Nov 4, 2019

Stryker to buy Wright Medical for $4 billion

Wright Medical sells many device for upper-body procedures. Photo: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Medical device manufacturer Stryker is acquiring competitor Wright Medical for $4 billion in cash. The deal is valued at $5.4 billion when factoring in debt.

The big picture: The medical device industry would become even more consolidated with this takeover, and Stryker would have more than $15 billion in annual sales and a bolstered presence with shoulder, elbow and wrist procedures. However, Stryker and Wright Medical have some overlap with ankle devices, which could raise antitrust issues, Reuters notes.

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Marisa Fernandez

Add-on expenses for medical students pile up

The cost of medical school is a barrier to diversity in the medical profession, The New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Diversity among doctors hasn't moved much between 1988 and 2017, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than three-quarters of American medical school students came from affluent households.

Go deeperNov 26, 2019

Bob Herman

Health insurers are eating higher medical costs

Data: Company filings; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Almost all of the major health insurance companies are spending more on medical care this year than they have in the past.

The big picture: Rising prices and more services for some sicker patients are among the many reasons why this is happening. That uptick in spending has freaked out Wall Street, even though insurers are still quite profitable.

Go deeperNov 7, 2019

Orion Rummler

Why hospitals are a weak spot in U.S. cybersecurity

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Over 32 million people have had their protected health information breached this year, in 311 hacking incidents against health care providers that are under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The big picture: Complex, bloated hospital systems are a glaring weak spot in U.S. cybersecurity — and there are limits on the government's power to help.

Go deeperNov 9, 2019