Republicans have despised the ACA since its inception almost 15 years ago. But some healthcare executives think Republicans may actually help the law as they regain control of Washington. Enhanced tax credits that help millions of middle-income Americans afford health plans on the ACA's individual marketplaces, signed into law by President Biden, expire at the end of 2025. Conservatives have railed against those subsidies as wasteful spending, but millions of people now depend on them: More than 21 million people had an ACA plan this year, compared with 12 million in 2021, when the enhanced subsidies started rolling out. And executives are banking on President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans not wanting to take the blame if millions of people who currently get these subsidies — many of whom live in red states — suddenly find themselves with coverage they can't afford.
CVS Health said on Monday it would add four new members to its board in an agreement with Glenview Capital Management, including the hedge fund's CEO Larry Robbins. Shares of the healthcare conglomerate rose nearly 3% in premarket trading. Longtime investor Glenview Capital Management bought 2.8 million CVS shares during the third quarter, increasing its stake by 31%. "In our discussions with the leadership at Glenview, we agreed that we can deliver greater value from our integrated businesses to all of our stakeholders, including our customers, consumers, colleagues and shareholders," said CVS chairman Roger Farah. Three other executives will join Robbins on the CVS board, bringing the total members to 16.
CareMax, which operates 56 medical centers in Florida, Texas, Tennessee and New York catering largely to older patients, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas on Sunday. The Miami-based firm listed debts of $693 million and assets of $390 million, according to a filing with U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. In August, CareMax posted a second-quarter loss of $170.6 million and issued a going-concern warning. This month it disclosed it would not be able to file its third-quarter report with the SEC due to a lack of funds.
The death of Rick Slayman, the first man to receive a kidney transplant from a genetically engineered pig, was caused by an 'unexpected cardiac event,' and there was no sign his body was rejecting the organ, his transplant surgeon said Wednesday. The disclosure, six months after the 62-year-old Weymouth resident died, was the first public explanation of Slayman's cause of death and the most detailed confirmation that Slayman's new kidney was still viable and doing its job two months after he underwent the historic procedure. In a May press release announcing his death, hospital officials said they had 'no indication' the death was caused by his transplant but provided no additional details.
A strain of mpox disease that had previously been undetected in the U.S. has been found in California. The patient contracted it after traveling from East Africa, where there has been an outbreak of the clade I strain. The person was treated in San Mateo County and then released. The person is at home recovering. The CDC says the strain presents a low risk to the general public. 'Casual contact, like you might have during travel, is unlikely to pose significant risks for transmission of mpox,' it said.
Some hospitals have begun to embrace programs targeted at spiritual support in addition to direct healthcare ones. Those programs are supported by a growing body of research on the health benefits of spiritual practice. One of those programs is out of Indiana University Health, which connects people being discharged from the hospital with individuals called 'connectors', if the patient doesn't have a community support network of their own.