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. Zubik v. Burwell case remains divided
Groups on both sides of the Zubik v. Burwell Supreme Court case about the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate filed their final round of briefs April 20, but a compromise still looks distant, according to SCOTUSblog.
2. Express Scripts denies claims, countersues Anthem
Express Scripts, the nation's largest prescription drug benefits manager, countersued health insurer Anthem and denied allegations that it overcharged Anthem for prescription medications, according to The Wall Street Journal.
3. Epic awarded $940M in trade secrets lawsuit, Tata to appeal decision
A Wisconsin jury ruled in favor of Verona, Wis.-based Epic in a lawsuit alleging Mumbai, India-based Tata Consultancy Services stole trade secrets and confidential information to support its competing healthcare software product, reports Reuters.
4. CMS' 2017 IPPS proposed rule: 10 points to know
CMS released its fiscal year 2017 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, which does away with the two-midnight rule's inpatient pay cuts. The 1,579-page rule also includes proposed rates for long-term care hospitals. Overall, the proposed rule would apply to about 3,330 acute care hospitals and 430 long-term care hospitals for discharges occurring on or after Oct. 1.
5. UnitedHealth to exit most ACA exchanges in 2017, remain in only 'handful' of states
UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected revenue in the first quarter of 2016, despite losses from participating in the Affordable Care Act exchanges. To limit its financial exposure in 2017, the insurer will exit all but a "handful" of ACA marketplaces next year.
6. Theranos faces criminal investigation
Did Palo Alto, Calif.-based blood testing startup Theranos mislead investors and government officials? The U.S. Attorney's Office and the Securities and Exchange Commission are currently investigating, particularly to find out if the company misrepresented the readiness of its technologies and operations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
7. California hospital will close today, leaving 200 without jobs
Colusa (Calif.) Regional Medical Center will close at noon April 22, as it is unable to continue to operate in its current financial condition. Hospital officials expect approximately 200 workers to be affected by the closure.
8. Clinic CEO, physician convicted in massive drug trafficking scheme in Kentucky
A federal jury convicted the president and CEO of a Hazard, Ky.-based medical clinic and her physician husband of more than 150 charges, including illegal distribution of drugs and healthcare fraud.