Pregnancy-related complications increased 9% between 2018 and 2020 among all women, but the rate of change is even more significant among women of color. The disparities exist regardless of having commercial insurance or Medicaid.

Aledade said that its value-based care network has helped save the U.S. healthcare system save more than $1.2 billion over the past eight years. A primary care physician at an accountable care organization that works with Aledade testified that being a part of the network has yielded significant shared savings that have led to better care outcomes, such as lower re-hospitalization rates.

A professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School shared research with the committee concluding that COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes were largely a function of where in the country a nursing home was located versus other specifics about the facility. 

Through this health plan — expected to become available October 1 — members will have access to Frontier’s primary care services, as well as hospital visits, prescription drugs and other needs. Flume will handle the administrative hassles of designing the plan.

Lyfegen, a startup that provides software for value-based drug contracting, recently raised $8 million in an oversubscribed Series A financing round. With the new funds, the company — which is based in Switzerland and New York — plans to expand its presence in the U.S., where drug costs are the highest in the world.

An Ionis Pharmaceuticals heart disease drug beat a placebo in a mid-stage clinical trial, but partner AstraZeneca has decided it won’t advance the genetic medicine to a larger Phase 3 test. The results were apparently not enough to set the Ionis therapy apart from commercialized cholesterol-lowering drugs that address the same protein target.

Children’s Mercy is claiming to build “the most advanced genomic sequencing system in the world” through its novel use of 5-base sequencing. Since launching three years ago, the system has already provided 1,000 children with rare disease diagnoses based on its genome sequencing.

Rivus Pharmaceuticals’ Series B round will finance ongoing clinical development of its lead drug, a pill that targets mitochondria to increase caloric expenditure. CEO Allen Cunningham said the new cash comes on the heels of results from a mid-stage obesity study treatment with the Rivus drug led to fat loss while also preserving skeletal muscle.

AccessHope’s new collaboration with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is the fifth of its kind for the cancer benefits company. AccessHope will be able to offer its employer members access to Fred Hutch’s cancer expertise through the partnership.

Cheryl Larson, president and CEO of Midwest Business Group on Health, said employers are worried that the consolidation of healthcare companies will lead to higher costs for employers and patients. She made her comments following McKesson’s announcement that it has agreed to acquire Rx Savings Solutions, but declined to speak specifically about the deal.

Mount Sinai researchers published a study that could improve neuroscientists’ understanding of the progression of Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline. It proved that white matter may be a more important region to look at than was previously thought.

Parth Desai, a principal with Flare Capital Partners, is one of three investor judges taking part in the Pitch Perfect competition at the INVEST Digital Health conference in Dallas September 28. He shares his perspective on the firm’s investment strategy, collaborating with startups, and more. Register today!

Combining the two companies may give UnitedHealth unfair access to its competitors data that is operated by Change Healthcare, the DOJ warned it its complaint, but a DC judge has blocked the complaint.

A Biogen drug designed for a genetically defined form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis led to patient improvement at a 12- month analysis, according to data now published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Biogen had already filed an application seeking FDA approval of the ALS drug, tofersen; a regulatory decision is expected by January.

CEO and Co-founder Daniel Oliver share how he and his co-founders started the company and their vision for treating age-related conditions.

Providence is investing $712 million into new facilities in Orange County, California. The health system is adding a new medical center in both San Clemente and Rancho Mission Viejo , as well as a new patient tower for Providence Mission Hospital.

Behavioral health, primary care and outpatient visits accounted for more than 97% of telehealth claims received by Blue Cross NC over the last two years, according to newly released data from the payer. In response, Blue Cross NC will begin covering telehealth for these services. But it will not cover telehealth for areas that were found less effective when provided virtually, such as laboratory testing and radiology.

These are the three changes health-tech needs to make to recreate Amazon, Uber or Venmo-like experiences in healthcare that will most accurately help to digitally replicate the humanized interactions that patients want:

AHA’s report comes after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which would establish several requirements for the prior authorization process under MA plans. But AHA believes additional action is needed by the government.

A Fennec Pharmaceuticals drug that prevents hearing loss in children receiving cancer treatment is now approved. The regulatory decision comes more than two years later than expected, but the company now claims its drug, Pedmark, is the first and only FDA-approved therapy for reducing the risk of chemotherapy-induced hearing loss in pediatric cancer patients.