1. U.S. healthcare acquisitions have reached $356 billion this year, which is a record high for the healthcare sector.
2. Healthfirst, a New York-based payer, encountered a data breach impacting the health information of nearly 5,300 members. Healthfirst stated no Social Security numbers or credit card information have been compromised.
3. A group of employers, unions and insurers have formed an alliance in an effort to persuade Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s “Cadillac” tax. The tax has a 40 percent federal excise tax on a group of healthcare premiums exceeding $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. The tax will go into effect in 2018.
4. CMS projects the United States will spend $5.4 trillion on health spending by 2024.
5. The University of Miami is opening a $150 million ambulatory surgery center, which will house urgent care, men’s health, women’s health, outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy and radiation oncology services.
6. Novartis Foundation, a Switzerland-based healthcare solutions company, named four new members to its board of trustees. The board welcomes Joerg Reinhardt, PhD, Professor Piot, Rebecca Weintraub, MD, and Rainer Boehm.
7. Researchers have discovered defective vaccines lead to more powerful viruses, which they project will add fuel to the fire concerning the option to not vaccinate children.
More on surgery centers:
ASC efficiency: Best strategies to overcome today’s toughest challenges
11 things to know about ASC quality reporting
Medicare deaths, costs and hospitalizations down: 5 key notes
