1. CMS overpaid providers $636M for neurostimulator surgeries: OIG Full story

2. UnitedHealthcare, Wellstar fail to renew contract, affecting nearly 80,000 Full story

3. New York suspends prior authorizations, eases reporting requirements Full story

4. AI & RPM aren't just for clinical use — learn 6 ways this tech improves the revenue cycle.

5. Philadelphia hospital mourns nursing assistant killed in shooting Full story

6. Kaiser suspends 2,200 unvaccinated employees Full story

7. Illinois health system asks court to dismiss antitrust suit Full story

8. Demand for labor drives costs up, straining hospital profitability, report finds Full story

9. The end of underpayments — Here's what a next-gen payer appeals process looks like.

10. Michigan health system enters affiliation deal for IT, EMR needs Full story

11. 10 hospitals seeking RCM talent Full story

12. Pharmacists challenge $8B UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare merger Full story

13. Denials are expensive. Click here to learn how to avoid them altogether.

14. 5 rules to kill in 2021, according to healthcare execs Full story

15. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state:

• Test positivity rates
• Hospitalizations
• Death rates
• Vaccines administered
• Population fully vaccinated

Becker's Learning Opportunities

1. 3 in 4 patients want online scheduling. Are you meeting their needs? Learn the state of patient access in a pandemic-changed world.

2. Patients deserve to get the most out of their care. Here's how to make sure they do.

3. 18,000 consumers weighed in on customer experience preferences. Here are 4 need-to-know takeaways for healthcare organizations.