A cryptic email sent to Mass General Brigham employees by the health system's CEO is stirring staff anxiety less than two weeks after a round of layoffs.
“The economics of the U.S. health care system are broken,” writes Paul Markovich, president and CEO of Ascendiun.
This is a MedPage Today story. Cleveland Clinic officials fired back at a conservative organization's "Woke Alert" attack ad that asked if the large health system was "the wokest hospital in America," saying the ad's claims are "riddled with inaccuracies and lies." The ad, by Consumers' Research, says clinic officials "prioritize care based on skin color, perform child sex changes, push transgender propaganda on vulnerable kids, insert DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] into everything they do, and spend millions on climate activism." The organization also seized on a sentence in a 2023 statement from clinic CEO Tom Mihaljevic, MD, in which he said "providing high-quality healthcare is only part of our mission." Consumers' Research said Mihaljevic's statement is evidence "the Cleveland Clinic is prioritizing woke policies over patients." The 30-second ad, titled "Exposed," is reportedly running on mobile billboards at the Ohio state capitol building, the Cleveland Clinic's...
This is a MedPage Today story. Luigi Mangione, the person charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly had spinal surgery for chronic back pain caused by spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slips forward out of place onto the vertebra below, explained Jessica Stark, MD, spine surgeon at UTHealth Houston. This slippage, a sequela of arthritis, happens most often in the lumbar spine and can put pressure on the nerves around the spine. "Really arthritic backs can have varying degrees of spondylolisthesis throughout the spine, just because the joints have become overgrown and slipped at different spots," Stark told MedPage Today. Pain levels depend on the degree of slip and how the spondylolisthesis came to be. When patients come in with the condition, Stark begins by assessing the grade of severity and how much the condition is affecting the patient's life. Many report having back and leg pain or numbness. "I always tell patients...
This is a MedPage Today story. A western New York health insurance provider for seniors and the CEO of its medical analytics arm have agreed to pay a total of up to $100 million to settle Justice Department allegations of fraudulent billing for health conditions that were exaggerated or didn't exist. Independent Health Association of Buffalo, which operates two Medicare Advantage plans, will pay up to $98 million. Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical records review company DxID, will pay $2 million, according to the settlement agreement. Neither admitted wrongdoing. "Today's result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will take appropriate action against those who knowingly submit inflated claims for reimbursement," Michael Granston, a Department of Justice (DOJ) deputy assistant attorney general, said in announcing the settlement on December 20. Frank Sava, a spokesperson for Independent Health, said in a statement: "The assertions by the DOJ...
