented populations in medicine were generally more likely to have debt compared to white and Asian trainees. However,
- [Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-10-2023-life-sciences/) - Moderna Inc. said it may price its COVID-19 vaccine between $110 and $130 per dose in the United States when commercial distribution begins. The price is similar to the price Pfizer Inc. is considering for its shot developed with BioNTech SE. While the price range is significantly more than Moderna's contracted rate with the federal
- [Tuesday, January 10, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-10-2023-ma/) - CVS Health Corp. is in talks to buy primary care operator Oak Street Health Inc. for more than $10 billion, including debt. Sources say that deal could be reached in the coming weeks, though they noted that the discussions could end without a deal. (Articles here and here)
- [Tuesday, January 10, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-10-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration may let the U.S. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration expire as early as the Spring. Under the current tentative plan, health officials will quietly renew the emergency declaration for another 90 days before its scheduled expiration on January 11. That would give the administration until early February to alert states and
- [Monday, January 9, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-9-2023-life-sciences-2/) - The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Leqembi – a new Alzheimer’s disease treatment that moderately slows cognitive decline in people with early-stage disease. Eisai Co., the Japanese pharmaceutical company that developed the drug with Biogen Inc., said it will price the drug at $26,500 annually for the average eligible patient. While the price
- [Monday, January 9, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-9-2023-life-sciences/) - Moderna Inc. said it pulled in $18.4 billion in COVID-19 vaccine sales last year, hitting its 2022 revenue forecast for the products. The company forecasted a minimum of $5 billion of sales this year. (Article here)
- [Monday, January 9, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-9-2023-payers/) - Elevance Health and a coalition of other Blue Cross and Blue Shield carriers launched Synergie Medication Collective, an independent company that seeks to improve affordability and access to costly specialty drugs. The company will effectively serve as a group purchasing organization, operating under a transparent, pass-through model where it hands over cost savings to participating
- [Monday, January 9, 2023: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-january-9-2023-public-health-prevention/) - The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its recommendations on treating childhood obesity for the first time in 15 years. The new guidelines emphasize that obesity is a complex and chronic condition and that intensive behavioral and lifestyle changes should be the first-line approach. However, for the first time, the AAP also includes recommendations for
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-access-coverage/) - The South Carolina Supreme Court yesterday overturned the state’s ban on abortion after around six weeks of pregnancy. South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Kaye Hearn said that the law violated the state’s constitution, which explicitly gives citizens a right to privacy. Also yesterday, Minnesota’s House Health Finance and Policy Committee approved a bill to strengthen
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-health-it/) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched “Home Test to Treat” – a pilot program that will allow people to receive free testing, consultation, and treatment for COVID-19 from their homes. The agency said it is aiming to offer this service to up to 100,000 people in the U.S. over the next year. eMed will
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-life-sciences-2/) - Moderna Inc. announced a $35 million licensing deal with CytomX Therapeutics for the development of certain investigational messenger RNA-based therapies. The deal offers CytomX access to Moderna's mRNA technology, which has been used to develop COVID-19 vaccines, while Moderna would get access to CytomX's Probody platform, used in the development of cancer therapies targeting diseased
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-life-sciences/) - AstraZeneca PLC and Sanofi SA said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated it may expedite the review of the companies' long-acting antibody for the prevention of infection caused by RSV, called nirsevimab, with action possibly coming in the third quarter. Pediatric hospitals across the U.S. were strained late last year due to a surge
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-ma/) - VillageMD announced it completed its $8.9 billion acquisition of Summit Health-CityMD, creating one of the largest independent physician practices in the country. Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer said that the acquisition is a key move in Walgreens' strategy to grow its consumer-centric health care delivery business. VillageMD announced it entered a definitive agreement to
- [Friday, January 6, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-january-6-2023-payers/) - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a proposed rule that would ban employee noncompete contract provisions. The proposed rule is one element of the FTC’s broader strategy to limit anticompetitive activity in health care and other industries. Researchers estimate that at least 40 percent of physicians are held to restrictive covenants that typically prevent them
- [Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-4-2023-life-sciences-2/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will allow pharmacies to dispense the abortion medication mifepristone to patients. The agency also said it would no longer enforce a rule requiring people to get the first of the two drugs in person at a clinic or hospital. Certified pharmacies can instead dispense the drugs directly
- [Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-4-2023-life-sciences/) - Gilead Sciences Inc. and EVOQ Therapeutics Inc. are partnering to develop autoimmune disorder treatments in a deal worth up to $658.5 million. The companies will collaborate on preclinical work for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus treatments, and Gilead will then conduct clinical development and the commercialization of candidates. (Article here)
- [Wednesday, January 4, 2023: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-4-2023-ma/) - The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) approved Amazon’s proposed acquisition of One Medical after conducting a regulatory review. The regulator concluded the acquisition would be unlikely to affect access and cost for Oregonians and ruled out a more comprehensive review because One Medical operates only five primary care clinics and treats few patients in Oregon. If
- [Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-4-2023-payers/) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report revealing that Medicare lost out on millions of potential savings due to spotty oversight of the average sales price (ASP) of medications. According to the report, even though the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has
- [Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-january-4-2023-transition-to-value/) - A new study published in JAMA Health Forum found that physician group practices don’t fare quite as well as hospitals in bundled payment arrangements. While hospitals participating in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Initiative saved money for both the top five conditions that require medical intervention and the top five surgical procedures, physician
- [Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-3-2023-life-sciences/) - The House Oversight and Energy and Commerce committees released a report revealing that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm was “rife with irregularities.” According to the 18-month investigation, officials didn't follow the agency's own guidance and improperly collaborated with drugmaker Biogen – engaging in at least 115 “atypical” meetings, calls,
- [Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-3-2023-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen, accusing the company of partially fueling the opioid crisis by failing to report hundreds of thousands of suspicious orders. The lawsuit asks for potentially billions of dollars in financial penalties against the firm based on alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act that federal prosecutors
- [Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-3-2023-payers-2/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released data showing that insurers and providers are overwhelming an arbitration system intended to resolve billing disputes. The system, established under the No Surprise Act, went into effect earlier this year to ensure patients aren’t held financially responsible when there's a disagreement over the cost of out-of-network
- [Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-january-3-2023-payers/) - Consumers are increasingly using “buy now, pay later” financing options to pay for health care services. A report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that the loans for health services and products increased from $10 million in 2019 to $230 million in 2021. The platforms advertise the loans as a way for patients to
- [Thursday, December 22, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-22-2022-life-sciences-2/) - The Biden administration announced it will release the prescription antiviral Tamiflu from the Strategic National Stockpile. The move is expected to help ease access to the medication as an early and severe flu season has strained resources. The administration did not say how many doses will be made available. Meanwhile, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- [Thursday, December 22, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-22-2022-life-sciences/) - Roche Holding AG said the FDA approved Actemra, its monoclonal antibody for treating COVID-19 in hospitalized adults. The agency's decision comes weeks after it revoked the emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly & Co.'s monoclonal antibody treatment, bebtelovimab, because it was ineffective against new omicron subvariants. (Article here)
- [Thursday, December 22, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-22-2022-public-health-prevention/) - New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months last year. The expected life span of someone born in the U.S. is now 76.4 years — the shortest it has been in nearly two decades. Heart disease was the main
- [Wednesday, December 21, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-21-2022-access-coverage/) - A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) suggests that multi-year continuous eligibility policies could help children maintain Medicaid coverage beyond one year. According to the brief, 37.8 million children were enrolled in Medicaid as of August 2022, with about half of those children in states with 12-month continuous eligibility and about half in states without the
- [Wednesday, December 21, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-21-2022-d-c-news/) - The Senate voted 70 to 25 to advance the roughly $1.7 trillion fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill. The Senate could take a final vote on the bill, which would avoid a government shutdown, as early as Wednesday evening. Both chambers are expected to pass the measure this week, despite some Republican blowback. (Articles here and
- [Wednesday, December 21, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-21-2022-providers/) - The Joint Commission launched a new Health Care Equity certification program to recognize hospitals and critical access hospitals that strive for excellence in their efforts to provide equitable care, treatment, and services. Hospitals can pre-apply for certification in early 2023, though the application won't be available until July 1, 2023. In addition, the organization announced
- [Wednesday, December 21, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-21-2022-mental-health-2/) - Results from the 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey found that half of women ages 18-64 who needed mental health services in the past two years obtained services. Almost half of women who needed mental health services and tried to get care were able to get an appointment within a month, but more than one-third of
- [Wednesday, December 21, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-21-2022-mental-health/) - A New York Times article discusses the debate surrounding New York City Mayor Eric Adam’s proposal to force treatment on homeless people who have severe mental illnesses. The Adams administration said the policy is intended to help stabilize those who desperately need it. However, critics argue that that the practice could traumatize already unstable individuals,
- [Tuesday, December 20, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-20-2022-d-c-news/) - Congressional appropriators released a $1.7 trillion fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill early Tuesday morning. The package includes several health care provisions: 1) omit 2.5 percentage points of a scheduled 4.5 percent cut to the Medicare physician fee schedule in 2023, and 1.25 percentage points of cuts in 2024; 2) revamp the Food and Drug Administration
- [Tuesday, December 20, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-20-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - The Biden administration released a plan to reduce homelessness 25 percent by 2025. The administration encouraged state and local governments to create their own plans using All In, a blueprint developed by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). The administration and USICH also announced a new initiative whereby the 19 federal agencies that comprise
- [Tuesday, December 20, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-20-2022-life-sciences/) - CVS and Walgreens are limiting purchases of children's pain-relief medicine amid rising cases of flu, COVID-19, and RSV. "Due to increased demand and various supplier challenges, over-the-counter pediatric fever reducing products are seeing constraint across the country," Walgreens said in a statement, adding that the purpose of the limits is to support availability and avoid
- [Tuesday, December 20, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-20-2022-payers/) - The U.S. Department Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report revealing that Medicare Part B spending on lab tests surged last year to $9.3 billion. The 17 percent increase was driven by higher volumes of COVID-19 tests and demand for genetic tests that exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Medicare Part
- [Monday, December 19, 2022:  Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Senators Roger Marshall and Jeanne Shaheen plan to introduce legislation that will require social media companies to report fentanyl activity to law enforcement. The legislation would add to House Republicans' strategy to increase oversight of tech companies' roles in illegal drug sales on their platforms when the party officially takes control of the chamber. (Article
- [Monday, December 19, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-providers/) - Data recently released by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows that the number of medical school applicants dropped to pre-pandemic levels in the 2022-23 academic year. The number of Black matriculants increased 6.4 percent year over year from the 2021-22 academic year to the 2022-23 academic year. Simultaneously, medical school enrollment increased 4
- [Monday, December 19, 2022:  Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-life-sciences-3/) - Health systems and pharmacies are running out of antibiotics, antivirals, and pediatric cold and flu medications as the worst flu season in more than a decade collides with increased RSV and COVID-19 cases. The situation started when antibiotics manufacturers like Teva and Sandoz reported shortages because they didn't anticipate the early surge of respiratory diseases
- [Monday, December 19, 2022:  Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-life-sciences-2/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared a shortage of Eli Lilly & Co.'s diabetes drug Mounjaro. The FDA informed pharmacies that they should expect full shipment delays for 5-milligram doses. However, the University of Utah drug information service, which tracks drug shortages, said that 2.5-milligram and 7.5-milligram doses are also on backorder. (Article here)
- [Monday, December 19, 2022:  Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-life-sciences/) - The FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will hold a key meeting on January 26 to discuss the state of the pandemic and whether COVID-19 vaccines need to be modified again to better limit the fast-changing virus. The FDA is looking to get input from the committee on how to better handle variants
- [Monday, December 19, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-19-2022-mental-health/) - A Wall Street Journal article examines how the surge in digital mental health treatment instigated a decline in the quality of care. According to the article, many of the new digital mental health companies used “classic Silicon Valley tactics” such as using contractors rather than employees to control costs and setting large marketing budgets –
- [Friday, December 16, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-16-2022-life-sciences/) - AbbVie Inc is leaving the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, two of the most influential pharmaceutical trade groups. The pharmaceutical giant's move comes as provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to lower prescription drug costs will take effect, a crucial loss for the industry after it spent millions
- [Friday, December 16, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-16-2022-ma/) - Two New Jersey-based health systems – Cape Regional Health System and Cooper University Health – signed a letter of intent to merge into a system of more than 10,000 employees and over $2.2 billion in annual revenues. Cooper University Health is the major academic health system of southern New Jersey, with more than 8,500 employees
- [Friday, December 16, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-16-2022-payers/) - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced new value-based agreements with the state’s largest health systems to link financial incentives to equity improvements. Collectively, the four health systems – Steward Healthcare Network, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Mass General Brigham, and Boston Accountable Care Organization (part of Boston Medical Center) – care for more than half
- [Third Horizon Strategies Acquires sr4 Data Information Systems (DIS)](https://thirdhorizon.com/third-horizon-strategies-acquires-sr4-data-information-systems-dis/) - Third Horizon Strategies has acquired sr4 Data Information Systems (DIS); sr4 DIS Founder Chris Hart will join the firm as its chief data and analytics officer.
- [Thursday, December 15, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-15-2022-d-c-news-2/) - The House of Representatives voted to pass a stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown at the end of this week. The vote was 224 to 201, with nine Republicans joining Democrats to vote in favor. The bill must now go to the Senate to be approved before it can go to President Joe Biden
- [Thursday, December 15, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-15-2022-d-c-news/) - The White House and the U.S. Postal Service relaunched a website that allows people to order free COVID-19 tests and have the tests mailed to their homes. The move is part of the Biden administration's larger winter preparedness plan to manage another potential surge in COVID-19 cases. (Articles here, here, here, and here)
- [Thursday, December 15, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-15-2022-payers-2/) - New data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that national health care spending grew by 2.7 percent to $4.3 trillion in 2021. Annual spending growth slowed last year compared with a 10.3 percent increase in 2020 when the federal government upped its spending in response to the pandemic. Employers' health spending
- [Thursday, December 15, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-15-2022-payers/) - CMS released a proposed rule to improve prior authorization processes for Medicare Advantage (MA) and implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price provisions. The rule clarifies when and how MA plans can use prior authorization and that once approved, the prior authorization shall remain valid for the beneficiary’s full course of treatment. The agency is
- [Thursday, December 15, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-15-2022-providers/) - A new Fitch Ratings report found that the unemployment rate in hospitals decreased from 1.8 percent in October to 1.3 percent in November. The report cites Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing hospital and ambulatory health services payrolls increased by 11,000 and 23,300, respectively, from October to November while job openings for the health and
- [Wednesday, December 14, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-14-2022-access-coverage/) - The California Health Care Foundation released a brief examining major implications of California’s new Medi-Cal guidelines pertaining to street medicine programs. The guidelines, released last month by the California Department of Health Care Services, could make it easier for communities to implement and sustain the programs, which the brief notes are “a critical, underutilized model
- [Wednesday, December 14, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-14-2022-health-it/) - A joint investigation of 50 direct-to-consumer telehealth companies, conducted by STAT and The Markup, revealed that many were leaking sensitive medical information they collect to the world’s largest advertising platforms. Thirteen of the 50 websites had at least one tracker — from Meta, Google, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. — that collected patients’ answers to medical
- [Wednesday, December 14, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-14-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a proposed rule that would make permanent the COVID-19 public health emergency policies that expanded access to opioid addiction medications. The rule would specifically make it easier for patients with opioid use disorder to access methadone and buprenorphine and for providers to prescribe the medication
- [Wednesday, December 14, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-14-2022-public-health-prevention-2/) - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended prescribing medications that prevent HIV to adolescents and adults who are at increased risk for acquiring the virus. The A grade recommendation is consistent with the USPSTF’s 2019 ruling on preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use for reducing HIV infection in those who are at higher risk. The draft
- [Wednesday, December 14, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-december-14-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Commonwealth Fund released a report indicating that maternal death rates in 2020 were 62 percent higher in states that ban or restrict abortion than in states where the procedure is still accessible. This disparity holds true across racial and ethnic groups: maternal death rates were 20 percent higher for Black people, 31 percent higher
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-life-sciences-2/) - A new study shows COVID-19 vaccines have kept more than 18 million people out of the hospital and saved more than 3 million lives. Without the vaccines, the nation would have had 1.5 times more infections, 3.8 times more hospitalizations and 4.1 times more deaths than it did between December 2020 and November 2022. The
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-access-coverage/) - The Biden administration approved Washington’s application for a State Innovation Waiver to expand health insurance access for all residents regardless of immigration status. The 1332 waiver specifically will expand access to qualified health plans, stand-alone qualified dental plans, and a state affordability program to Washington residents regardless of their immigration status. The waiver will go
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-life-sciences/) - The Supreme Court denied a request to block California’s recently passed ban on flavored tobacco products. Major tobacco companies including R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, and Modoral Brands Inc. requested an injunction last month, asking that the justices consider whether California had the authority to instate the ban. The ruling paves the way
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay a combined $10.7 billion to settle allegations they failed to adequately oversee opioid painkiller prescriptions. CVS will pay $4.9 billion to states and political subdivisions and approximately $130 million to tribes. Walgreens will pay $4.95 billion, plus more than $750 million in fees for attorneys and costs. States
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to increase access to health care services and make it easier to enroll in coverage. The rule would specifically require health insurers participating on the exchanges to comply with state and federal network adequacy standards. In addition, the agency would require insurers to
- [Tuesday, December 13, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-december-13-2022-providers/) - A new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analysis found that 45 percent of all nursing facility residents and 22 percent of staff are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. The figures are a significant decline from the 87 percent of nursing facility residents and staff who completed their primary vaccination series. The share of residents
- [Monday, December 12, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-12-2022-access-coverage/) - Lawmakers in several conservative-led states are expected to consider proposals to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte included 12-month postpartum eligibility in his proposed state budget. A Wyoming legislative committee voted 6-5 in August to introduce a bill in the next session and legislators in Missouri and Mississippi are also expected to examine postpartum eligibility
- [Monday, December 12, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-12-2022-d-c-news/) - House Republicans plan to vote on a resolution that would end the coronavirus public health emergency when they officially take control of the chamber, potentially setting President Joe Biden up to issue his first veto. The Biden administration has argued that the $10 billion funding is necessary to keep vaccines, tests, and therapeutics free for
- [Monday, December 12, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-december-12-2022-ma/) - Amgen Inc. has agreed to buy biotechnology company Horizon Therapeutics PLC in a deal worth $27.8 billion, the largest health care acquisition of the year. The all-cash deal is equal to a nearly 20 percent premium over Horizon's closing stock price on Friday. The deal will also give Amgen another chance to build its portfolio
- [Friday, December 9, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-9-2022-access-coverage/) - Senators Tammy Baldwin and Patty Murray introduced a bill that would help fund expenses for women who need to travel to undergo abortion procedures.The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Ac would authorize $350 million annually in grants over the next five years for organizations to help cover the cost of patients’ travel for the procedure. The funds would include associated expenses
- [Friday, December 9, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-9-2022-life-sciences-2/) - The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. and the Purchaser Business Group on Health's EmansaRx jointly launched EmansaRx Plus, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) majority-owned by the business group that supplements employers' existing drug benefits. EmansaRx Plus looks to boost continuity of care by offering lower-priced medications through employers' self-insured plans rather than going through
- [Friday, December 9, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-9-2022-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized updated COVID-19 shots from Pfizer and Moderna that target the omicron variant for children as young as six months. Children between 6 months and 5 years old who received the Moderna primary series can receive the updated Moderna booster as soon as two months later. Children between 6
- [Friday, December 9, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-9-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The White House launched a new national dashboard to track non-fatal opioid overdoses and provide first responders, clinicians, and policymakers with real-time, actionable information to improve the country’s response and save lives. The Nonfatal Opioid Overdose Dashboard tracks rates across states and territories using information from the National EMS Information System, in addition to the
- [Friday, December 9, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-9-2022-payers/) - A Mercer survey of more than 2,000 companies found that employers expect benefits costs to increase by 5.4 percent next year as health care cost rates catch-up with inflation. Still, most (84 percent) said that "enhancing benefits to improve attraction and retention" is a top priority as they face a tight labor market and that
- [HHS Proposed Rule Seeks to Increase Care Coordination and Confidentiality for Patients With Substance Use Disorder](https://thirdhorizon.com/hhs-proposed-rule-seeks-to-increase-care-coordination-and-confidentiality-for-patients-with-substance-use-disorder/) - On November 29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2), which could have significant implications the entire health care landscape.
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-access-coverage/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new data indicating that 5.5 million people have enrolled in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace insurance plan in the first five weeks of open enrollment. That figure includes 1.2 million people who have newly signed up for coverage through the exchanges as well as 4.3
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-health-it/) - Amazon has ended its support for its HIPAA-compliant Alexa health tool and will delete all of the data by the end of the week. Amazon rolled out the tools on Alexa in 2019, offering applications with a collection of hospitals, as well as telehealth company Teladoc Health and pharmacy benefits management company Express Scripts. The application
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-life-sciences/) - Pfizer and Moderna announced that the commercial prices of their COVID-19 vaccines will likely be between $82 and $130 per dose. The cost is approximately three to four times what the federal government has paid. The Biden administration has started to prepare for the transition of the vaccines to the commercial market, noting that it
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-ma/) - LHC Group and UnitedHealth Group disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission that their $5.4 billion proposed merger won't consummate as planned by the end year. According to the filing, the agreement was extended until March 28, 2023 as the two companies expect the merger to close in the first quarter of 2023. UnitedHealth Group
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-providers/) - Hospitals in some non-Medicaid expansion states are pitching expansion to help solve the rural health crisis. According to state projections, expansion could generate $1 billion a year and create more than 11,000 jobs in Mississippi, $32 million in savings of over the first two years of a limited expansion in Wyoming, and reduce the $7
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-public-health-prevention-2/) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said the agency needs more COVID-19 funding and authority from Congress to improve data reporting processes from states and providers. Her call for more support from Congress comes as the Biden administration has continued to push for additional COVID funds that have, thus far, been
- [Thursday, December 8, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-8-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Covax initiative, which facilitates global COVID-19 vaccine sharing, could come to an end as soon as next year, per an internal board document obtained by The Washington Post. Experts said the move may be a sign that global public health institutions view COVID-19 as a common illness rather than a public health emergency. (Article
- [Friday, December  2, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-2-2022-life-sciences-2/) - Pfizer Inc. plans to invest more than $2.5 billion in manufacturing plants in Belgium and Ireland. The company hopes that developing new products will offset losses from expiring patents and declining COVID-19 vaccine sales. (Article here)
- [Friday, December  2, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-2-2022-life-sciences/) - Merck & Co. could maintain patents for its best-selling drug Keytruda by patenting an injectable form of the medicine, which it's currently testing in clinical trials. Certain patents for Keytruda are up in 2028, when copies of the drug could hit the market. (Article here)
- [Friday, December  2, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-2-2022-mental-health/) - The nation’s new 988 hotline, intended to help anyone experiencing a mental health emergency, was out of service for several hours Thursday. Intrado, the telecommunications provider for the service, issued a statement on its website saying that the company was “experiencing an incident that is impacting production across numerous systems” and is “working diligently to
- [Friday, December 2, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-2-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A bipartisan bill to increase access to treatment for opioid addiction has a good chance of being rolled into a year-end package during the lame-duck session. The bill would remove a requirement that health care providers get a special waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration before they can prescribe buprenorphine. While there has been some
- [Friday, December  2, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-december-2-2022-providers/) - A coalition of physician groups led by the American Medical Association asked a Texas judge not to implement a nationwide injunction on a key portion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that covers preventive services. In September, the judge ruled that the legislation's process for choosing which services insurers must fully cover was unconstitutional. The
- [Get to Know...Bamidele (Bami) Odusote](https://thirdhorizon.com/get-to-know-bamidele-bami-odusote/) - Bamidele (Bami) Odusote joined Third Horizon Strategies as a manager in June 2022, after working with the firm on a part-time basis for ten months while she completed her graduate work. She was born in New York, moved to Nigeria when she was a toddler, and studied in England before returning to New York for
- [Thursday, December 1, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-1-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A Kaiser Health News article discusses ways to expand access buprenorphine to help treat addiction and prevent relapse. Industry experts offered several solutions, including: 1) emergency room doctors could prescribe a few days’ worth of the medication for a patient who comes to them in crisis, then refer the patient to a specialist, or the
- [Thursday, December 1, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-1-2022-health-it-2/) - Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched a new genomics service, called Amazon Omics, to run IT-heavy bioinformatics workflows for health care and life sciences companies. AWS built the service to help bioinformaticians, researchers, and scientists store, analyze, and generate insights from genomic, transcriptomic, and other omics data. It is intended to support large-scale analysis and collaborative research, without health
- [Thursday, December 1, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-1-2022-health-it/) - General Electric Co. set the terms for the spinoff of its health care division, putting an initial value of roughly $31 billion on the soon-to-be-public company. The separation is set for January 3 after the markets close. Following the health care spinoff, it plans to separate its aerospace business from its power and renewable-energy units.
- [Thursday, December 1, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-1-2022-payers/) - The latest Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker examines the prices for medical care compared to other goods and services. Overall, consumer prices in October grew 7.7 percent according to the Consumer Price Index, while prices for medical care grew 5 percent. The brief notes that the trend is unusual. However, health care prices will likely eventually
- [Thursday, December 1, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-december-1-2022-providers/) - Kaufman Hall’s latest Hospital Flash Report indicates that the hospital sector is on track to end the year with negative margins. In October, operating margins declined 2 percent from the previous month and were down 13 percent from a year ago. Costs increased 1 percent between September and October while net revenue grew 2 percent.
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-life-sciences/) - Eisai Co. Ltd. and Biogen Inc.'s Alzheimer drug lecanemab slowed patients' mental decline by 27 percent over 18 months, according to a trial presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference. However, more than one in five people using the drug showed serious side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, compared to 10 percent
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-mental-health/) - New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a new plan to remove people with severe, untreated mental illness from city streets and subways. Under the plan, New York City agencies – such as the New York Police Department and New York City Fire Department – and emergency responders would be able to forcibly hospitalize people who
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - New data published Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics show that deaths from drug and alcohol use are rising among America’s seniors. According to the data, drug overdose deaths more than tripled among people aged 65 and older during the past two decades while deaths from alcohol use disorder increased more than 18
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-ma/) - Horizon Therapeutics PLC is hearing buyout offers from pharmaceutical companies Amgen Inc., Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Global Services LLC, and Sanofi. Horizon, which makes medicines for rare and immune diseases, had a market value of $18 billion as of Tuesday, meaning a deal could be worth as much as $20 billion including a takeover premium.
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-providers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a memo reminding hospitals of their responsibility to protect patients and health care workers from physical violence in the workplace. The memo said hospitals should be able to demonstrate their procedures to identify patients who are likely to harm either themselves or others, have emergency preparedness
- [Wednesday, November 30, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-30-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it is awarding $3.2 billion to help strengthen public health workforce and infrastructure across the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic put severe stress on them. The funding includes $3 billion from the American Rescue Plan for jurisdictions to recruit, retain, and train their workforce. Another $140
- [Tuesday, November 29, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-29-2022-life-sciences/) - Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of "skinny labels" on biosimilars saved Medicare over $1 billion over five years. According to the research, the FDA approved 33 biosimilars based on 11 biologics between 2015 and 2021, two-thirds of which had a skinny label. The researchers estimate competition
- [Tuesday, November 29, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-29-2022-ma-2/) - AstraZeneca PLC announced it will acquire Neogene Therapeutics Inc. in a deal worth up to $320 million, growing the company's oncology portfolio. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Upon completion of the transaction, Neogene will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary,
- [Tuesday, November 29, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-29-2022-ma/) - Boston Scientific announced it entered a definitive agreement to acquire Apollo Endosurgery for a cash price of $10 per share to reflect an enterprise value of approximately $615 million. Apollo Endosurgery anticipates net sales of approximately $76 million in the fiscal year 2022 with significant growth of its endoscopic suturing system franchise. Boston Scientific expects
- [Tuesday, November 29, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-29-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a rule to align 42 CFR Part 2 privacy protections with HIPAA. The rule would require one-time patient consent for disclosure of treatment and allowing HIPAA-covered entities to access those records. The rule would also give patients the right to know where and when their information
- [Tuesday, November 29, 2022: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-29-2022-transition-to-value/) - Recently released data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) found the Direct Contracting Model saved Medicare $70 million in 2021, the first year the model took effect. The data shows that 53 direct contracting entities generated savings for Medicare, and 38 organizations earned $47 million in shared savings in 2021. All 53 direct contracting
- [Monday, November 28, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-28-2022-access-coverage/) - A federal lawsuit in Texas is challenging the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement for insurers to cover preventative health services. A district court judge in September ruled that the way certain preventive services are determined to be covered was unconstitutional. Now, both sides of the challenge are now waiting to see if the judge will
- [Monday, November 28, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-28-2022-public-health-prevention-2/) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it will phase out the use of "monkeypox" and replace it with "mpox" after the scientific community asked for a new name to avoid stigmatization that can be associated with infection. In a statement, WHO said that after the outbreak of the virus expanded earlier this year, the
- [Monday, November 28, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-28-2022-public-health-prevention/) - White House health officials are projecting cautious optimism regarding the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the U.S. The White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, Ashish Jha, said on ABC's "This Week" that he believes COVID-19 booster rates will increase in the coming weeks and suggested that
- [Wednesday, November 23, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-23-2022-access-coverage/) - The Biden administration announced that nearly 3.4 million people signed up for individual coverage on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace between November 1 to 19. Thus far, enrollment is up 17 percent from last year. The boost in enrollment comes as the number of uninsured Americans this year reached a historic low of 8
- [Wednesday, November 23, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-23-2022-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Hemgenix, an IV treatment for adults with hemophilia B. Shortly after the approval, Drugmaker CSL Behring announced that the drug costs $3.5 million a dose, making it the most expensive medicine in the world. CSL Behring said the price tag is justified because the treatment would ultimately reduce
- [Wednesday, November 23, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-23-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Biden administration launched a six-week push to increase Americans’ COVID-19 booster vaccinations heading into the holiday season. The campaign will focus on reaching seniors and the communities that were hardest hit by COVID-19 by expanding access, increasing awareness, and more. More than 35 million Americans have already received the updated, bivalent booster shot –
- [Tuesday, November 22, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-22-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis indicates that people with impaired vision aren’t getting the health care they need. According to the study, 50.2 percent of people with vision impairment said they had fair or poor general health compared with just 16.8 percent of those who didn’t report vision problems. Additionally,
- [Tuesday, November 22, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-22-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A Kaiser Health News (KHN) article examines how states are planning to spend the $26 billion for the opioid settlement fund. The settlement includes specific parameters for how the states can spend the money: 70 percent must be used for opioid-related expenses (e.g., expanding access to treatment), 15 percent can be used for administrative expenses
- [Tuesday, November 22, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-22-2022-providers/) - According to recent reports, health systems nationwide have seen a significant rise in denied claims over the past year. A Kaufman Hall report found that approximately 67 percent of health care leaders reported an increase in claim denials over the past year, compared to 33 percent in 2021. A separate analysis revealed that initial claim
- [Monday, November 21, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-21-2022-ma-2/) - The Department of Justice (DOJ) and two states – New York and Minnesota – issued a notice to appeal a judge's decision to dismiss their antitrust challenge of UnitedHealth's acquisition of Change Healthcare. The DOJ sued to block the deal in February, alleging it would violate federal antitrust law by giving insurer UnitedHealthcare access to
- [Monday, November 21, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-21-2022-ma/) - Merck & Co. agreed to acquire cancer developer Imago BioSciences Inc. in a deal valued at $1.35 billion. The deal will add new revenue streams as Merck’s patent deal for cancer treatment Keytruda is set to expire early next year and grow its presence in the hematology field. (Articles here and here)
- [Monday, November 21, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-21-2022-payers-2/) - A Kaiser Health News (KHN) investigation found that government audits of payments to Medicare Advantage plans show that there were about $12 million in overpayments in a sample of 18,090 patients. According to the investigation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has only conducted 90 audits over the past decade. Of those, 71
- [Monday, November 21, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-21-2022-payers/) - Large employers are bracing for a very expensive year as a convergence of factors drive up health costs. Previously, employers have been able to shift some of the cost burden to workers through premium increases or high-deductible plans. However, experts predict that a tight labor market will force employers to choose other options in the
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: D.C. News](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-d-c-news/) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will relinquish her leadership post, a move that marks the end of an era and sets up a shakeup for House Democrats. Pelosi's announcement came one day after late midterm results projected Republicans will win control of the House. House Democrats appear likely to choose New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries to
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-life-sciences/) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug to prevent type 1 diabetes. Tzield, from ProventionBio and Sanofi, was approved to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes in adults and children ages 8 and up who currently have stage 2 type 1 diabetes. The medication is thought to slow down
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - A study published in JAMA Network Open found that individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) had significant annual declines in SUD-related emergency department use over five years compared with patients who received “usual care.” The study notes that SUD patients may have difficulty establishing a rapport with PCPs and that privacy laws and policies restricting health
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-payers/) - Centene announced it will sell its Magellan Specialty Health to administrator Evolent Health (Evolent) as part of the insurer’s ongoing efforts to jettison its non-health plan businesses. Evolent will pay at least $400 million in cash and approximately $200 million in stock for the specialty management service; they could also pay up to $150 million
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-providers-2/) - The American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a new policy that aims to protect residents who are training at teaching hospitals bought by private equity firms. The policy is in response to concerns that firms are trimming operations to increase profits following acquisitions. The policy encourages residency programs to be transparent on mergers and acquisitions, especially
- [Friday, November 18, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-18-2022-providers/) - Intermountain Healthcare named Robert Allen as its new president and CEO effective December 1. Allen joined Intermountain in 2008 and has served as its chief operating officer since 2017. He will replace Interim President and CEO Lydia Jumonville, who has been leading the system while its board searched for a permanent successor to Intermountain’s previous
- [Thursday, November 17, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-17-2022-access-coverage-3/) - The Urban Institute released a new policy brief revealing that 62 percent of Medicaid recipients are unaware that states will redetermine their Medicaid eligibility when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. Approximately one-third (30.6 percent) of respondents said they received information about the upcoming change from a state agency; another 24.6 percent heard from a
- [Thursday, November 17, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-17-2022-providers/) - Findings from the Commonwealth Fund’s 2022 International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians indicate that half of primary care physicians (PCPs) in 10 high-income countries have experienced increased workloads since the COVID-29 pandemic. In the U.S., 63 percent of PCPs under the age of 55 and 54 percent of PCPs age 55 and older
- [Thursday, November 17, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-17-2022-access-coverage-2/) - Senators Bill Cassidy and Tom Carper introduced new bipartisan legislation that would offer Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare-Medicaid Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) different options for Part D coverage. Currently, seniors on PACE must get the program’s Part D coverage for any drug costs, which can have an average monthly premium
- [Thursday, November 17, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-17-2022-access-coverage/) - Oregon will become the first state to make access to affordable health care a constitutional right after voters passed Ballot Measure 111. However, the measure’s impact is unclear because it does not outline how the state should ensure that everyone has coverage or how much it will cost to cover the state’s 6 percent uninsured.
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-health-it/) - General Catalyst announced new partnerships with 10 health systems across the country, adding to its existing digital health ecosystem with five health systems. General Catalyst will serve as a “think tank” to these 15 organizations and give them access to companies within its expansive digital health portfolio. The full roster offers General Catalysts’ digital health companies a
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-payers/) - A growing number of Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurers have agreed to pay for patients to use prescription digital therapeutics, paving the way for broader coverage among carriers and kick-starting an emerging sector. At least 17 BCBS plans now offer at least one prescription digital therapeutic (software applications that must be prescribed by clinicians) as a standard
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - The opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone may be safe and effective for over-the-counter use in some forms, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday. The FDA would still require data on individual products from manufacturers for them to be available over the counter at a federal level. The preliminary assessment performed by the FDA included
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-ma/) - South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services unveiled plans Tuesday to merge and form $14 billion health system serving rural and urban patients across the Midwest. The merger would give Sanford Health access to a major metropolitan market in Minnesota's Twin Cities, including the University of Minnesota Medical School. Fairview Health would join one
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - The March of Dimes released its 2022 Report Card, showing an increase in pre-term births and racial disparities. The report found that the U.S. preterm birth rate reached 10.5% of live births in 2021, marking a 4% increase from the previous year's rate, and the highest rate since 2007. Infants born to Black and Native American
- [Wednesday, November 16, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-16-2022-access-coverage/) - A county judge in Georgia has blocked the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, saying the law was unconstitutional when the state legislature approved it in 2019. The ruling will allow the immediate legal resumption in the state of abortions performed after the sixth week of pregnancy and up to 22 weeks of
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-health-it/) - Amazon.com Inc. launched its Amazon Clinic, a message-based online health care service that offers treatments for over 20 “common health conditions. The service, which will be available in 32 states, requires customers to select the condition they require treatment for and then choose a preferred provider from an available list of licensed telehealth providers. After
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - Walmart Inc. has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to settle lawsuits brought by states, cities, and Native American tribes over its role in the opioid crisis. However, the company did not admit liability. Walmart's agreement follows settlements earlier this month from CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., both of which agreed to pay
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-public-health-prevention-2/) - The Biden administration plans to request roughly $10 billion in public health funds from Congress before the end of the year, including about $8.25 billion for COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and related response efforts. The request, which is reportedly being finalized this week, will be part of a larger request for funding for Ukraine and hurricane
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-life-sciences/) - Moderna announced that its new omicron-targeted COVID-19 booster shot performs better against omicron subvariants. New data from a Phase 2-3 clinical trial shows that the vaccine triggered antibody responses against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants that were on average 15.1-fold higher. The findings, which are not yet peer-reviewed, are similar to results that Pfizer
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-payers/) - Highmark Health announced it is partnering with Google Cloud and League to launch its new member portal and mobile app designed to enable easier navigation and more seamless care planning. The new app will use a single sign-on approach to connect users with insurance plan tools and send the patient notifications to keep them better
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-providers/) - The American Hospital Association (AHA) released a new report detailing how safety net and charity care hospitals are losing millions due to drug companies cutting off sales of pharmaceuticals discounted under the 340B program to contract pharmacies. The report – based on a survey of more than 300 hospitals and health systems that are a
- [Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-15-2022-public-health-prevention/) - Health officials say they're planning to push this week for people to get boosted against COVID-19 to maximum protection around Thanksgiving. Thus far, overall uptake remains low. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 10 percent of people ages 5 and older have received an updated booster dose, despite
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-ma/) - A Kaiser Health News (KHN) investigation found that private equity’s increasing presence in health care has resulted in higher prices, decreased quality of care, lawsuits, and complaints about care. According to PitchBook, private equity firms invested $206 billion in over 1,400 health care companies last year. KHN found that more than 90 percent of private
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-mental-health/) - The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and 30 other industry groups wrote a letter to the White House asking for federal and state help to address the escalating number of mental health patients seeking care at hospital emergency departments (EDs). The groups noted that patients are being held in EDs for as long as
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-payers-2/) - A Leader’s Edge article examines how the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) is impacting insurers and increasing the federal government’s ability to enforce mental health parity. Even though previous laws – namely, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Affordable Care Act – required plans that offered mental health benefits to have the
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-payers/) - Clover Health will give its Medicare Advantage (MA) members $150 when they schedule in-person, virtual, or home visits with providers that use Clover Assistant. The insurtech is using the incentive to boost physician adoption of the Clover Assist tool, which it describes as an electronic medical record combined with an artificial intelligence tool that prompts
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-providers/) - Health systems are examining their options to divest or squeeze more value out of their real estate holdings as they continue to face a post-pandemic economic crunch. Inflation is still driving up the costs of most goods and services and the surge in telehealth is softening demand for medical office space, especially in lower-acuity settings
- [Monday, November 14, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-14-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The U.S. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is expected to remain in place through mid-January. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra committed to providing stakeholders 60 days’ notice before lifting the PHE so they can prepare for a return to normal operations. HHS did not notify states on Friday of any intent to
- [Friday, November 11, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-11-2022-access-coverage/) - Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released two new briefs outlining the latest data and key trends for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D marketplace for 2023. According to the first brief, the typical beneficiary has a choice of 43 MA – an increase of five plans on average from 2022. Forty-eight percent of Medicare
- [Friday, November 11, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-11-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - Research published in JAMA Network Open found that the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program is failing to equitably support hospitals in areas with historically underserved Black communities. According to the researcher’s analysis, counties with greater proportions of Black residents had significantly higher rates of uncompensated hospital care and a greater percentage of uninsured residents compared
- [Friday, November 11, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-11-2022-payers/) - Crossover Health announced it is partnering with Aetna to launch a new plan benefit to Seattle-area employers and their workers. The new hybrid care model, called Aetna Advanced Primary Health, is integrated into a health plan and aims to tackle the rising access issues and costs of health care with a fixed fee, value-based payment
- [Friday, November 11, 2022: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-11-2022-transition-to-value/) - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officials shared their vision for encouraging more plans to adopt value-based care arrangements. Speaking at the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Summit on value-based care, Ellen Montz, director of the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said that the agency hopes to capitalize on
- [Thursday, November 10, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-10-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - A new analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry found that racial and ethnic disparities in buprenorphine treatment duration increased between 2006 and 2020, particularly during more recent years. The data revealed that the typical duration of treatment for Black and Hispanic patients was shorter compared to white patients. Furthermore, the percentage of minority patients who remained
- [Thursday, November 10, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-10-2022-ma/) - Elevance Health announced it will acquire specialty pharmacy company BioPlus from CarepathRx. BioPlus provides pharmacy care to patients living with chronic conditions and operates Centers of Excellence that help oncology and multiple sclerosis patients receive medications and navigate treatments. Elevance plans to expand the Centers of Excellence to new treatment areas and incorporate BioPlus’ specialty
- [Thursday, November 10, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-10-2022-payers/) - Bright Health Group announced it will end Medicare Advantage (MA) and Affordable Care Act (ACA) operations in all states except California for 2023. In October, the insurtech announced it would exit the ACA exchange business to focus next year solely on its MA operations in Florida and California, and on its NeueHealth provider arm in
- [New Federal Funding Will Help States Improve Behavioral Health Care](https://thirdhorizon.com/new-federal-funding-will-help-states-improve-behavioral-health-care/) - New Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) planning grants provide states with a historic opportunity to significantly increase access to high-quality behavioral health care.
- [Wednesday, November 9, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-9-2022-access-coverage-2/) - Voters in three states moved to protect abortion rights on Tuesday in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Voters in Michigan voted to amend the state constitution to establish an “individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy;” California voters passed a
- [Wednesday, November 9, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-9-2022-access-coverage/) - Voters in South Dakota Tuesday approved a ballot measure to extend Medicaid benefits to more than 40,000 low-income adults. The measure – known in South Dakota as “Constitutional Amendment D” – would extend Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act so that anybody making less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level (about $18,000
- [Wednesday, November 9, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-9-2022-payers/) - Oscar Health CEO Mario Schlosser told investors on Tuesday that the insuretech company has effectively abandoned Medicare Advantage (MA) after attracting few policyholders during its four years in the market. Oscar Health offered MA plans in New York and Texas this year but has pulled out of those states for next year, leaving only one
- [Wednesday, November 9, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-9-2022-providers/) - The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) last week released an analysis revealing that half of U.S. hospitals spent 1.4 percent or less of their total operating expenses on charity care. The portion of spending “varied substantially” across the hospitals: 8 percent of hospitals spent 0.1 percent of their operating expenses or lower, a third of hospitals
- [Tuesday, November 8, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-8-2022-ma/) - A new Health Affairs study found that more health systems are targeting to acquire hospitals outside of their existing geographic regions. The researchers found that 55 percent of the 1,500 hospitals targeted for a merger or acquisition between 2019 or 2019 were located in a different commuting zone than the acquirer. During that same period,
- [Tuesday, November 8, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-8-2022-payers/) - The number of older adults enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans has more than doubled over the last decade to 28 million individuals in 2022, representing 45 percent of all eligible enrollees. By 2025, more than half of all eligible beneficiaries are expected to sign up for the MA program. Simultaneously, the number of plans
- [Tuesday, November 8, 2022: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-8-2022-transition-to-value/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center released a strategy to test models and innovations that support access to high-quality, integrated specialty care across the patient journey. The strategy is comprised of key learnings and short-term and long-term objectives across four key elements: 1) Enhance transparency of specialist data and performance measures
- [Monday, November 7, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-7-2022-ma/) - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. subsidiary VillageMD is nearing a deal to combine with Summit Health in a deal worth roughly $9 billion including debt. Summit Health owns CityMD, which operates a chain of medical clinics in over 370 locations in the U.S. and has over 13,000 employees. According to reports, Cigna Corp is expected to
- [Monday, November 7, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-7-2022-mental-health/) - A Gallup survey of nearly 16,000 working adults in the U.S. found that nearly one in five workers rate their mental health as only "fair" or "poor," with those employees taking an average of 12 unplanned days off annually. The researchers calculated that the cost of a missed workday is at least $340 per day
- [Monday, November 7, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-november-7-2022-providers/) - The Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) wrote a letter urging congressional leaders to prioritize widespread pediatric behavioral health care needs, workforce shortages, and continued insurance coverage for children. The letter outlined five recommendations: enhance Medicaid reimbursement for pediatric mental health, pass the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, establish workforce grants specific to children’s mental health
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Mental Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-mental-health/) - The National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation will host a webinar on Monday discussing the unmet health needs of incarcerated people. Tune-in as leading health experts – including Vikki Wachino, Executive Director of the Health and Reentry Project, Principal of Viaduct Consulting LLC, Former Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-health-it/) - The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report examining ways the federal government can bolster security standards to thwart cybersecurity threats in the health care sector. The report recommends that the federal government improve the country’s cybersecurity risk posture in the health care sector, help the private sector mitigate cyber threats, and assist health care providers
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-life-sciences/) - Pfizer Inc. said that a new study shows its updated COVID-19 booster, developed with BioNTech SE, increased antibodies for adults 55 and over compared with an extra dose of the original vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the new data should help motivate Americans to get the omicron-targeting updated shots. (Article here)
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders-2/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidelines that give clinicians more flexibility in the way they prescribe opioids for short- and long-term pain. The new recommendations avoid strict figures on dosage and length of opioid prescriptions, outline how and when to prescribe opioids, and describe harms and benefits. The agency emphasized
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that Teva Pharmaceuticals will pay the state up to $523 million to settle claims related to its role in fueling the state's opioid crisis. The funds are part of Teva’s $4 billion-plus global settlement, which also commits Teva to prohibit marketing opioids and funding third parties that promote
- [Friday, November 4, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-november-4-2022-public-health-prevention/) - New CDC data indicate that alcohol-induced deaths surged about 26 percent in the first year of the pandemic, after annual increases of about 7 percent. From 2019 to 2020, deaths from alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis increased 50 percent, deaths from mental and behavioral disorders tied to alcohol use rose 33 percent, and deaths from alcoholic liver
- [Thursday, November 3, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-3-2022-access-coverage/) - Several influential Republicans have signaled a new willingness to reduce federal spending on Social Security and Medicare. They say that changes are needed to narrow government spending on the programs, which are set to consume a growing share of the federal budget in the decades ahead. Their ideas include cutting benefits for some retirees, raising
- [Thursday, November 3, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-3-2022-ma/) - UnityPoint Health and Carle Health announced they have entered into an agreement for Carle Health to become the parent organization of UnityPoint Health’s central Illinois region. The deal includes 634 collective beds of Methodist Hospital, Proctor Hospital, and Pekin Hospital as well as their 76 affiliated clinics, home health services, and Methodist College. The integrated
- [Thursday, November 3, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-3-2022-payers/) - The Senate Finance Committee released a report urging the Biden administration to crack down on deceptive Medicare Advantage (MA) marketing. The committee began collecting information on MA marketing complaints from 14 states in August. Their investigation revealed that plans made inaccurate claims about provider networks and sent mailers made to look like federal documents. The
- [Thursday, November 3, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-november-3-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) renewed the national public health emergency (PHE) for the monkeypox outbreak. Although cases continue to drop, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the “continued consequences of an outbreak of monkeypox cases across multiple states” as well as a “consultation with public health officials” led the department to
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released an updated issue brief reviewing the underlying factors contributing to maternal and infant health racial disparities. According to the brief, maternal death rates increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and racial disparities widened for Black women. The brief highlights that these disparities exist even when controlling for certain underlying social
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart have tentatively agreed to pay at least $12 billion to settle a number of lawsuits brought by states and local governments alleging the retailers mishandled prescriptions of opioid painkillers. The deal calls for CVS to pay $5 billion, Walgreens to pay at least $4 billion, and Walmart to pay $3 billion.
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-payers-2/) - Two Axios articles examine how escalating health care costs could crush individuals and employers in the next year, and instigate Congress to finally take action to address underlying costs that make care increasingly unaffordable for everyday Americans. A recent McKinsey analysis predicts that that rising labor and supply costs could cause a $370 billion increase
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its Outpatient Hospital and Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule, introducing additional measures to improve access to behavioral health services. Under the final rule, clinical staff of hospital outpatient departments will be allowed to provide behavioral health services remotely to patients in their homes. The policy
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-providers/) - A new report found that 230,609 health care providers left the workforce in 2021 due to retirement, burnout, and pandemic-related stressors. Physicians experienced the largest loss, with 117,000 professionals leaving the workforce. Over 53,000 nurse practitioners left, followed by 22,704 physician assistants, 22,032 physical therapists, and 15,500 licensed clinical social workers. Among physician specialties, the
- [Wednesday, November 2, 2022: Transition to Value](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-november-2-2022-transition-to-value/) - CMS released its 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, finalizing steps to overhaul the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to boost enrollment and address health equity gaps. CMS will offer advance shared savings payments to low-revenue ACOs and allow longer periods of time for ACOs to become accustomed to accountable care before being liable
- [Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-1-2022-access-coverage/) - Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace on HealthCare.gov begins today. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 4 out of 5 of Americans who sign up will be able to find plans for $10 per month or less after accounting for the subsidies. The enhanced subsidies were set
- [Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Life Sciences](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-1-2022-life-sciences/) - Pfizer today announced promising topline results of a late-stage clinical trial for an experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. The vaccine would offer protection to infants from birth by vaccinating women while they're still pregnant. The vaccine showed 82 percent efficacy against severe illness through the first 90 days of life and 69 percent through
- [Tuesday, November 1, 2022: M&A](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-1-2022-ma/) - Johnson & Johnson (J&J) agreed to buy heart pump maker Abiomed Inc. for $16.6 billion in an all-cash deal, building out its cardiovascular portfolio. The deal comes as J&J is spinning off its consumer health business to focus on its pharmaceuticals and medical devices operations and pursing a more aggressive M&A stance under new CEO
- [Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/tuesday-november-1-2022-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2023 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update final rule, revealing that home health providers will avoid significant Medicare pay cuts next year. The agency estimates that Medicare payments to home health providers next year will increase in the aggregate
- [Monday, October 31, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-october-31-2022-payers/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new rule that creates Special Enrollment Periods for people to enroll in Medicare. The rule aims to reduce disparities in care and promote health equity by eliminating barriers to enrollment. It specifically allows certain eligible beneficiaries to receive Medicare Part B coverage without a late
- [Monday, October 31, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-october-31-2022-providers/) - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an updated report on its previous 12 hospital compliance audits. The OIG identified 387 improperly paid Medicare claims totaling $82 million in overpayments, 333 of which were related to inpatient services and 54 were related outpatient claims. OIG recommended to CMS
- [Monday, October 31, 2022: Public Health/Prevention](https://thirdhorizon.com/monday-october-31-2022-public-health-prevention/) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that U.S. hospitalizations due to the influenza virus so far this fall are higher than they have been in over a decade, signaling an early start for the flu season. The CDC estimated that there have already been 880,000 influenza illnesses, 6,900 hospitalizations, and 360 deaths,
- [Friday, October 28, 2022: Health IT](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-october-28-2022-health-it/) - A study published in JAMA Network Open found that COVID-19-era emergency department (ED) patients who had follow-up appointments via telehealth more often returned to the ED or were hospitalized than those who followed up with doctors in person. Compared to patients with in-person follow-ups, those with telehealth follow-ups had 28.3 more repeat ED visits and
- [Friday, October 28, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-october-28-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that people of color with a COVID-19 diagnosis were much less likely to receive Paxlovid and other treatments than white patients. Between April to July 2022, Paxlovid treatment was 36 percent lower among Black patients and 30 percent lower among Hispanic patients relative
- [Friday, October 28, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-october-28-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - McKinsey & Co agreed to settle claims by hundreds of U.S. local governments and school districts over its role advising opioid manufacturers in their sales of the painkillers which helped fuel the opioid epidemic. The terms of the deal not made public. McKinsey previously agreed to pay more than $600 million to settle opioid claims
- [Friday, October 28, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-october-28-2022-payers-2/) - The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is urging more transparency from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and states on the unwinding of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and Medicaid redeterminations. The panel specifically asked CMS to release state-issued reports on the unwinding of the PHE, noting that the
- [Friday, October 28, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/friday-october-28-2022-payers/) - Humana announced it is partnering with Monogram Health to offer value-based kidney care in four states. Eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) HMO and PPO members in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi can access Monogram's specialized offerings, including in-home primary and specialty care, medication management, dialysis and transplant coordination, palliative care, and social services. As of June,
- [Thursday, October 27, 2022: Access & Coverage](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-october-27-2022-access-coverage/) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the agency approved Georgia’s and Pennsylvania’s state plans to expand access to 12 months of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage after pregnancy. Up to an additional 57,000 people in Georgia and Pennsylvania will now be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. In total,
- [Thursday, October 27, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-october-27-2022-payers-2/) - Kaiser Family Foundation’s Annual Employer Benefits Survey found that employer-sponsored health insurance premiums stayed relatively stable in 2022, with the average cost of family coverage totaling $22,463. On average, workers on paid $6,106 toward the cost of their coverage and had an average deductible of $1,763 for single coverage. Additionally, 27 percent of large employers
- [Thursday, October 27, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-october-27-2022-payers/) - CMS informed insurers that the agency must approve all television ads for Medicare Advantage (MA) effective next year. The announcement comes amid complaints about misleading and inaccurate practices and a Senate Finance Committee investigation about how MA plans contact customers. CMS will also increase “secret shopper” marketing efforts where agency officials pose as customers to ensure
- [Thursday, October 27, 2022: Providers](https://thirdhorizon.com/thursday-october-27-2022-providers/) - Walmart Health announced it will open 16 additional health centers in Florida over the next year. The locations are focused in the Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa markets and are set to open by the fall of 2023. The health clinics are located next to Walmart's retail stores and provide a range of services including primary
- [Get to Know...Jessica Casebolt](https://thirdhorizon.com/get-to-know-jessica-casebolt/) - Jessica Casebolt is Third Horizon Strategies’ first employee. She has a dual operations/analyst role – supporting numerous finance, communications, project management, and research functions.
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Inequities and SDOH](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-inequities-and-sdoh/) - A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that enrollment in HealthCare.gov surged for racial groups between 2020 and 2022. Enrollment for Latinos and Blacks increased the most at 53 percent and 49 percent, respectively, followed by American Indians and Alaska Natives at 32 percent. White enrollment increased 11
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Opioid/Substance Use Disorders](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-opioid-substance-use-disorders/) - An article in Stat explores how terminology used in the field of addiction medicine is out of sync with that of other specialties and impacts the way health professionals view their patients and provide care. Experts point out that using terms such as “alcoholic” or addict” reduces people’s identity to the name of their medical
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-payers-4/) - According to Kaiser Family Foundation’s 22nd annual survey of state Medicaid directors, states expect growth in Medicaid enrollment to slow to 8.4 percent in FY 2022 before declining by 0.4 percent in FY 2023. Simultaneously, total Medicaid spending growth – federal and state spending combined – will peak at 12.5 percent in FY 2022, before
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-payers-3/) - An article in the Wall Street Journal examines how a “methodological quirk” is turning health insurance from a driver of inflation into a deflationary drag. The Department of Labor bases the price of health insurance in large part on health-insurer profits, which are reported with a lag of about 10 months. Thus, this year’s updated
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-payers-2/) - Centene announced it has selected Express Scripts as its new pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), ending its current partnership with CVS Health’s Caremark. Express Scripts will manage pharmacy benefits for 20 million Centene members beginning in 2024 in a contract valued at more than $35 billion. Centene opened a bidding process for PBM services as part
- [Wednesday, October 26, 2022: Payers](https://thirdhorizon.com/wednesday-october-26-2022-payers/) - The House Oversight and Reform Committee released a report indicating that some of the nation’s largest insurers and PBMs violate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by imposing restrictions on birth control products. The investigation found that most companies excluded 34 different contraceptive products and that insurers and PBMs excluded or imposed cost-sharing requirements on about

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- [Home](https://thirdhorizon.com/) - We are a Chicago-based, boutique advisory firm focused on shaping a future system that actualizes a sustainable culture of health nationwide.
- [Tym Rourke](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/tym-rourke/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/TymRourke-1.jpg” title_text=”TymRourke” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Tym Rourke [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Managing Director for Advisory Services [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px”
- [Topher Rasmussen](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/topher-rasmussen/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/TopherRasmussen.jpeg” title_text=”TopherRasmussen” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Topher Rasmussen [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Communications Manager [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left”
- [Tanner Johnson](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/tanner-johnson/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/TannerJohnson-1.png” title_text=”TannerJohnson” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Tanner Johnson [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager of Data Client Services [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″
- [Mindy Klowden](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/mindy-klowden/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/MindyKlowden-1.jpeg” title_text=”MindyKlowden” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Mindy Klowden [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Managing Director[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow module_class=”bio-socials” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default”
- [Maureen Tresnak](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/maureen-tresnak/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/MaureenTresnak.jpeg” title_text=”MaureenTresnak” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Maureen Tresnak [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Executive in Residence [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px”
- [Jessica Casebolt](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/jessica-casebolt/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/JessicaCasebolt.jpeg” title_text=”JessicaCasebolt” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Jessica Casebolt [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow module_class=”bio-socials” _builder_version=”4.16″
- [Lindsay Reeves](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/lindsay-reeves/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/LindsayReeves.png” title_text=”LindsayReeves” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Lindsay Reeves
- [David Smith](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/david-smith/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/DavidSmith.jpeg” title_text=”DavidSmith” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] David Smith [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] CEO And Founder [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow
- [Elveena Fareedi](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/elveena-fareedi/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/ElveenaFareedi.png” title_text=”ElveenaFareedi” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Elveena Fareedi [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager, Behavioral Health Research and Projects [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px”
- [Erica Bauer](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/erica-bauer/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/EricaBauer.png” title_text=”EricaBauer” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Erica Bauer [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Director [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow module_class=”bio-socials” _builder_version=”4.27.0″
- [Greg Williams](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/greg-williams/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/GregWilliams.jpeg” title_text=”GregWilliams” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Greg Williams [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] President [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow
- [Jenna Slusarz](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/jenna-slusarz/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/JennaSluarz.png” title_text=”JennaSluarz” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Jenna Slusarz [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow
- [Courtney Shammas](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/courtney-shammas/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/CourtneySammas.png” title_text=”CourtneySammas” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Courtney Shammas [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] DevOps Engineer [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left”
- [Christopher Hart](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/christopher-hart/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/ChrisHart.jpeg” title_text=”ChrisHart” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Christopher Hart [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Chief Data and Analytics Officer [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px”
- [Chris Kalvig](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/chris-kalvig/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/ChrisKalvig.png” title_text=”ChrisKalvig” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Chris Kalvig [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager, Market and Risk Analytics [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″
- [Cheryl Matochik](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/cheryl-matochik/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/CherylMatochik.jpeg” title_text=”CherylMatochik” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Cheryl Matochik [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Chief Growth Officer [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px”
- [Caleb Allen](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/caleb-allen/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/CalebAllen.png” title_text=”CalebAllen” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.17.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Caleb Allen [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Manager [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow
- [Bobby Schenck](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/bobby-schenck/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/BobbySchenck.png” title_text=”BobbySchenck” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Bobby Schenck [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Managing Director for Actuarial Services [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″
- [Bo Nemelka](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/bo-nemelka/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/BoNemelka.png” title_text=”BoNemelka” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Bo Nemelka [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Managing Director [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow module_class=”bio-socials”
- [Ashley DeGarmo](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/ashley-degarmo/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/AshleyDeGarmo.png” title_text=”AshleyDeGarmo” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Ashley DeGarmo [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Chief Client Officer[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_social_media_follow module_class=”bio-socials” _builder_version=”4.16″
- [Andy Wilson](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/andy-wilson/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/AndyWilson.png” title_text=”AndyWilson” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Andy Wilson [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Managing Director for Analytics [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default”
- [Alex Hryhorczuk](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/alex-hryhorczuk/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/AlexHryhorczuk.jpeg” title_text=”AlexHryhorczuk” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Alex Hryhorczuk [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Senior Director of Data Services and Analytics [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″
- [Aisha Waheed](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/aisha-waheed/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/AishaWaheed.png” title_text=”AishaWaheed” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Back to Team[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Aisha Waheed [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″
- [Meet the Team](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”team-profiles” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Meet the Team [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Aisha Waheed” position=”Vice President of Finance and Operations” image_url=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/AishaWaheed.png” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” link_option_url=”/meet-the-team/aisha-waheed/” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_team_member][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member
- [Jennifer Grady](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/jennifer-grady/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/J-Grady-headshot.png” title_text=”J Grady headshot” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Jennifer Grady [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Director, CCBHC Technical Assistance and Training [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider
- [Careers](https://thirdhorizon.com/careers/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Careers [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Third Horizon Third Horizon is a boutique advisory firm focused on shaping a future system that actualizes a sustainable culture of health nationwide. The firm offers a
- [Zinan Liu](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/zinan-liu/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Zenin-Headshot-v1.png” title_text=”Zenin Headshot v1″ force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] Zinan Liu
- [Sara Moscato Howe](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/sara-moscato-howe/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Sara-Howe_website.png” title_text=”Sara Howe_website” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Sara Moscato Howe [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Senior Advisor [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px”
- [Meghan Phillipp](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/meghan-phillipp/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/MeghanPhillipp-1.png” title_text=”MeghanPhillipp” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Meghan Phillipp [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Senior Advisor [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default”
- [Jordana Choucair](https://thirdhorizon.com/meet-the-team/jordana-choucair/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Jordana-Choucair.jpeg” title_text=”Jordana Choucair” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Meet the Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Jordana Choucair [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Chief Operating Officer [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px”
- [Advisors](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_class=”team-profiles” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Advisors [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Douglas M. Leech” position=”Founder & CEO, Ascension Recovery Services” image_url=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/DouglasMLeech2.jpg” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” link_option_url=”/advisors/douglas-m-leech/” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_team_member][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_team_member name=”Eric
- [Payment Design and Analytics](https://thirdhorizon.com/payment-design/) - Payment Design
- [Community Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/community-health/) - Community Health
- [Behavioral Health](https://thirdhorizon.com/behavioral-health/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Behavioral Health [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#224057″ text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}”] Enhancing behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery systems of care to improve access and quality [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Behavioral-Health.jpg”
- [Solutions Summit Program](https://thirdhorizon.com/solutions-summit-program/) - Solutions Summit Program
- [Tea Leaves](https://thirdhorizon.com/tea-leaves/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Tea Leaves [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] A daily rundown of the most important health industry activity. Tea leaves subscribers receive a concise
- [Topher Rasmussen](https://thirdhorizon.com/topher-rasmussen/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Topher-Rasmussen.png” title_text=”Topher Rasmussen” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] Back to Team [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] Topher Rasmussen [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default”
- [Contact](https://thirdhorizon.com/contact/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ffffff” custom_padding=”||40px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] Interested in learning more? [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”subheading” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″] For general inquiries, please complete the form below and we will get in touch with you
- [Tom Donlon](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/tom-donlon/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Tom-Donlon_resume.jpg” title_text=”Tom Donlon_resume” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Tom Donlon [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Founder and Managing Partner, Legacy 3 Consulting; Strategy
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- [Impact](https://thirdhorizon.com/impact/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Impact [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#224057″ text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}”] Pursuing transformation that reflects our commitment to our clients and communities through our daily work and interactions [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/THSretreat2.jpg”
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- [Newsroom](https://thirdhorizon.com/newsroom/) - Get the latest health industry news from Third Horizon Strategies.
- [François de Brantes](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/francois-de-brantes/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/FrancoisdeBrantes2.jpg” title_text=”FrancoisdeBrantes2″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] François de Brantes [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Senior Partner, High Value Care Incentives Advisory Group
- [Douglas M. Leech](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/douglas-m-leech/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/DouglasMLeech2.jpg” title_text=”DouglasMLeech2″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Douglas M. Leech [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Founder & CEO, Ascension Recovery Services [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″
- [Eric Langshur](https://thirdhorizon.com/advisors/eric-langshur/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/EricLangshur-1.jpg” title_text=”EricLangshur” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”RGBA(111,112,114,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”profile-image”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Back to Advisors [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text module_class=”text-header” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] Eric Langshur [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|700||on|||||” text_text_color=”#224057″ global_colors_info=”{}”] Co-founder and Managing Partner, Abundant Venture Partners [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″
- [Strategic Planning](https://thirdhorizon.com/strategic-planning/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Strategic Planning [/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#F8C662″ divider_weight=”5px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”110px” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#224057″ text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}”] Creating comprehensive strategic action plans that help organizations achieve goals and maximize potential [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://thirdhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/Strategic-planning.jpg” title_text=”Strategic planning”
- [Digital Strategy](https://thirdhorizon.com/digital-strategy/) - Digital, Data & Tech | Developing digital and technology-enabled strategies and solutions that drive growth in an ever-changing environment
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## Tags

- [ACA](https://thirdhorizon.com/tag/aca/)
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