Medical supplier ditches Illinois insurer following rate cut

Nearly a year ago, the private insurer in the state's overhauled Medicaid managed-care program slashed reimbursement rates to medical suppliers. Now a large provider is terminating its contract.
Ascension's TriMedx to buy Aramark's healthcare tech business for $300M

The deal will allow TriMedx to expand its healthcare clientele and Aramark to focus on its core food, facilities and uniforms businesses, executives said.
University Hospitals is hitting mark with proton therapy

While some proton therapy centers across the country have reportedly struggled to stay profitable, officials at University Hospitals in Cleveland say they've found the "sweet spot" two years after the health system opened its own $30 million center.
Blue Cross of Illinois to pay Medicaid suppliers less

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois plans to cut Medicaid reimbursement rates by 35% for medical suppliers—apparently in an effort to win back business after new enrollees were blocked from the state's revamped Medicaid managed-care program.
UnitedHealth Group and Quest Diagnostics form partnership

UnitedHealth Group will add diagnostic testing come Jan. 1, 2019 to its growing suite of services through a new partnership with Quest Diagnostics.
GAO calls on CMS to continue prior authorization experiments

The Government Accountability Office urged the CMS to continue several experiments that require providers and medical equipment suppliers to prove they are meeting certain standards before being paid, as that could save the agency billions.
Providers expect Amazon to lower medical supply prices

Sixty-two percent of health system executives support Amazon's growing presence in the medical supply sector and nearly the same amount said the company could successfully deliver supplies faster and at a lower price, according to a new survey.
Hill-Rom names new CEO

Chicago-based hospital bed and medical device supplier Hill-Rom Holdings appointed John Groetelaars president and CEO, effective May 14.
Detecting heart disease with a look—and some AI

Google researchers announced that their new artificial intelligence algorithm can predict heart disease by scanning the patient's eye.
Injured sea turtle is thriving again with help from 3-D printing, CT scans

With a bit of help from CT scans at a UC San Diego Health hospital and 3-D printing, an injured sea turtle is thriving again.
First blood test to help diagnose brain injuries gets U.S. OK

The test doesn't detect concussions and the approval won't immediately change how patients with suspected concussions are treated. But it allows Banyan Biomarkers to commercialize its test, giving the company an early lead in the race to find a way to diagnose concussions.
Hill-Rom Holdings CEO to retire

Hospital bed supplier Hill-Rom Holdings said today that CEO John J. Greisch will retire. The Chicago-based company has begun a search for a new CEO and expects to complete it in the April-to-June quarter.