{"id":8484,"date":"2022-10-20T12:12:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T12:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/?p=8484"},"modified":"2022-10-20T12:12:55","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T12:12:55","slug":"distilinfo-newslettter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/2022\/10\/20\/distilinfo-newslettter\/","title":{"rendered":"Top News by DistilINFO on Cigna | Top 10 Healthplan News Of The Week | News Hospital IT 20 OCT | Top 5 IT News Of The week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Welcome to DistilINFO News of The Week!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here you will find the latest news and updates from DistillINFO, our news and information platform for the Payer, Provider, IT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let&#8217;s get started!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Healthplan &#8211; Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments | Top 10 Healthplan News Of The Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments | Top 10 Healthplan News Of The Week\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PM3AGW1yCvY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments-&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>From international growth to rebranding, here are 10 stories about the Bloomfield, Conn.- based insurer <em>Becker\u2019s<\/em> has reported since Sept. 7.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/healthplan\/cigna-in-the-headlines-10-developments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cigna<\/a> CEO David Cordani said the company sees \u201ctremendous opportunities for growth around benefits\u201d in the Middle East, <em>Bloomberg<\/em> reported Oct. 5.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. <\/strong>The payer added access to mobile platform DocGo for customers in New York and New Jersey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. <\/strong>Cigna launched a new concierge service, Pathwell, combining elements from Evernorth, its health services arm, to treat complex conditions, it said Sept. 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li><strong>Blue Shield of California Files Lawsuit Seeking Public Records in Medi-Cal Dispute<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/healthplan\/blue-shield-of-california-files-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blue Shield<\/a> of California filed a lawsuit alleging that California violated public records laws by not releasing documents related to the state\u2019s Medicaid contract awards, the insurer said Oct. 7.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blue Shield of California lost Medi-Cal contracts in all 13 counties in which it bid. Since the state\u2019s Aug. 25 decision, It has filed an appeal with California\u2019s Health Care Services department, accusing rivals Anthem Blue Cross, Molina and Health Net of failing to disclose penalties against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\"><li><strong>13 Payers Entering, Exiting Markets<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>With the Medicare annual enrollment period quickly approaching, payers nationwide are greatly expanding Medicare Advantage plans and benefits. These are 13 recent payer moves to exit or enter new markets reported by Becker\u2019s since Oct. 1:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bright Health <\/strong>said Oct. 11 it is exiting the individual and family markets in 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The company will also only offer <a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/healthplan\/medicare-advantage\/\">Medicare Advantage plans<\/a> in California and Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Humana<\/strong> said Oct. 11 it is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans to four counties in the Baltimore area. The payer is also expanding MA plans to three counties in Rhode Island, expanding Medicare HMO plans to 260 new counties and introducing Medicare LPPO plans in 260 new counties. Dual special needs plans will also be expanded to 184 new counties in South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\"><li><strong>Home Depot Among Objectors of $2.67B BCBS Antitrust Settlement<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/healthplan\/bcbs-antitrust-settlement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Attorneys representing<\/a> Blue Cross Blue Shield members in a $2.67 billion antitrust settlement with the BCBS Association asked a federal appeals court Oct. 5 to speed up the objection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four appeals to the settlement were filed Sept. 7 on behalf of six objectors, including Home Depot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\"><li><strong>How the Biggest Payers\u2019 Medicare Advantage Plans Fared in CMS Star Ratings<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/healthplan\/how-the-biggest-payers-medicare-advantage-plans-fared-in-cms-star-ratings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Humana and UnitedHealthcare<\/a> scored the highest median ratings of the nation\u2019s six largest payers in CMS\u2019 2023 Medicare Advantage star ratings, according to CMS data.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CMS released the ratings Oct. 6. The average star rating among plans, weighted by enrollment, was 4.15 stars, down from 4.37 stars in 2022, according to CMS.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These numbers are from CMS Part C and Part D performance data. Plans without star ratings or that are too new to have ratings were excluded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hospital IT&nbsp;&#8211; News Hospital IT 20 OCT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"News Hospital IT 20 OCT\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mxJH5IBJOA4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>ONC Announces Leap in Health IT Awardees Centered on Health Equity<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>ONC has announced two awards totaling $2 million under the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health Information Technology (LEAP in Health IT) funding opportunity to advance health equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LEAP in <a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/hospitalit\/2022\/10\/10\/health-equity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Health IT<\/a> awardees seek to create methods and tools that improve care delivery, advance research capabilities and promote interoperability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur LEAP in Health IT awards are all about driving change and accelerating progress,\u201d Steve Posnack, deputy national coordinator for health information technology, noted in a public statement. \u201cI have no doubt that our 2022 awardees will continue this tradition and be laser focused on health equity enhancing solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li><strong>Racial Disparities in EHR Family Health Information Present CDS Concern<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of racial and ethnic minority groups had less available family health information (FHI) in the EHR, including cancer FHI, compared to White patients, according to a JAMA Network Open study that raises concern for identification disparities in<a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/hospitalit\/2022\/10\/11\/ehr-family-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> clinical decision support<\/a> (CDS) algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers used EHR data from two healthcare systems to inform the potential impact of a CDS algorithm that aims to identify patients eligible for genetic evaluation for hereditary breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and\/or colorectal cancers based on cancer FHI available in the EHR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spanish-speaking patients had less cancer FHI available in the EHR, and when available, it was less comprehensive compared to cancer FHI of English-speaking patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\"><li><strong>MEDITECH Expands Collaborative Environments for Health IT Development<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>MEDITECH has announced the expansion of Greenfield, an initiative that connects communities of partners and app developers to advance <a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/hospitalit\/2022\/09\/07\/hie-participation-supports-data-exchange-for-64-of-shared-patients\/\">health IT<\/a> development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The vendor now provides two collaborative environments: Greenfield Alliance and Greenfield Workspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenfield Alliance is a new partner engagement initiative for organizations with proven products that complement, optimize, or extend the Expanse EHR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\"><li><strong>Training, Interoperability Key for EHI \u2013 Electronic Health Information Sharing<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent ONC provider-focused workshop, participants noted training, technical capacity, and interoperability as the biggest challenges with electronic health information (EHI) sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 200 people participated in the half-day workshop. Participants explored technical approaches and lessons learned related to sharing EHI consistent with 21st Century Cures Act information blocking regulations and other applicable laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The workshop also explored real-world industry examples of how organizations have implemented EHI-sharing workflows for authorized users, including patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\"><li><strong>Using Risk Stratification in Patient Engagement Strategies<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>As healthcare professionals continue to develop meaningful patient engagement strategies, they should consider using risk stratification to determine how and with which patient providers will engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Risk stratification is \u201cthe process of assigning a health risk status to a patient, and using the patient\u2019s risk status to direct and improve care,\u201d according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/hospitalit\/2022\/10\/13\/ehi-electronic-health-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Academy of Family Physicians<\/a> (AAFP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe goal of [risk stratification] is to help patients achieve the best health and quality of life possible by preventing chronic disease, stabilizing current chronic conditions, and preventing acceleration to higher-risk categories and higher associated costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IT &#8211; Amazon Axes Glow Video-Calling Device for Kids | Top 5 IT News Of The week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Amazon Axes Glow Video-Calling Device for Kids | Top 5 IT News Of The week\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MKbmBJzCPj0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Elon Musk Buying Twitter After All, the \u2018Next Mark Zuckerberg\u2019 and Fare Thee Well, Stadia<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>First he stepped in it when he waded into the Russia-Ukraine war with his version of a peace plan that Connie characterized as not very well-received. And then he finally said he\u2019d buy Twitter after all. Twitter told us that the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfoit.com\/2022\/10\/10\/elon-musk-the-next-mark-zuckerberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Musk<\/a> parties\u201d sent them a letter expressing the billionaire\u2019s intention to go through with the purchase, provided the trial between the two, which was scheduled to start October 17, did not take place. As Taylor and Harri said in their story, however, \u201cgiven Musk\u2019s chaotic nature, it\u2019s possible that another wrench could be thrown into the works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li><strong>How Fintech Startups are Leveraging Cloud Computing to Scale Securely<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Cloud computing in fintech has become an emerging trend that has had a significant impact on the needs of the <a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfoit.com\/2022\/10\/11\/how-fintech-startups-are-leveraging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">financial secto<\/a>r and has given it a tremendous opportunity to grow. The global market size of the fintech sector is expected to reach $124.3 Bn by the end of 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 23.84%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"3\"><li><strong>Uber, Doordash Plunge After Labor Department Proposes&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The Biden Labor Department released a proposal Tuesday that could pave the way for regulators and courts to reclassify gig workers as employees rather than independent contractors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The proposed rule, if adopted, could raise costs for companies like Lyft, Uber, Instacart and<a href=\"https:\/\/distilinfoit.com\/2022\/10\/12\/doordash-plunge-after-labor-department\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> DoorDash<\/a> that rely on contract workers to pick up shifts on their own schedules. Shares of Lyft fell 12% on Tuesday, while Uber dropped 10.4% and DoorDash shed 6%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"4\"><li><strong>How Amazon\u2019s Big Private-Label Business is Growing and Leaving Small Brands to Protect Against Knockoffs<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Peak Design has been making camera bags and accessories for a dozen years, relying on Amazon for the bulk of its sales. Last year, founder and CEO Peter Dering discovered Amazon was selling a bag that looked strikingly similar to Peak\u2019s top-selling product, the Everyday Sling Bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey copied the general shape, they copied the access points, they copied the charcoal color, and they copied the trapezoidal logo badge,\u201d Dering told CNBC. \u201cBut none of the fine details that make it a Peak Design bag were things that they could port over because those things take a lot more effort and cost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"5\"><li><strong>Apple, Goldman Sachs Introduce Interest-bearing Savings Accounts as Rates Rise<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple will soon allow iPhone users to put credit card rewards from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/apple-card\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Apple Card<\/a> and additional funds from separate bank accounts into an interest-bearing savings account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a press release Thursday, Apple said the feature is expected to launch in the \u201ccoming months,\u201d and the FDIC-insured account will be administered by Goldman Sachs, the bank and lender behind the Apple Card. Apple said it isn\u2019t announcing an annual yield yet as interest rates are moving rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Welcome to DistilINFO News of The Week! Here you will find the latest news and updates from DistillINFO, our news and information platform for the Payer, Provider, IT Let&#8217;s get started! Healthplan &#8211; Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent Developments | Top 10 Healthplan News Of The Week Cigna in the Headlines: 10 Recent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[7,20,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-8484","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-newsletter","7":"tag-healthplan","8":"tag-hospitalit","9":"tag-newsletter","10":"entry","11":"has-post-thumbnail"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8484"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8492,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484\/revisions\/8492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/distilinfo.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}