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Cigna Group's health insurance unit is scaling back Medicare Advantage offerings in eight states next year, according to a notice to third-party marketers published by the insurance brokerage Pinnacle Financial Services. Members in 36 health plans will be affected by Cigna Healthcare’s cuts and service area reductions in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Most people will have another Cigna Medicare Advantage plan available in their counties. (Berryman, 9/19)

Atrium Health announced Thursday, Sept. 19, that it is wiping out all existing judgments and liens against patients for unpaid medical bills, offering relief to hundreds of North Carolinians who have been sued by the hospital system. The Charlotte Ledger/NC Health News reported in October 2023 that the nonprofit system had quietly stopped filing new lawsuits against patients but that the hospital was still pursuing collection on past debts. (Crouch, 9/20)

Smaller rivals to UnitedHealth's tech unit Change Healthcare say they are signing longer-term contracts with hospitals and other customers who had temporarily switched from the company after February's cyberattack shut down the unit's services. The new contracts landed by Waystar and privately held Availity and Inovalon show a shift to healthcare practices signing deals with multiple service providers instead of relying on a single vendor, in what may be the first sign of needed change in an industry. Health tech experts said the move to more than one vendor is long overdue, but was hastened by the hack. (Leo and Roy, 9/19)

Proton therapy is an advanced, cutting-edge cancer treatment that can precisely target a tumor with minimal side effects. It’s a well-established approach, but accessibility has been an issue due to the house-like size of the hardware and cost. However, ongoing advancements are shrinking these units and expanding their use. BayCare broke ground Tuesday on a $33 million "compact" proton therapy center at St Joseph’s hospital in Tampa with plans to begin treating patients in fall 2025. (Mayer, 9/19)

Amid a steady rise in research misconduct allegations over the past decade, the Department of Human Health and Services last week updated its guidance on how universities and other institutions investigate claims. It’s a move that experts say is a step in the right direction — though many warn that more systemic change is needed to address mounting concerns over data manipulation and other issues in the sciences. (Oza, 9/20)