Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Report: Walmart and Humana May Be Deepening Their Partnership

Walmart may be looking to wade deeper into the healthcare pool—including, potentially, offering urgent care services—by working more closely with Humana, according to an article published in The New York Times. The report says unnamed sources don’t expect Walmart to take over Humana outright. More likely, the deal will manifest in a financial and operating partnership focused on prescription drug sales and/or insurance coverage. It could also be the basis for opening urgent care centers …

Ready or Not, Here Come the New Medicare Cards

It’s going to take a year for the whole batch to be in place, but your front desk staff will start seeing new Medicare cards this month. As we told you when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services first announced its plans, every Medicare member will be issued a unique ID number to replace their Social Security number on the cards to better protect all manner of personal information tied to the SSN. Patients’ …

Don’t Celebrate the ‘End’ of Flu Season Before the Second Act

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have spoken too soon when it declared the 2017–2018 influenza season to be on the wane. Now the agency says cases are mounting—though right now it’s influenza B, not the H3N2, A strain that is both more severe and less receptive to vaccines. In fact, with the week ending March 17 influenza B has usurped influenza A as the most dominant strain of the moment. It’s not …

Update: Ascension, Providence Call Off Proposed Merger

Just days ago, we told you that Ascension had plans to downscale its footprint, focusing less on its identity as a large hospital system in favor of more emphasis on broader community access and patient-driven care. Now the company is demonstrating that ethos by stepping back from its plans to merge with Providence St. Joseph Health, according to the Wall Street Journal. That deal would have made the combined company the largest hospital provider in …

UCA Advocates for Urgent Care in Comments on FDA CLIA Draft Guidance

The Urgent Care Association is one of numerous organizations that have filed comments regarding a draft Food and Drug Administration Guidance on CLIA-waived tests. UCA, and others, charge that the spirit of Select Updates for Recommendations for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) Waiver Applications for Manufacturers of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices runs counter to the intent expressed by Congress in passing the amendment. For one thing, they maintain, the FDA must remove proposed discussion …

News Flash: Patients Hate to Wait—and That Matters When Choosing a Provider

Nearly a third of patients taking part in a survey from Vitals say they’ve walked out on a physician appointment because they had to wait so long—and 20% have been so put off by wait times that they’ve switched doctors altogether. No surprise, then, that the Wait Time Report also reveals that 84% of people believe the amount of time they have to wait to see a medical provider is either “somewhat important” or “very …

Florida Joins States that Limit Opioid Prescriptions

Florida Gov. Rick Scott just signed new legislation into effect limiting the amount of opioid pain relievers physicians can write at one time. As other states have done, and as has been discussed at the federal level, the bill will limit opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a 3-day supply, though Florida prescribers will have the option of writing for a 7-day supply if medically necessary. The law will require prescribers to check the state’s …

Ascension Aims for a Smaller Footprint, Citing Changing Healthcare Landscape

Lower reimbursements, regulatory challenges, and increased competition are among the factors moving Ascension to reduce its “footprint,” according to a new article in Modern Healthcare. CEO Anthony Tersigni told employees that the company would be restructured from its current model as a hospital system “to one that’s focused on outpatient care and telemedicine.” Ascension saw revenues drop 27% last year compared with 2016 (though nonoperating income increased by $1.31 billion). It’s noteworthy that inpatient and …

Phase 3 Migraine Clinical Trial Finds a Prime Site in Urgent Care

Hometown Urgent Care in Ohio is one of just 18 sites participating in a new phase 3 clinical trial to assess a prospective treatment for adult patients with acute migraines. The trial will compare pain freedom in subjects who’ve taken the drug rimegepant vs placebo in the acute treatment of migraine at 2 hours postdose. It will also take into account freedom from the “most bothersome symptom” (nausea, phonophobia, or photophobia) in the rimegepant group …

Another Market Projection Shows Urgent Care Surge Continuing—to Nearly $26 Billion

The U.S. urgent care market will continue to grow through at least 2023—to an overall value of $25.93 billion, according to a report just released by MarketsandMarkets. The research, packaged under the title Urgent Care Center Market by Service (Acute Illness Treatment, Trauma/Injury Treatment, Physical Examination, Immunization & Vaccination), Ownership (Corporate Owned, Physician Owned, Hospital Owned), and Region – Global Forecast to 2023, attributes the ongoing surge to the public’s demand for affordable care and shorter …

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