When it comes to healthcare financial and payment matters, value-based care, and policy here is what is being reported and talked about. For more on Healthcare CFOs read our previous reports and to keep your finger on the business news pulse, check out our latest Health IT Business News.
In the News
Electronics giant Best Buy sees future in health care
The nation’s largest consumer electronics chain, known for selling TV sets, cellphones and laptops, is looking to health care as a big source of its future growth.
Amazon launches Amazon Care, a virtual medical clinic for employees
Amazon has launched a virtual health clinic with in-home follow-ups for employees in Seattle, dubbed Amazon Care.
23andMe, moving beyond consumer DNA tests, is building a clinical trial recruitment business
Consumer genetics giant 23andMe announced that it would move deeper into the business of clinical trial recruitment, partnering with a fast-growing startup to help match its customers with nearby study sites based on their diseases, demographics, and DNA.
UM plans $920 million hospital for patients needing the most complicated care
The University of Michigan — home to three hospitals, 125 clinics and home care operations serving more than 2.3 million people annually — will open an innovative $920 million medical center for patients needing the most complicated care.
VA to Pilot New Scheduling System at Same Ohio Facility that Tested the Last Solution
While the Veterans Affairs Department’s transition to a new electronic health records platform consumes much of the conversation around IT modernization efforts, the agency also has been working on its problematic scheduling system, the issue that turned VA’s IT into national news five years ago.
To Listen
Healthcare de Jure: Host Matt Fisher speaks with Dr. Sarika Aggarwal, Beth Israel, about development of value based care initiatives, unique perspective having been and remaining limited practicing physician, importance of developing appropriate support for implementing value.
Finance
AI-Powered Digital Health Company Eko Closes $20 Million Series B to Continue the Fight Against Heart Disease
Eko (@Eko_Health), a Silicon Valley-based digital health company building machine learning tools to fight heart disease, announced it has secured $20 million in Series B funding. Led by ARTIS Ventures, the funding will drive further research and development and commercialization of Eko’s machine learning platform for cardiac screening and analysis. Additional new and returning investors in the round include DigiTx Partners, NTT Venture Capital (NTTVC), 3M Ventures, Mayo Clinic, Seraph Group, and XTX Ventures.
Nview Health Raises $4.65 Million In Seed Funding From BIP Capital
Nview Health (@NviewHealth), a behavioral health solutions company, announced that it is receiving an investment of $4.65 million from venture investment firm BIP Capital. Nview Health delivers online behavioral health solutions that help healthcare professionals and research organizations more accurately screen for and monitor mental disorders in children and adults.
Robin Healthcare Raises $15 Million
Robin Healthcare, a health technology company that provides a digital assistant service elegantly leveraging human and artificial intelligence (AI) to free physicians from paperwork, announced the close of $11.5 million in Series A funding led by Norwest Venture Partners. The latest round brings Robin’s total funding to $15 million. In addition, Robin announced the launch of partnerships with several leading academic and private medical practices across the United States, and named Tom Gruber, co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Siri, as a formal advisor.
Kaia Health Announces $8 Million in Funding Led by Optum Ventures
Kaia Health (@KaiaHealth), a digital therapeutics company, announced an $8 million funding round, the second significant investment this year. The infusion of capital is led by Optum Ventures.
Policy
Omnibus Burden Reduction Final Rule CMS-3346-F
On September 26, 2019, CMS released final rule. The Omnibus Burden Reduction (Conditions of Participation) Final Rule removes Medicare regulations identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome on hospitals and other healthcare providers to reduce inefficiencies and moves the nation closer to a healthcare system that delivers value, high quality care and better outcomes for patients at the lowest possible cost.
Texas Health Care Fraud and Opioid Takedown Results in Charges Against 58 Individuals
The Justice Department announced a coordinated health care fraud enforcement operation across the state of Texas, involving charges against a total of 58 individuals across all four federal districts in Texas for their alleged involvement in Medicare fraud schemes and networks of “pill mill” clinics resulting in $66 million in losses and 6.2 million pills. Of those charged, 16 were doctors or medical professionals, and 20 were charged for their role in diverting opioids.
Patient Financial Matters
Simplee and Cerner to Give Consumers Transparent, Convenient and Personalized Health Care Billing Experience
Simplee (@SimpleePAY) and Cerner Corporation (@cerner) announced a new relationship aimed at price transparency, convenient billing and personalized payments options for consumers. Health care organizations will soon be able to use this technology to support a billing and payment process that makes it simpler for patients to understand and pay medical bills.