Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.
1. Straight repeal of ACA back on the table after BCRA fails: 5 things to know
Two more Republican senators defected from the revised Better Care Reconciliation Act Monday evening, effectively sinking the ACA repeal and replacement bill.
2. The 22 hospitals physicians prefer most, ranked by specialty
Physicians ranked New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston among the top hospitals across various specialties.
3. Leadership exodus at Lutheran: 2 board members leave over rift with CHS, making for 7 resignations in 6 days
Two physicians resigned from the board of Dupont Hospital, which is part of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network. They join five other board members and executives who left the Lutheran network in the past six days.
4. Child's $21M medical bill underscores Medi-Cal challenges
California Department of Health Care Services Director Jennifer Kent mentioned in recent social media posts that there is a child in the state whose medical expenses totaled $21 million in 2014.
5. US News delays hospital rankings to fix data problems
U.S News & World Report will delay the release of its 2017-18 Best Hospitals rankings to Aug. 8 after researchers discovered errors in the data used to compile the rankings.
6. 10 most and least stressed cities in the US
People in Newark, N.J., have the highest levels of stress of any U.S. city.
7. Building a 'nimble' multi-state health system: 5 questions with Ascension CEO Dr. Anthony Tersigni
With 2,500 sites of care — including 141 hospitals and 30 senior living facilities that sprawl across 23 states and Washington, D.C. — St. Louis-based Ascension may not seem well-suited to make sudden business changes. But Ascension President and CEO Anthony Tersigni, EdD, aims to make the nation's largest nonprofit health system into one of America's most agile hospital networks.
8. CMS releases OPPS proposed rule for 2018: 10 things to know
CMS released its 2018 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, which would cut payments to hospitals under the 340B Drug Pricing Program and authorize Medicare to reimburse for knee replacement surgeries performed in outpatient facilities.
9. DOJ charges 412 in $1.3B healthcare fraud sweep
The Department of Justice charged 412 defendants, including 115 physicians, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, in a nationwide healthcare fraud sweep.
10. US Congress grants 11-month-old Charlie Gard permanent citizenship to receive care overseas
The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations approved an amendment July 19 granting 11-month-old Charlie Gard and his parents permanent U.S. citizenship so that he may receive treatment in the U.S.