Zocdoc has long been known as the site where patients can scope out doctor reviews and book appointments. But now it's getting into the business of actually running physicians' front offices, the company announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The company's platform will manage patient intake, handle a practice's entire online scheduling and host telehealth visits — and, for now, the product is entirely free to doctor's offices.
Employers girding themselves for an especially pricey health care benefits season this fall are pushing back harder in negotiations, armed with new price transparency data and emboldened by increased industry scrutiny.
Why it matters: Employers frustrated that they haven't been getting the best deals on health care are using the data to demand better terms in discussions with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, industry experts said.
Americans most often blame Mexican drug cartels for the country's opioid crisis — followed by drug users themselves, according to Morning Consult polling data provided exclusively to Axios.
Why it matters: Voters see the crisis as more of a security issue than a health issue, an accompanying analysis argues, giving Republicans an edge on the issue heading into the 2024 elections.
The threat of a government shutdown is hanging over Capitol Hill. But so is the realization that gridlock could claim an array of health programs that are due to sunset at the end of the month without congressional action.
Who's affected: Key health interests potentially have billions of dollars of funding on the line, from community health centers that serve 31 million people to hospitals that provide charity care. Opioid abuse programs and federal preparedness for another pandemic could also be affected.
A Medicare effort to boost payments to primary care doctors and better coordinate care for patients with complex medical needs has set off a lobbying frenzy to forestall steep cuts specialists would face as a result.
Why it matters: The fight over physician payments underscores how Medicare's strict budgeting rulescan create unintended consequences, like pitting medical specialties against each other.
Only 34% of registered U.S. voters think President Biden would complete a second term if re-elected, 44% believe he'd leave before it ended and 22% are unsure, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll.
By the numbers: That compares with 55% who think the 80-year-old's closest presidential election rival, 77-year-old former President Trump, would finish a full term if elected in 2024.
