Friday Five: Top 5 healthcare business news items from the MCOL Weekend edition

Every business day, MCOL posts feature stories making news on the business of health care. Here are five we think are particularly important for this week: 

As Hospitals Post Sticker Prices Online, Most Patients Will Remain Befuddled 

As of Jan. 1, in the name of transparency, the Trump administration required that all hospitals post their list prices online.

Kaiser Health News

Friday, January 4, 2019

Bristol-Myers to Acquire Celgene in Deal Worth $74 Billion

Bristol-Myers Squibb said on Thursday that it would buy Celgene, a maker of cancer-fighting drugs, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $74 billion, the first major pharmaceutical deal of 2019.

NY Times

Friday, January 4, 2019

Drug companies greet 2019 with U.S. price hikes

Drugmakers kicked off 2019 with price increases in the United States on more than 250 prescription drugs, including the world’s top-selling medicine, Humira, although the pace of price hikes was slower than last year.

Reuters

Thursday, January 3, 2019 

Ransomware, phishing attacks top new HHS list of cyberthreats in healthcare

Email phishing attacks, ransomware attacks and attacks against connected medical devices are among the greatest cyberthreats that health systems need to protect against, according to new cybersecurity guidance for health systems from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Fierce Healthcare

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Link between readmission rates, mortality rates back under scrutiny

A new study shows a statistically significant correlation between lower readmission rates and higher mortality rates for patients with heart failure and pneumonia, renewing questions about the efficacy of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP).

Fierce Healthcare

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

These and more weekly news items on the business of healthcare are featured in the MCOL Weekend edition, along with the MCOL Tidbits, and more, for MCOL Premium level members.