Healthcare had another busy week.
Here’s some of our top analyses to help you make sense of it all.
HHS overhaul has PACE providers on edge
A government reorganization of a program aimed at keeping older adults out of nursing homes is raising concerns that changes could hamper the program's growth.
Some organizations that offer Programs of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly worry changes in how Health and Human Services Department plans to manage PACE could make it more difficult to launch new programs and enroll participants.
Medicare Advantage pay bump has insurers cautiously optimistic
Health insurance investors cheered after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted Medicare Advantage carriers their largest pay increase in a long while.
Wall Street reacted enthusiastically to the 5.1% payment hike for 2026 that CMS finalized Monday, which could signal a more favorable regulatory environment under Republican President Donald Trump than during the four years Democratic President Joe Biden occupied the White House. Health insurance stocks jumped 8.4% when the markets opened Tuesday.
Nursing homes' finances could stabilize without staffing mandate
A court ruling striking down a federal nursing home staffing mandate brought a sigh of relief from nursing home operators even as the industry still faces financial uncertainty.
An end to the mandate could bring stability to nursing home budgets and valuations. However, some nursing homes still face challenges, such as tougher state staffing minimums, as well as the threat of potential Medicaid rate cuts.
Quote of the week
"We are in the early stages of value-based kidney care. This sector is only five or six years old. There's been a ton of money invested. You've had a bunch of new startups created and we're still in the early stages. That being said, we've all got commercial contracts and we’re all trying to manage the total cost of care. And I think we are starting to see some separation in the pack. The flash is over, and now it's about who can perform."
— Interwell Health CEO Robert Sepucha on the kidney care market
