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EDITOR'S CORNER—FIERCE HEALTHCARE'S 10 MOST-READ STORIES OF 2023

By Heather LandiDec 22, 2023 6:00am
DoximitylayoffsWorkforceMedicare Advantage

A major hospital merger, ongoing research about COVID-19, changes to the
Medicare Advantage program and, of course, generative AI, were the top headlines
that got readers' attention this year. (ipopba/GettyImages)

Physician pay and workforce issues were top of mind for Fierce Healthcare
readers in 2023.

And, it's no surprise as the healthcare industry continues to grapple with labor
shortages, clinician burnout and financial pressures as residual effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic, even three years out.







Professional medical network Doximity's annual physician compensation report is
a popular story with our readers every year and it once again leads our top 10
list of most-read stories in 2023.





Layoff announcements have increased this year as hospitals and health systems
limp out of a financially devastating 2022. Staff writer Dave Muoio has been
tracking this development and his often-updated story on the latest workforce
reductions was the second most-read story this year.


RELATED

Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 of 2023

The top 10 list of 2023 stories reflects the range of big headlines that shook
up the healthcare industry from major hospital mergers to ongoing research about
COVID-19 to changes to the Medicare Advantage program. Readers were also
interested in the latest healthcare plays by Amazon.







At the start of the year, the internet was buzzing with news about ChatGPT, an
artificial intelligence large language model developed by OpenAI, and its
potential uses in medical practice and education. In February, Doximity rolled
out a beta version of a ChatGPT tool for doctors and readers were clearly eager
to read about this game-changing technology.

Here are the top 10 healthcare stories of 2023:

1. Here are the 20 highest-paid specialties in 2022 as average physician pay
drops 2.4%: Doximity

Physicians are facing the same economic and compensation pressures as the
broader workforce with inflation putting a squeeze on doctors' real income.
Average physician pay fell by 2.4% from 2021 to 2022, and that decline in
physician compensation comes at a time when U.S. healthcare workers are facing
significant challenges, including economic strains, a growing physician shortage
issue and high rates of work-related burnout, according to the sixth annual
Physician Compensation Report from professional medical network Doximity. 



2. Layoffs are ramping up among hospitals and health systems. Here are 100
examples from 2023

2023 cuts among healthcare companies including hospitals are up 99% year over
year through 11 months, according to a recent multisector report from
Challenger, Gray & Christmas. It's no surprise the volume of layoff waves from
hospitals and health systems during that time have handily surpassed 2022’s
full-year totals by summer. The job eliminations are coming from organizations
big and small. So far in 2023, we tallied 100 layoff announcements, news reports
and regulatory filings from hospitals and health systems.

3. Kaiser Permanente to acquire Geisinger Health in bid to launch multisystem
VBC platform

In April, Kaiser Permanente dropped big news, announcing plans to acquire
10-hospital Geisinger Health. The deal was described as the first step toward a
new multisystem value-based care organization. That new entity, called Risant
Health, will be a nonprofit organization that operates “separately and
distinctly from Kaiser Permanente’s core integrated care and coverage model,”
the organizations said. Kaiser said it intends to bolster Risant beyond
Geisinger by acquiring additional “like-minded, nonprofit, value-oriented
community-based health systems.”

4. Do masks really protect against COVID-19? Meta-analysis authors want to see
more evidence

To mask or not to mask and which masks provide the highest level of protection
to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 was an ongoing debate throughout the
pandemic. That debate picked up steam again in February when staff writer Frank
Diamond took a deep dive into a study that found wearing masks during the
COVID-19 pandemic—even N95 masks—may not have afforded individuals any more
protection against the virus. Researchers said there's not enough evidence to
make a clear determination about whether masks really protect individuals
against the virus. Pro-masking experts immediately challenged the study's
conclusion.

5. How Biden admin rules could pave way for Medicaid to be a major housing
player

The Biden administration has taken steps to make it easier for Medicaid programs
to support enrollees in addressing housing insecurity. It's backed pilot
programs under Section 1115 that allow for funding to support housing needs and
set clear ground rules for how states and managed care organizations can offer
short-term assistance. However, experts say these programs are still somewhat
"theoretical."

6. CMS to raise Medicare Advantage pay rates by 3.3% in 2024; phase in risk
adjustment changes

In March, the Biden administration finalized a proposal to raise Medicare
Advantage payments by 3.32% in 2024, slightly above the 1% raise that it
proposed. Payers scored a win in the final rule as CMS established that
the changes to the MA risk adjustment model would be phased in over three years
as opposed to going into effect next year. Insurers also received a slight pay
bump in Medicare Advantage compared to the proposal. Regulators said the goal is
to ensure that payments to plans are accurate.

7. Majority of Medicare Advantage enrollees don't fully understand their plan

Medicare Advantage continues to be a hot market with rapid growth. But, a survey
released in August found that many MA beneficiaries feel they are overbilled,
have struggled navigating the prior authorization process or are confused by the
features of their plan. Only 44% of MA enrollees say they fully understand their
plan, with 68% saying certain details have caused confusion. One in eight
beneficiaries said they misinterpreted aspects of their plan's benefits after
enrolling in Medicare Advantage, according to the survey.

8. Amazon Pharmacy rolls out service for unlimited generic drug prescriptions
for $5 a month    

Amazon shook up the retail drugstore market when it acquired PillPack in 2018
and then again when it rolled out Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. The industry continue
to watch closely to see the online retailer's next healthcare move. In January,
Amazon rolled out a new prescription drug subscription for Prime members called
RxPass that will ship generic medications to customers' homes for a flat monthly
fee of $5. The aim is to provide affordable access to commonly prescribed
generic medications, executives said. But Amazon is facing competition in this
space with companies like GoodRx and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company also
tackling drug pricing and transparency.

9.  Medicare Advantage plan star ratings decline again in 2024

Amid changes to the methodology for calculating the star ratings, payers have
seen several years of declines. For the 2024 plan year, about 42% of Medicare
Advantage prescription drug plans will have a rating of at least four stars.
That's down from 51% in 2023 and 68% in 2022. Plans that include drug coverage
are rated on 40 measures, while MA-only coverage is scored based on 30 measures.

10. Doximity rolls out beta version of ChatGPT tool for docs aiming to
streamline administrative paperwork

Doximity was one of the first to test out ChatGPT tools for docs when it rolled
out a beta version of a generative AI tool called Doximity GPT. The tool
helps streamline doctors' time-consuming administrative tasks, such as drafting
and faxing preauthorization and appeal letters to insurers. Doximity GPT is an
integration with ChatGPT that works with Doximity’s free fax service, executive
said. The site features a growing library of best medical prompts where the
AI-based writing assistant has been trained on healthcare-specific prose.

 

DoximitylayoffsWorkforceMedicare AdvantageDigital HealthHealth
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