Week in review: 10 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. Supreme Court upholds PPACA subsidies in King v. Burwell
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its long-awaited decision on King v. Burwell Thursday morning, ruling 6-3 that tax subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are available to all Americans, even those who reside in states that did not establish their own health insurance exchanges.

2. Cigna rejects latest takeover bid from Anthem
Cigna rejected Anthem's latest takeover bid, according to The New York Times. The most recent takeover bid from Anthem, which was made public over the weekend, was $184 a share in cash and stock for Cigna, according to the report, which relied on information from people familiar with the matter. Cigna rejected the offer, calling it "inadequate and not in the best interests of Cigna's shareholders."

3. Former hospital CEO faces criminal charges in Chicago
The former president and CEO of Edgewater Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Peter Rogan, returned to Chicago to face perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from the hospital's financial collapse in 2002, according to the Chicago Tribune. In 2011, Mr. Rogan was charged with one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of perjury. The government claimed Mr. Rogan performed fraudulent activity to prevent the government and a bank creditor from collecting civil judgements of $188 million. Mr. Rogan had fled to Canada to escape the charges.

4. UnitedHealth leaves health insurers' largest trade group
UnitedHealth Group, the largest U.S. health insurer, broke ties with America's Health Insurance Plans, the health insurance industry's largest trade group, according to The Wall Street Journal. UnitedHealth claims that its interests were no longer being represented.

5. House committee passes HHS funding bill that would cut AHRQ
The House Appropriations Committee approved the draft fiscal year 2016 budget for HHS, which would terminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, effective Oct. 1, 2015. Any unobligated balances to AHRQ would be rescinded, and any activities carried out by the agency would be executed by different agencies, such as NIH for biomedical research and the CDC for disease control and prevention.

6. UPMC hospitals prohibit sale of Post-Gazette in gift shops
Some UPMC hospitals are banning the sale of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in their gift shops, a decision UPMC spokesman Paul Wood said was precipitated by "fairness issues" in the newspaper's coverage and portrayal of the Pittsburgh-based health system, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

7. Zimmer-Biomet $14B merger finally complete
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday granted clearance for Zimmer's acquisition of Biomet after more than a year after the two companies announced their plans to merge. Zimmer acquired Biomet for 414 billion in cash and equity transaction. The combined companies' corporate name will be Zimmer Biomet Holdings and it will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange and SIX Swiss Exchange under the ZBH ticker symbol beginning June 29.

8. Montefiore Health System employee stole 12,000 patients' data, hospital says
Montefiore Health System is notifying patients of a data breach after learning a former employee at Bronx, N.Y.-based system stole their personal health information. The employee stole the information of 12,517 patients between January and June 2013. According to a Crain's New York Business report, Montefiore did not learn of the incident until May 15 when informed by law enforcement officials. Compromised information includes names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security information, next of kin information and health insurance details.

9. Google explores cardiac wristband
Google is testing a new wearable that can take an electrocardiogram and assess environmental stressors, according to a CNN Money report. The cardiac wristband would be an opportunity for physicians to remotely monitor patients' health. The technology in the device measures the heart's electrical pulses and skin temperature. Additionally, the band can detect changes in mobility, possibly opening the door for Parkinson's research.

10. Nurses at 2 New York hospitals authorize strike
More than 700 registered nurses, represented by the New York State Nurses Association, at Gloversville, N.Y.-based Nathan Littauer Hospital and Schenectady, N.Y.-based Ellis Medicine voted to authorize a strike. The nurses are in negotiations with the hospitals, and the union said staffing levels are one of the key issues being discussed, according to the Albany Business Review.

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