Practice Management
This month, Banner Health is moving to a cashless payment system as a cost-savings measure, according to a press release. The nonprofit system has rolled out the cashless model across Arizona and will phase in the policy across other locations (California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming ) in the coming months with a target date to complete the transition by March 2026. Cash collection creates administrative costs that represent more than a third of the …
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Some 80 clinicians at Legacy Health recently announced 2-day solidarity strikes to show support for 140 of their coworkers—represented by the Oregon Nurses Association—who are already on an open-ended strike that started on December 2, according to the Oregonian. As of press time, about 50 nurse practitioners and physician assistants at Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care clinics were committed to a strike during the holiday week as were 30 pediatric advanced practice providers who work at Randall …
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The Food and Drug Administration has approved 2 new oral antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea, expanding therapeutic options amid growing drug resistance. Zoliflodacin was approved based on results from a multinational phase 3 trial involving 930 patients. In the study, a single oral dose of zoliflodacin was noninferior to a regimen of injectable ceftriaxone plus oral azithromycin. The study showed 91% of patients who took zoliflodacin were cured, and 96% of patients who …
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Responding to increasing demand for radiology technologists, ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers in Maryland launched a new Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) Program earlier this year and has now graduated its first 9 students. The program offers medical assistants with at least 1 year of experience at ExpressCare or Children’s Urgent Care the opportunity to earn certification and obtain Maryland Board of Physicians registration, according to a press release from LifeBridge Health. After successfully passing a …
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According to a U.S. retrospective analysis published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, real-world outcomes suggests that baloxavir may offer more reduction in downstream healthcare utilization among influenza outpatients compared to oseltamivir. The study evaluated electronic health records from 69 healthcare organizations, identifying more than 75,000 treated patients aged 5 years and older who received either oseltamivir (73,899) or baloxavir (1,592) from 2016 to 2023. Across 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up periods, baloxavir users …
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Highmark Health is finding that artificial intelligence (AI) can influence reimbursement, according to Modern Healthcare. The integrated system’s insurance unit posted an operating loss that was tied to higher utilization as well as an increase in coding accuracy coming from providers in their claim submissions. Thanks to AI, providers are more likely to submit cleaner claims that better reflect the reality of clinical care and patient acuity—which also may incur higher reimbursement. It’s not fraud, …
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Optum—the large subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare that delivers clinical care and employs physicians and other providers—is scaling back some of its specialty services and locations in New Jersey, according to local outlet NJ.com. Letters notified patients that about 90 locations in the state would shutter in December, reducing its offerings in several areas, such as behavioral health, dermatology, and orthopedics. However, a spokesperson told Patch providers would continue to offer pediatric, primary care, cardiology, rheumatology, and …
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California health officials are warning the public about eating wild mushrooms foraged in parks and backyards following a cluster of mushroom-related poisonings that resulted in 1 adult death and cases of severe liver injury in children. According to the state poison control system, 21 cases of suspected amatoxin exposure—likely linked to death cap mushrooms growing in a local park—have been reported. These highly toxic mushrooms are frequently confused with edible varieties due to their similar …
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Healthcare executives meeting at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Advisory Council in New York recently highlighted how rapidly the health sector is shifting under technological, financial, and policy pressures. In terms of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is now delivering real-world operational benefits, including shorter hospital stays, faster workflow automation, and reduced administrative burdens associated with clinician documentation, they said at the meeting. Leaders also noted that organizations need to sketch out scenario-based plans because major Medicaid …
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According to a survey of 1,015 adults released by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), fewer adults are receiving vaccines for respiratory viruses this year. The study was conducted in November 2025 to evaluate adults’ attitudes and behaviors regarding vaccination for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal disease in the United States. NFID found that 45% of respondents said they have received at least 1 respiratory vaccine since September 2025, with influenza …
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