Author: Patsy Newitt

OptumRx, Optum's pharmacy benefit management company, has agreed to pay $20 million to settle allegations it improperly filled certain opioid prescriptions, violating the Controlled Substances Act.

Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, has called off its plan to acquire financially troubled Steward Health Care's 1,700-physician group, The Boston Globe reported June 27.

 As physicians face high inflation rates and skyrocketing practice costs, many feel Medicare pay is insufficient. 

Cardiovascular procedures are ASCs' next frontier, as more high-acuity procedures become approved for the outpatient setting. 

Independent ASCs are facing major obstacles amid increasing healthcare consolidation and shifting payer behavior. 

CMS has updated its coverage requirements for ASCs, The Joint Commission said in a June 26 news release.

Increased demand for colonoscopies paired with declining reimbursements are pushing many gastroenterology physicians to shift strategies. 

A former emergency department physician at Port Angeles, Wash.-based Olympic Medical Center was sentenced to 364 days in jail for the sexual assault of six patients, Radio Pacific reported June 25. 

Greenville, N.C.-based Carolina East Family Medicine's physician office has abruptly closed, WITN reported June 25

A second California hospital is in the spotlight for issues related to certified registered nurse anesthetists care provision, The Modesto Bee reported June 24.