�鶹Ů��

Federal lawmakers, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Edward Markey (D-Mass), urged the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department to heavily scrutinize UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum's proposed acquisition of Steward Health Care's physician group and block the deal if it gives UnitedHealth Group too much market power. ... Warren, Markey and others raised concerns the deal would reduce competition in the area and give UnitedHealth Group more of a monopoly in Massachusetts and other states. (DeSilva, 4/8)

Like other major universities, the University of Southern California has poured resources into expanding its health system. But it’s coming at a cost. Moody’s Ratings downgraded USC a notch to Aa2 last month, citing underperformance from its growing health system. Similarly, the agency lowered its outlook for Emory University to negative in January, citing “current and expected future weak operating performance stemming largely from Emory Healthcare.” (Coleman-Lochner, 4/8)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: City-Country Mortality Gap Widens Amid Persistent Holes In Rural Health Care Access

In Matthew Roach’s two years as vital statistics manager for the Arizona Department of Health Services, and 10 years previously in its epidemiology program, he has witnessed a trend in mortality rates that has rural health experts worried. As Roach tracked the health of Arizona residents, the gap between mortality rates of people living in rural areas and those of their urban peers was widening. (Orozco Rodriguez, 4/9)

Zuckerberg San Francisco General hospital is conducting a policy review and additional security training with staff after a medical logbook went missing in December, creating a privacy breach, according to a Friday press release. There is no evidence that the information from the breach has been misused or used to access patient health or financial information. (4/8)

Hospitals must report their compliance with new safety and quality measures, from maternal care practices to diagnostic error prevention, after a series of changes to the 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The survey, which opened to hospitals April 1, is completed by more than 2,300 facilities annually and assesses hospitals’ safety, quality and efficiency based on national performance measures set by the Leapfrog Group. (Devereaux, 4/8)