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What We’re Reading: Cyberattack Payouts; Measles Vaccination for Young Travelers; Medication Abortions Surge
UnitedHealth Group aims to restore services amid investigations; providers advised to administer measles vaccine to infants before international travel; study finds significant increase in medication abortions after Supreme Court decision.
UnitedHealth Group Pays Out Over $2 Billion to Health Providers Affected by Cyberattack
UnitedHealth Group announced it has disbursed over $2 billion to support health care providers impacted by the cyberattack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, according to CNBC. The attack, which disrupted vital services including e-prescription software and payment management tools, prompted UnitedHealth to implement temporary funding assistance programs and restore critical infrastructure. As investigations into the cyberattack's extent unfold, UnitedHealth has emphasized its collaboration with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to assess the breach and safeguard against future threats.
CDC Urges Measles Vaccination for Young Travelers Amid Rising Cases
The CDC issued an alert urging health providers to ensure that children as young as 6 months old receive the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine before traveling internationally, amidst a surge in measles cases both domestically and globally, according to CIDRAP. With 58 cases reported in the US so far this year, equaling the total for all of 2023, most cases were linked to international travel, particularly affecting unvaccinated children. Declining vaccination coverage in US kindergarteners has raised concerns about herd immunity, prompting health officials to emphasize the importance of vaccination to prevent outbreaks.
Medication Abortions Surge in the US Following Roe v Wade Reversal
A notable rise in medication abortions in the US were identified post the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade, according to NBC News. In 2023, there were approximately 642,700 medication abortions, constituting 63% of all abortions in the country, up from 492,210 in 2020. The surge in medication abortions follows legal changes in response to the Dobbs v Jackson ruling, with 14 states implementing complete abortion bans. Despite potential restrictions on medication abortion, the procedure has remained popular due to its privacy and accessibility benefits.
Best of Managed Care Cast: Top 5 Episodes From the First Half of 2025
July 18th 2025These interviews are the top episodes, by listens, from among the 21 podcast episodes The American Journal of Managed Care® produced over the first half of 2025. Give them all another listen, and perhaps learn something new.
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Lung Transplant Referrals Lag for High-Risk Patients With PAH
July 18th 2025Despite recommendations on early referral for lung transplantation in cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there is a lack of in-depth understanding of this current landscape; in this analysis, clinical parameter data were used to compare outcomes between patients who were and were not referred for lung transplantation.
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AI Meets Medicare: Inside CMS’ WISeR Model With Sanjay Doddamani, MD, MBA
July 17th 2025Sanjay Doddamani, MD, MBA, a former senior advisor to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and internist and cardiologist by training, explains how the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model hopes to work, and addresses concerns about delays and denials from revamped prior authorization processes.
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