Bob Herman, STAT

Bob Herman

STAT

Northwest Indiana, IN, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • STAT
  • Axios

Past articles by Bob:

Buyer’s remorse: How a Medicare Advantage business is strangling one of its first funders

NaviHealth built a billion-dollar business using AI to scrutinize care in Medicare Advantage. Now, one of its first funders is publicly bashing the company it once backed. → Read More

Denied by AI: How Medicare Advantage plans use algorithms to cut off care for seniors in need

An algorithm, not a doctor, predicted a rapid recovery for Frances Walter, an 85-year-old Wisconsin woman with a shattered left shoulder and an allergy to → Read More

In North Carolina, a small hospital deal poses big antitrust questions

Hospital systems are turning to cross-market mergers to avoid antitrust heat. But they are also still signing other lower-profile deals, which experts believe lead to higher insurance premiums. → Read More

Hospital systems’ investment income perked up at end of 2022

Large hospital systems’ investments rebounded heavily in the final quarter of 2022, according to a new STAT analysis of financial filings. → Read More

DaVita faces another probe over ties to kidney care charity

The D.C. attorney general is investigating the dialysis provider DaVita and its ties to the nonprofit American Kidney Fund. → Read More

Medicare Advantage membership grows 7% for 2023

Private Medicare Advantage plans now catch roughly half of the entire Medicare population. → Read More

Patients still have no protection against surprise ambulance bills. And there’s no solution in sight

Ambulances were excluded from the federal law that banned most types of surprise medical bills starting in 2022, even though roughly 85% of all emergency rides are out-of-network. And there's no solution in sight. → Read More

What a hospital oligopoly looks like

A recent financial filing from a large, tax-exempt Orlando hospital system provides a glimpse of just how concentrated America’s hospital markets are. → Read More

CVS’ Oak Street Health acquisition continues the industry’s provider obsession

CVS Health’s $10.6 billion acquisition of Oak Street Health plants another flag in the latest era of health insurance industry consolidation. → Read More

Biden administration floats major 2024 pay cut for Medicare Advantage plans

Medicare Advantage insurers could face an average 2.3% cut to payments in 2024, or a net cut of more than $3 billion, if the government proposal stands. → Read More

Medicare Advantage insurers will score $2 billion gift thanks to limited audits

A new rule will give a free pass to Medicare Advantage plans for any erroneous codes they submitted between 2011 and 2017. → Read More

Medicare Advantage insurers to repay billions under final federal audit rule

The rule, part of a decade-long feud between the health insurance industry and regulators, will likely invite lawsuits from industry groups. → Read More

‘Everybody has blood on their hands’: A decade-long battle over Medicare Advantage audits is coming to a head

A decade-long battle over Medicare Advantage audits is coming to a head as Medicare makes a final determination about industry oversight. → Read More

A different kind of ‘RAC’ subsidized hospitals’ labor during the pandemic

Usually, the RAC acronym elicits rage in hospital circles. But another kind — regional advisory councils — helped subsidize some hospitals during Covid. → Read More

Hospitals gear up to expand market power, raise prices in 2023

Hospitals’ message at #JPM23: This year will be about increasing revenue by expanding footprints and hiking prices. → Read More

Oscar Health’s CEO on post-hype health insurance and finally turning a profit

“Profitability is the number one goal” for this year, Oscar CEO Mario Schlosser told STAT in an interview at #JPM23. → Read More

Drastic changes should bring profitability, startup health insurers say

Startup insurers Oscar Health, Bright Health, and Clover Health have hemorrhaged money since going public. All three said at #JPM23 that the drastic changes they’ve made should bring profitability. → Read More

Hospitals say peak labor costs are behind them

Rising labor costs have been the main financial concern for hospitals over the past year, but those costs have peaked and are now a lot lower, according to hospital system executives at #JPM23. → Read More

The health care providers and insurers we’re watching at JPM23 — and why

STAT's @bobjherman and @TaraBannow lay out which health care providers and insurance companies they'll be watching at #JPM23. → Read More

3 trends to watch in hospitals and health insurance in 2023

STAT’s business reporters will be paying attention to three hospital and insurance trends next year. Read about them here. → Read More