France’s president sought to turn the tables on the Biden administration following its call for vaccine patent waivers, accusing “Anglo-Saxon” countries of hindering global supplies of life-saving jabs. Emmanuel Macron said the debate over intellectual property sparked by the US was a sideshow compared to existing barriers to the export of vaccines and ingredients, and…
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CMS is sending warning letters to hospitals breaking new federal rules requiring them to make public the prices they negotiate with insurers, a CMS spokesperson confirmed. The regulation took effect on Jan. 1 and forces hospitals to publish a machine-readable file online containing their payer-negotiated rates. It also requires them to make available a consumer-friendly…
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European leaders voiced increasing skepticism Friday that a U.S. proposal to lift patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines would solve the problem of getting shots into the arms of people in poorer countries, with some instead calling for more exports of the doses already being produced. While activists and humanitarian groups have cheered the Biden administration’s…
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Strong performance in Cigna Corp.’s Evernorth health services division, investment portfolio and low member medical costs at the end of last year increased the company’s revenue 6.5% year-over-year during the first quarter of 2021. The Bloomfield, Conn.-based insurer generated $40.9 billion in revenue during the first quarter, up from $38.4 billion during the same time…
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Citigroup has become the latest banking giant to look into crypto, with its global head of foreign exchange reporting a surge in interest among its clients. Itay Tuchman told us Citi had not yet decided whether it would offer its customers cryptocurrency-related services, but trading, custody and financing were all under consideration. Since August last…
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Shares of Square are up more than 6% today after the American fintech company reported a staggering $5.06 billion in revenue in its Q1 2021 earnings report, far ahead of an expected tally of $3.36 billion. By posting the huge revenue beat, Square grew 266% compared to its year-ago Q1. Because that’s the sort of…
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Dignity Health and its medical group Neurosurgical Associates agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations that it defrauded Medicare. Phoenix-based St. Joseph’s Hospital, which is operated by Dignity’s neurosurgeons, allegedly performed concurrent surgeries even though it billed Medicare for separate procedures. The amended complaint, which a whistleblower filed in an Arizona federal court in…
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Walmart on Thursday announced it plans to acquire MeMD, a multispeciality telehealth provider, in a move that will allow the company to grow its virtual care delivery nationwide. MeMD has provided medical and mental health services to consumers online since 2010. The company will serve as a feature of Walmart Health centers nationwide, in addition…
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The American Hospital Association is asking HHS to extend the deadline by which providers have to spend money they received through the Provider Relief Fund. The funding — intended to help providers weather the financial pressures of the pandemic — must be spent by June 30. Any money unused by that date must be returned…
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