Week in review: 12 biggest healthcare stories this week

Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.

1. Hackers break into Anthem
Anthem reported late Wednesday that hackers accessed personal information for approximately 80 million former and current customers and employees, and it is likely that "tens of millions" of records were stolen. The cyberattack is one of the largest data breaches to be disclosed by a healthcare company to date. Affected plans include Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Amerigroup, Caremore, Unicare, Healthlink and DeCare.

2. House votes to repeal PPACA
The Republican-led House passed legislation to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in a 239-286 vote on Tuesday. However, the legislation will likely not go far, even with Republicans controlling the Senate and having a bigger majority in the House. The legislation's passing marks the 61st time the GOP has attempted to repeal the law. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama said he would "happily" veto the most recent attempt.

3. Cerner completes $1.3B Siemens acquisition
Cerner's acquisition of Siemens' health technology division for $1.3 billion was completed Feb. 2, creating a combined annual research and development investment of more than $650 million. Cerner expects its 2015 revenue to fall between $4.8 billion and $5 billion. While 2014 financial results won't be available until Feb. 10, a Bloomberg analyst reports a revenue estimate of $3.4 billion, according to a Kansas City Business Journal report.

4. CHS settles false claims allegations for $75M
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems agreed to pay the federal government $75 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by providing funds to county governments that were used to fund Medicaid payments to hospitals, according to the Department of Justice. The settlement agreement was entered into on behalf of Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation and three affiliated hospitals in New Mexico. The government alleged CHS knowingly made improper donations to three New Mexico counties, which were used to obtain "federal matching payments" and caused the state to present false claims for payments to the federal government.

5. FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg to resign
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, will step down at the end of March, according to a Reuters report. Dr. Hamburg was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2009, making her the second woman to serve as the FDA commissioner. FDA Chief Scientist Stephen Ostroff, MD, will serve as commissioner until a new appointee is named.

6. Obama's 2016 budget: HOPD rates to fall to ASC rates?
President Barack Obama's budget plan for the fiscal year 2016 aims to save Medicare $423 billion between 2016 and 2025, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Amongst bold moves such as sustainable growth rate repeal and primary care incentive payments, hospital outpatient department payments would be subject to lower rates to match physician fee schedule or ambulatory surgery center rates. If the budget plan is enacted, this change could begin as early as 2017.

7. BCBS of Texas forms first ACO-like organization with state medical association
BlueCross BlueShield of Texas and the Texas Medical Association are partnering to launch an "ACO-enabling organization" with a medical association, rather than a hospital or health system. The partnership, called TMA PracticeEdge, is especially significant in Texas, where about two-third of physicians practice in independent solo or group practices. Like other physician-led ACOs, TMA PracticeEdge aims to help TMA's extensive physician network transition to value-based care for BCBSTX beneficiaries.

8. Tenet says hospital takeover talks in Connecticut are over
After more than two years of working toward a deal, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the negotiations over Tenet purchasing five nonprofit hospitals in the state are over. Gov. Malloy and Tenet said the decision was made in the interest of the hospitals, their employees and the communities they serve. Tenet called off the deal in December 2014 due to proposed conditions state regulators put on its purchase of one of the hospitals — Waterbury Hospital. In January, Tenet agreed to renew negotiations with Gov. Malloy, but said the deal would be called off again if the company didn't get a satisfactory agreement.

9. California bill would abolish vaccine exemption for personal belief
The California state legislature is debating a bill that would abolish the exemption that allows parents to forgo vaccinating their children if it conflicts with their personal beliefs. California has been the state hardest hit by the current measles outbreak, totaling 92 cases since the end of December 2014, according to the Los Angeles Times. Most of the cases stemmed from an exposure at Disneyland over the holidays, and the majority of the cases so far are from those who are unvaccinated.

10. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii workers kick off 6-day strike
Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii workers began picketing on Monday at the Moanalua Medical Center in Honolulu to kick off a strike scheduled to last six days, according to the Star Advertiser. The picketing marks the first statewide strike for Unite Here Local 5-Kaiser Permanente Hawaii members in nearly 30 years. The Unite Here Local 5 union — which represents roughly 1,900 Kaiser workers statewide — opposes a low proposed wage increase and a proposal to eliminate pensions for new employees. Understaffing is another issue union spokeswoman Paola Rodelas cited as a reason for the strike.

11. Insure Tennessee dies in state Senate committee
Tennessee lawmakers rejected Insure Tennessee, the alternative Medicaid expansion plan proposed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R), according to a The Tennessean report. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted Wednesday against passing Insure Tennessee, according to the report. Four of the 11 committee members supported the plan.

12. Halifax Health board chairman resigns after failed attempt to fire CEO
John Johnson, chairman of Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Halifax Health's board of commissioners, resigned Monday night after commissioners voted to retain CEO Jeff Feasel despite Mr. Johnson's attempt to fire him, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Mr. Johnson cited $120 million in legal and settlement costs related to a 2009 Medicare fraud lawsuit, the loss of accreditation for the hospital's general surgery residency program and the failure to partner with Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach as reasons to fire Mr. Feasel. Commissioners voted four-to-three to keep Mr. Feasel, who has led the system since 2005.

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