Pramila Jayapal leads 'Medicare for All' caucus

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/20 3:00A Anne Stych

At least 70 House Democrats have joined a caucus endorsing a “Medicare for All” single-payer healthcare system in which every American would be covered by a government-funded insurance program.  “We are united today by a common conviction that...

Liver disease deaths skyrocket among young adults

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/20 2:49A Anne Stych

Deaths caused by liver disease are up dramatically and young adults were the hardest hit. A new study, published in the British Medical Journal, said cirrhosis-related deaths increased by 65 percent from 1999 to 2016, and deaths from liver cancer...

Merck to lower prices on some drugs, but not its blockbusters

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/20 2:23A Katie Thomas

The move follows recent announcements by Pfizer and Novartis that they would freeze price increases for the rest of the year, as the industry confronts sustained criticism from President Donald Trump, lawmakers and the public over the rising cost...

Ethics group: Embryo gene editing is acceptable

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/20 2:02A Anne Stych

The premiere bioethics oversight group in the United Kingdom says that genetically engineering human embryos to alter a baby's characteristics is acceptable, including preventing inheritable diseases and not ruling out the possibility of cosmetic...

Tenet shedding hospitals, debt as UnitedHealth explores Conifer acquisition

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/20 1:53A Bill Hethcock

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corp. is whittling down its debt as it sells off hospitals and explores a sale of its Frisco-based subsidiary, Conifer Health Solutions.

UnitedHealth may bid for Tenet health-management unit; deal could fetch $2B

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/19 8:42A Mark Reilly

UnitedHealth Group Inc. is among the companies interested in buying Conifer Health Solutions, the health-management unit of Tenet Healthcare Corp., in what could a deal worth $2 billion or more.  The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified...

Clinics prescribe too many antibiotics, study finds

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/17 2:21A Anne Stych

Urgent care centers and retail clinics are five times more likely to prescribe antibiotics during a visit than medical offices and nearly half of prescriptions at urgent care are given to patients that don’t need them, a new study found. The...

Johnson & Johnson will appeal $4.7B powder award

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/16 2:57A Anne Stych

Johnson & Johnson says it will "pursue all available appellate remedies" to reverse a St. Louis court verdict that awarded $4.7 billion to women who alleged that using the company’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer.  In a prepared...

Grain-free food linked to heart disease in dogs

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/16 2:03A Anne Stych

Dogs that eat grain-free diets may be more prone to develop a canine cardiovascular disease that has historically been seen in just a few breeds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine and a group of veterinary...

Dallas doctor scores second court victory in patent dispute with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/16 1:34A Natalie Posgate, Texas Lawbook

Lawyers from McKool Smith have scored a Patent Trial and Appeal Board win against a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson over claims that the company infringed on technology for sinus surgery developed by a Dallas ear, nose and throat specialist. It...

5 things to do before putting your medical practice up for sale

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/13 7:53A Laura F. James

In today’s declining reimbursement and increasing regulatory environment, many physicians would like to transfer the responsibility of practice ownership to others. Medical practices are typically sold to other physicians, hospitals, group...

The drug pricing playbook: how pharma companies keep costs high

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/12 1:57A David Crow in New York

Pfizer faced presidential fire for its price rises but others use more subtle tactics.

Rehabilitation provider opens $22M facility in Fort Worth

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/11 1:47A Neetish Basnet

An Austin-based rehabilitation and health care services provider has opened its first North Texas location, a $22 million facility in Fort Worth. Rapid Recovery Center, which primarily offers post-hospital health care, has started accepting...

Vaping does little to help you stop smoking

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/10 2:27A Anne Stych

Using e-cigarettes does little to help adults stop smoking, a new Georgia State University study found. The research, which studied electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) users in 2015-2016, found no evidence that the products helped adult...

VITAS building third inpatient hospice unit in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas Business Journal (Health Care) 7/9 9:36A Bill Hethcock

VITAS Healthcare has started construction on a new inpatient hospice unit at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. The 13,000-square-foot project is a $2.8 million renovation on the fifth floor of Schenkel Tower at Methodist Dallas. The IPU will have...