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This is Jacob Emerson with the Becker pair

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issues podcast.

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Here is your bi weekly industry news briefing

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for July first. Let's get to a... Slew

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of opt stories, A, and United Health Group

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have agreed to sell an unknown number of

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care centers to vital caring group. I made

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the company's planned Jurors later this year.

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The company wrote Ae wrote in a June

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20 eighth regulatory filing that cons confirmation of

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the dives sure is contingent on a number

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of conditions, including the confirmation of the previously

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announced murder transaction, Opt announced its intent to

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acquire a meta

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3300000000.0

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dollars back in June of 20 23.

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I'm mattis shareholders approved the deal in September,

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but it is currently under review by the

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Justice department. Federal lawmakers have urged careful scrutiny

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of the deal and Oregon regulators have launched

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their own probe into the acquisition. In inmate

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the 2 companies reportedly offered to sell 100

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clinics to a private equity buyer to make

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the deal more palatable to regulators.

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That merger is still expected to close in

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the second half of that this year. A

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meta provides home health care, hospice and pal

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care. It operates more than 500 clinics in

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37

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states. This

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Well, Opt has scrapped its plan to acquire

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Steward health

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physician group,

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stewardship Health. Opt, which has almost 90000

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employed or affiliated physicians agreed on a preliminary

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deal in March to acquire the physician group,

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which comprises primary care physicians and other clinicians

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in 8 states.

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Stewart and Opt did not finalize an asset

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purchase agreement, and Opt is no longer pursuing

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the acquisition. It is not clear whether Steward

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is negotiating with other potential Myers for the

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physician group, which it recently describes as a

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highly desired asset. It Steward filed for chapter

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11 bankruptcy in May and is required to

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sell its assets, including 31 hospitals

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through auctions.

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While Opt will pay 20000000 dollars to settle

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allegations. It improperly dispensed some opioid medications. That's

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according to the justice department on June 20

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seventh. That settlement resolves an investigation into whether

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Opt,

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yeah improperly filled justice certain opioid prescriptions between

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20 13 and 20 15. The Doj alleged

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the pharmaceutical

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benefit manager improperly dispensed opioids in combination with

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other drugs,

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including benz

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and muscle relax from its mail order pharmacy

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operations in the San Diego area.

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Opioids prescribed along benz diaz and muscle relax

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are commonly referred to as Trinity

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prescriptions. These prescriptions raise red flags the drugs

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may not be for legitimate medical use and

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could lead to the diversion of controlled substances.

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In the Doj

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investigation, the department, alleged Opt

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dispensed Trinity prescriptions without resolving red flags.

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Opt

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did not admit liability and as part of

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the settlement.

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Well, Human man new president and Ceo, Jim

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Ra is is officially on the job, mister

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Ra joined Human anna as Ceo in January

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after serving as the ceo,

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Ceo of Envision healthcare since 20 20.

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He wrote on Linkedin on July first that

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the company has the opportunity to be the

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best integrated health care company in the United

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States. Human former Ceo Bruce Bro is resigning

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from Human board of directors and will serve

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as a strategic adviser to the company through

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20 26.

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Well Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Island

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is eliminating your leases 65 percent to prior

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authorization requirements for primary care providers by early

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20 25.

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The pay of you data to identify some

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of the most common orders that create additional

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work for Pcp,

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radiology, and cardiology services led the list of

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requirements being cut, and the changes will apply

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across commercial and Medicare plans. The company said

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they're hopeful that reducing these authors patients along

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with making significant investments in primary care practices

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will help Pcp thrive and improve patient access

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to care.

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The company as of removed, the company removed

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all prior authorization for outpatient behavioral services in

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20 18. Other payers like United Health, ci

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Blue Cross of Michigan, 0.32 health and Ae,

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have all reduced prior authorization requirements over the

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last few years.

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Will Albany New York

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based albany health system will no longer accept

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Human Medicare advantage plans for emergency services after

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June t. In February, a spokesperson for the

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health system cited administrative conflicts

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to local media outlets as the reason for

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the decision June They said patient care is

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the most important aspect of our mission, and

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we look for insurance partners who share our

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values of putting patients first.

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When working with, insurance providers, we strive to

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ensure the terms are fair to us and

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fair to our patients.

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Albany mad operates 4 hospitals in the region

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and has 800 physicians and a hundred 25

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facilities. In that same area, community care physicians,

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a multi specialty medical group went out of

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network with Human Medicare Advantage in March

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Cc has more than 1800 employees, including more

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than 420

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clinicians across 70 practices

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in New York's Capital Reit.

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Well Saint. Louis Based ascension will no longer

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offer individual health plans on the Texas Aca

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marketplace past 20 24,

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Individuals currently covered on the exchange by ascension

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personalized care in Texas will automatically be mapped

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to a similar insurance plan during the open

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enrollment period for 20 25 and should not

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experience a gap in coverage. That's according to

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a system spokesperson.

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Covered individuals may choose to sell select a

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different plan during the same time frame.

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Ascension Aca plans are available in Indiana and

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Tennessee.

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The system setback in April is would also

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stop offering health plans on the Kansas exchange.

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And finally, sidecar car health and El California

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based payer that average Highs members paying providers

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cash prices

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has closed a 165000000

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dollar series d financing round. That was led

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by Coke Disruptive technologies.

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Sidecar offers employer plans in Georgia and Ohio,

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and it said June 26, the new capital

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will support expansion into Florida. The company also

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offers Aca coverage in 18 states. Coke industries

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has also selected sidecar to provide a portion

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of such employee health benefits

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starting in 20 25.

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If you like the latest health insurance industry

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news delivered straight your inbox every morning, subscribe

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