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CEOs face congressional hearing on high hospital pricesindustry

CEOs face congressional hearing on high hospital prices

CEOs face congressional hearing on high hospital prices CEOs of four health systems testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday morning. Policy and Legislation By Susan Morse , Executive Editor | April 28, 2026 | 11:18 AM From left: Sam N. Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of  CommonSpirit Health, Brian G. Donley, president and CEO of New York Presbyterian, Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and Brad Woodhouse, president of advocacy organization Protect Our Care Photo: Susan Morse screenshot/House Ways and Means Committee The CEOs of four health systems testified before the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday in a hearing about the high price of healthcare. Sam N. Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of  CommonSpirit Health, Brian G. Donley, president and CEO of New York Presbyterian, Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and Brad Woodhouse, president of advocacy organization Protect Our Care, testified.“Simply put, hospitals are charging an insane amount for care. Hospital prices have skyrocketed 300% in just over two decades – more than any other sector of our economy.,” said Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo). “Hospital consolidation and mergers, that lead to ever-growing market power, are fueling the borderline extortionary prices hospitals charge patients.” Of 4,500 hundred hospitals, 2,000 have undergone a merger, Smith said. “The result is that today, 90% of hospital beds are part of a health system,” he said. “The pace and scale of mergers have led to market concentration that puts patients at the mercy of hospital empires. When hospitals have no competition, it’s no wonder that the sky seems to be the limit for prices.”Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) countered that the cost of healthcare - in which technology helps to drive cost - is not just about the providers but about legislative policies. “There’s never been a Repu

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ACA market dynamics cost HCA $150M in Q1industry

ACA market dynamics cost HCA $150M in Q1

ACA market dynamics cost HCA $150M in Q1 Underlying shifts in payer mix resulting from the changes in the exchanges were generally in line with expectations, says CEO Sam Hazen. Accounting & Financial Management By Susan Morse , Executive Editor | April 28, 2026 | 11:13 AM Photo: Rusty Russell/Getty Images HCA Healthcare reported a 0.6% net income increase to $1.6 billion during the first quarter and revenue gains of 4.3% to $19.1 billion.One unexpected factor drove down patient volume related to profits.“From a volume perspective, we did not experience the typical lift related to seasonal respiratory conditions,” said Director and CEO Sam Hazen. “Compared to the first quarter of last year, our respiratory-related admissions were down 42%, and our respiratory-related emergency room visits were down 32%.”Additionally, storms impacted some of the for-profit health system’s markets.“The respiratory-related and winter storm impacts were mostly contained to January, with February and March volumes rebounding nicely,” Hazen said.Another issue was a $150 million cost due to the lack of the enhanced subsidies in the Affordable Care Act market.“We estimate the adjusted EBITDA impact from the exchanges to be approximately $150 million in the first quarter of 2026 versus the prior year quarter,” said CFO and Executive Vice President Mike Marks.“Regarding payer mix for the quarter, the underlying shifts resulting from the changes in the health insurance exchanges were generally in line with our expectations,” Hazen said. “This area remains fluid. As we stated in our fourth quarter call, we have considered a range of potential scenarios as the effects continue to evolve.”Marks gave same-facility volume comparisons for the first quarter of 2026 versus the first quarter of 2025.Admissions increased 0.9%, equivalent admissions increased 1.3%, inpatient surgeries were down 0.3% and outpatient surgeries declined 1.7%, Marks said. ER visits increased 0.3%. “As Sam mentioned,

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Microsoft, OpenAI revise partnership to end exclusive AI model rightsindustry

Microsoft, OpenAI revise partnership to end exclusive AI model rights

Share Copy Link Share on X Share on Linkedin Share on Facebook Under the new terms, Microsoft remains OpenAI’s principal cloud partner. Credit: DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock.com. Microsoft and OpenAI have updated their partnership agreement, removing exclusivity rights that previously allowed the former to be the sole distributor of the AI models developed by the ChatGPT developer. This adjustment enables OpenAI to seek agreements with other cloud and enterprise providers, including Amazon. Under the new terms, Microsoft remains OpenAI’s principal cloud partner. Microsoft will continue to deploy OpenAI’s products on its Azure service before any other provider, unless technical constraints prevent this. However, OpenAI is now free to offer its AI products to clients using any cloud service. Microsoft holds a non-exclusive licence to OpenAI’s intellectual property through 2032, replacing its past exclusive access. The financial dynamics of the partnership have also changed. Microsoft will not make further revenue share payments to OpenAI. As per the revised terms, the ChatGPT maker will continue to pay Microsoft a designated share of revenue, at the existing percentage, until 2030, subject to a defined cap. The amendment also eliminates a clause from the earlier agreement that would have allowed OpenAI to end payments to Microsoft in the event it reached artificial general intelligence. In practical terms, these developments provide OpenAI with alternatives for accessing greater computing resources and pursuing enterprise partnerships. This could help the company to compete with other AI developers in the run-up to potential public offerings. Microsoft, meanwhile, retains its position as a major shareholder in OpenAI and secures continued, although capped, revenue from the company’s growth. Previously, Microsoft’s exclusive arrangement limited the ability of other cloud providers, including Amazon, to offer OpenAI’s models directly. The renegotiated agreement opens th

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EC proposes measures to Google for Android interoperabilityindustry

EC proposes measures to Google for Android interoperability

Share Copy Link Share on X Share on Linkedin Share on Facebook The European Commission seeks consultation on draft Android measures for third-party access. Credit: Aliaksandr Antanovich/Shutterstock.com. The European Commission (EC) has issued preliminary findings to Google, proposing measures designed to enhance interoperability and access for third-party services on the Android platform. These measures are part of two distinct specification proceedings that began on 27 January 2026 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to assist Google in fulfilling its obligations. The first set of proceedings focuses on Google’s obligation under Article 6(7) of the DMA. This obligation requires Google to provide third-party developers with free and effective interoperability with hardware and software features within Android. The proceedings target features used by Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, to ensure third-party AI service providers receive equal access to these features. The goal is to promote equal opportunities for innovation and competition within the AI landscape on mobile devices. The second set of proceedings addresses Google’s obligation under Article 6(11) of the DMA to provide third-party online search engines with access to anonymised ranking, query, click, and view data from Google Search on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. These proceedings assess the data scope, anonymisation methods, and access conditions, as well as the eligibility of AI chatbot providers to access the data. Ensuring effective compliance will allow third-party search providers to enhance their services and offer alternatives to Google Search. The proposed Android changes offer third-party AI services the ability to operate effectively within the ecosystem. Currently, Google’s AI offerings primarily utilise these capabilities. The measures would permit functionalities such as sending emails or sharing photos through alternative AI services using customised ‘wake wo

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US Mobile jumps into prepaid convergence with Starlink partnershipindustry

US Mobile jumps into prepaid convergence with Starlink partnership

Share Copy Link Share on X Share on Linkedin Share on Facebook The bundle is designed to preserve US Mobile’s core pricing simplicity while using Starlink discounts as the acquisition lever. Credit: Juan Alejandro Bernal / Shutterstock.com. US Mobile’s April 2026 launch of a promotional convergence bundle with Starlink was a notable escalation in prepaid multiservice competition. It combines US Mobile’s differentiated “pick-your- network” MVNO model (AT&T/T-Mobile /Verizon under the Darkstar/Lightspeed/Warp labels, with optional network switching) with a six‑month discount on Starlink residential broadband—positioning US Mobile to participate in the same fixed-mobile convergence momentum that the national MNOs are using to defend share and improve retention. Convergence has become the default competitive posture. Large US connectivity players are increasingly selling a “household connectivity” concept rather than a single access product, and prepaid is now being used as a retention and share-capture tool, not merely an acquisition funnel. Affordability pressure is re-accelerating prepaid intensity. Consumer sensitivity to recurring bills is rising again amid macro and political stressors. That tends to expand the addressable market for prepaid and for bundles that can be framed as bill-reduction, even when the underlying product set is as niche as satellite broadband. This is not simply “MVNO + satellite internet.” US Mobile’s strategic advantage is its customer-controlled radio access choice across all three national networks, with the ability to change network preference when travel or local coverage conditions warrant it. That capability already reduces churn risk versus single-network prepaid brands, because the customer can self-remediate coverage dissatisfaction without porting out. Adding Starlink introduces a fixed anchor to a prepaid relationship, increasing household stickiness and raising switching costs. The partnership moves US Mobile into the “conn

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AI deployment may actually increase healthcare costsindustry

AI deployment may actually increase healthcare costs

AI deployment may actually increase healthcare costs AI is accelerating the volume of transactions without increasing efficiency, report finds. Artificial Intelligence By Susan Morse , Executive Editor | April 27, 2026 | 11:08 AM Photo: Reza Estakhrian/Getty Images AI is reducing administrative burden for hospitals and providers but it is not always leading to lower costs.That’s the conclusion of a Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) report based on findings from health system executives, insurers, federal agencies and technology companies.The report looked at how AI is being deployed and found it may increase costs.This is because AI is accelerating the volume of transactions without increasing efficiency. WHY THIS MATTERSAI tools allow providers and payers to process more transactions.There are more prior authorization submissions, more billing activity and more back-and-forth between providers and payers, without addressing underlying structural inefficiencies.AI-driven billing is already increasing healthcare spending because more complete documentation and coding are driving higher reimbursement levels and contributing to medical cost inflation.THE LARGER TRENDHealthcare has a $350 billion annual administrative waste problem that executives are looking to AI to solve, according to the report. Of that, $266 billion is attributed to administrative complexity and $59 to $84 billion is the result of fraud and abuse. Billing and transaction costs are a significant driver of administrative complexity, with the cost per healthcare bill in the United States far exceeding that of peer nations, the report said. This is a result of unique payment rules, documentation requirements, and compliance standards that vary across health plans.In prior authorization, providers are using AI tools to automate submissions, while plans use AI to evaluate prior authorization requests. In medical billing, providers use ambient scribing and AI-assisted coding tools

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Health plans adopt standardized approach to prior authorizationindustry

Health plans adopt standardized approach to prior authorization

Health plans adopt standardized approach to prior authorization The approach will be used for medical services that are commonly subject to prior authorization, such as orthopedic surgeries and imaging services. Reimbursement By Susan Morse , Executive Editor | April 24, 2026 | 11:20 AM Photo: FS Productions/Getty Images Health plans have announced a new initiative to adopt a standardized approach for electronic prior authorization requests, according to AHIP.The standardized approach will be used for medical services that are commonly subject to prior authorization, such as orthopedic surgeries and imaging services, including CT scans and MRIs.Insurers signing on include UnitedHealthcare Cigna, CVS Health Aetna, Elevance Health, Humana, Centene and numerous Blue Cross plans nationwide. Geisinger Health Plan and Kaiser Permanente are also part of the initiative that begins on January 1, 2027. The standardized approach applies to commercial coverage, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care. Additional services will be added over time, according to AHIP. The standards do not impact individual plans’ clinical policies or coverage determinations.WHY THIS MATTERSThe policy will speed patient access to care and reduce administrative burden for providers. It will also maintain safeguards to ensure care is safe, effective and affordable, according to AHIP.Incomplete or incorrect submission of documentation and information as part of prior authorization requests often cause delays with determinations, requiring providers to resubmit correct details before the request can be reconsidered.The industry is engaging with organizations representing providers and technology partners to share and receive feedback on the data requirements, with a goal of supporting the widest possible adoption beginning in 2027.Participating health plans will continue adopting these standards on a rolling basis as the standardization commitment is implemented next year. This is a

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Aerospace and defense M&A activity: strategic positioning amid robust growthindustry

Aerospace and defense M&A activity: strategic positioning amid robust growth

Share Copy Link Share on X Share on Linkedin Share on Facebook M&A activity in Aerospace & Defense soared to new highs in 2025. Image: miglagoa – stock.adobe.com. The M&A landscape in A&D tells a story of strategic positioning amid robust growth. According to LSEG, worldwide A&D M&A deal announcements increased by 41% in 2025 to an all-time high of 532 transactions, while aggregate deal value surged by 60% to $42.7 billion. Early 2026 data suggests deal momentum is continuing to build, with worldwide M&A volume and value up 37% and 166%, respectively, in Q1 compared with the same period last year. Europe in particular is emerging as the engine of A&D M&A growth, outpacing North America, as investors anticipate European rearmament. The momentum that began building in 2025, the geographic distribution of activity and the thematic concentration of deal flow all point to where sophisticated capital is being deployed and why. North American targets commanded the highest share of worldwide deal value in 2025, accounting for 155 transactions worth a combined $28.1 billion More strategically significant for investors seeking stability and long-term growth, however, is Europe: deal volume in 2025 increased by 34% to 134 transactions and $8.7 billion in reported value – a 320% increase over the prior year. In Q1 this year, Europe has already recorded deals worth more than half the total for 2025 as a whole. Seven mega-deals (with a transaction value of $1 billion or higher) totaling $24.3 billion were announced in 2025, compared to 5 mega-deals with a value of $15.3 billion in 2024. Mega-deals: PE investors dominate Private equity acquirors were behind the three largest transactions of 2025 and also accounted for over half of aggregate mega-deal value. 2025’s biggest deal was the $10.6 billion carve-out of Boeing’s digital aviation solutions business by Thoma Bravo, the world’s largest software-focused investment firm. The deal is notable n

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