DAILY UPDATE: Aetna Ratings Down as Stock Markets Flatten

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Aetna, CVS’s health insurance arm and the third largest payer in the US, is struggling amid higher medical costs and lower Medicare Advantage star ratings. After CVS reported a nearly 40% YoY drop in operating income in its Q2 2024 earnings released on August 7th, President and CEO Karen Lynch announced the company will replace Aetna’s president, Brian Kane, and initiate a $2 billion cost-savings plan.

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What’s up

  • Nvidia jumped 4.08% after it was named a top “rebound” stock by Bank of America.
  • Keycorp leaped 9.24% on the news that the Bank of Nova Scotia will invest $2.8 billion in the company.
  • Robinhood Markets rose 3.46% due to an upgrade from Piper Sandler analysts who say the company’s sudden decline gives it an attractive entry point.
  • Monday.com popped 14.78% thanks to a strong earnings report from the software maker, due in no small part to sealing the largest deal in company history.
  • Barrick Gold soared 9.36% after beating earnings estimates on both the top and bottom lines thanks to the rising price of gold.

What’s down

Here’s where the major stock benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500®  index (SPX)added 0.23(0.00%) to 5,344.39; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 140.53 points (–0.36%) to 39,357.01; the NASDAQ Composite rose 35.30points (0.21%) to 16,780.61.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell three basis points to just under 3.91%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased 0.34 points (1.67%) to 20.71.

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Stat: 8.2%. That’s the percentage of people in the US without health insurance in the first quarter of 2024. (Healthcare Dive)

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Visualize: How private equity tangled banks in a web of debt, from the Financial Times.

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PODCAST: Healthcare Start-Ups, Accelerators and Incubators

By Eric Bricker MD

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DAILY UPDATE: Medicare, Google & Meta, FTX and the Rising Markets

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FTX was ordered to pay $12.7 billion to customers. All customers will recoup their deposits that were locked when the crypto exchange went under in 2022, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission just said last Thursday.

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Read: How one-hour patient home visits allowed insurers to collect $15 billion from Medicare between 2019 and 2021. (the Wall Street Journal)

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What’s up

  • Sweetgreen popped 33.33% after a strong earnings report coupled with forecasts of higher-than-expected sales in 2024.
  • Doximity soared 38.70% thanks to a beat-and-raise quarter from the medical platform that has been investing in its own DoximityGPT AI model.
  • Nikola rose 8.21% after a surprisingly strong quarter in which sales soared 318%.
  • Unity Software jumped 8.22% despite revenue coming in lower year over year, but it was still higher than Wall Street expected.
  • Take-Two Interactive Software surged 4.35% after it beat earnings estimates last quarter, but no word yet on how its Gearbox acquisition is helping its bottom line, nor when GTA 6 is going to be released.
  • Expedia traveled 10.21% higher due to an earnings beat, with the company sidestepping a consumer spending slowdown quite nicely.

What’s down

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 25 points (0.5%) to 5,344.16, ending the week little changed; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 51 points (0.1%) to 39,497.54 to end the week down about 0.6%; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) ended 85 points higher (0.5%) at 16,745.30, leaving it about 0.2% lower for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped five basis points to 3.944%.
  • The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) declined three points (13%) to 20.7.

Google and Meta teamed up to target teens with ads for Instagram on YouTube, going against Google’s own rules, the Financial Times reported.

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DAILY UPDATE: Data Breach Up, Novo Nordisk Down as Stock Markets Stumble

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You might be affected by one of the biggest data breaches ever and not even know it. A recent class action lawsuit filed against Jerico Pictures Inc., a background check company that does business under the name National Public Data, claims that the company was breached by hackers earlier this year.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The SPX dipped 40.5 points (0.8%) to 5,199.5; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 234.2 points (0.6%) to 38,763.45 the NASDAQ Composite ($COMP) fell 171 points (1.1%) to 16,195.8. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose to 3.96%.
  • The Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX) inched up to 27.8, still very elevated.

What’s Up

What’s down

  • Super Micro Computer dropped 20.14% thanks to an earnings miss, as well as the announcement of a 10-for-1 stock split.
  • AirBnB tumbled 13.38% after not only missing analyst estimates last quarter, but warning of slowing demand in the coming quarter.
  • Lyft drove 17.23% lower in spite of strong ridership in the second quarter. Shareholders, however, did not like management’s dour financial forecast for the third quarter.
  • CVS Health sank 3.19% after it slashed its profit guidance for the full year, though it also announced a new cost-cutting program.
  • TripAdvisor took a trip south today, falling 16.61% due to a mixed earnings report and dire warnings of lower revenue in the coming quarter.
  • Amgen stumbled 5% after the biotech company missed Wall Street forecasts in the second quarter.

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Novo Nordisk sales thinned on Ozempic earnings miss. Shares of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk sank 8.27% today after the company missed expectations on its sales of popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Novo reported $1.7 billion in Wegovy sales, below the $2 billion analysts expected, while Ozempic sales came in $0.2 billion lower than analyst estimates. Overall, the company reported a net profit of $1.86 billion in the second quarter.

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HEALTH ECONOMICS: Podcast and Research Paper Presentations

By Staff Reporters

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RESEARCH PAPER: https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mankiw/files/economics_of_healthcare.pdf

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DAILY UPDATE: Turn Key Health, Intel, Coke and Eli Lilly

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The FDA said shortages of Eli Lilly’s popular weight loss and diabetes drugs are over.

Coca-Cola must pay $6 billion in back taxes and interest to the Internal Revenue Service, a federal tax court ruled. Coke is appealing but will pay the bill for now.

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Stat: 40.1%. That’s the percentage of people in the US who said they had “a lot of trust” in physicians and hospitals in January 2024, down from 71.5% in April 2020. (JAMA Network Open)

Quote: “We can usher people here and they can get the help that they need because the hospitals are clearly overwhelmed.”—Yolanda Gales, a program director with a Maryland County mobile crisis response team, on the opening of the county’s first 24/7 mental health centers (the Washington Post)

Read: One report says that dozens of incarcerated patients died while under the care of Turn Key Health Clinics. (the Marshall Project)

Careers in care: Indeed has a dedicated job board for healthcare pros. It features employers with top company ratings for your perusing pleasure. Check it out.*

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Stocks plunged Friday as an unexpectedly bleak jobs report had investors second-guessing the Fed’s decision to wait until September to cut interest rates. Intel suffered its worst drop in 50 years and traded at its lowest price since 2013 after it missed on earnings, announced major layoffs, and suspended its dividend.

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DAILY UPDATE: Intel, Colon Cancer, Fewer Cardiologists and UnitedHealth Tactics as the Stock Markets Tank!

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Stat: $895. That’s the out-of-pocket cost for a blood test that screens for colon cancer, which may receive more widespread insurance coverage now that it has FDA approval. (CNBC)

Quote: “There’s no question that the health statistics of rural America are worse than the health statistics of more urban America.”—Robert Harrington, a cardiologist and dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, on the lack of cardiologists in rural parts of the US (the Washington Post)

Read: Critics say that UnitedHealth has used questionable tactics and exploitation to achieve dominance in healthcare. (Stat)

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Intel is slashing 15% of its staff as part of a $10 billion plan to reduce costs, the tech company announced in its second-quarter earnings Thursday.

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What’s up

What’s down

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SCOTUS: Rejects Chevron Deference [Healthcare Industry Implications]

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a seismic decision explicitly overruling the Chevron doctrine,” which will limit the ability of federal agencies to rely on their own interpretation of the laws they administer.

Under the Chevron doctrine, more commonly referred to as Chevron deference, courts were mandated to uphold a federal agency’s interpretation of a statute as long as it was reasonable.

This Health Capital Topics article discusses the Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court’s decision, and the impact of this ruling on the healthcare industry. (Read more…)

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DAILY UPDATE: Hacking Hospitals and Urinary Catheter Scam as Broad Stock Markets Gain

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According to a recent report in the Washington Post, a $3 billion scam involving urinary catheters has brought to light serious flaws in Medicare, prompting strong calls for reform.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 rose about 60 points (1.1%) to 5,459.10; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 654 points (1.6%) at 40,589.34; the NASDAQ Composite ended 176 points higher (1.0%) at 17,357.88.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell five basis points to 4.197%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) slipped 10% to 16.56.

What’s up

What’s down

  • Dexcom plummeted 40.66% after management cut the diabetes monitoring company’s full-year revenue guidance.
  • Biogen sank 7.15% after European regulators denied marketing authorization for the pharma company’s new Alzheimer’s drug.
  • Weight Watchers fell 12.50% after Morgan Stanley analysts downgraded the company from overweight to equal weight based on the long-term headwinds it faces from obesity drugs.

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The US is raising alarm bells about a North Korean hacking group that broke into NASA, two US Air Force bases, and several defense companies.  The FBI, NSA and State Department just called out the North Korean hacking group “Andariel” for committing cyber espionage and using ransomware attacks on US hospitals to fund its operations. 

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Stat: 524. That’s how many employees Optum is laying off in California. (Becker’s Health IT)

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DAILY UPDATE: The US Economy of KH and Medicare [Part C] with Mixed Stock Markets

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The Wall Street Journal explores what Kamala Harris as president would mean for the economy. (the Wall Street Journal)

  • Q2 GDP was shockingly strong, with today’s reading of 2.8% growth outpacing the 2.1% economists expected.
  • The Japanese yen is rising while US tech stocks are falling.
  • You’re in my seat: Southwest Airlines is getting rid of its open seating arrangement and shifting to assigned seats.
  • 32 charts that tell you everything you need to know about markets midway through 2024 at a glance.
  • The Fed should cut interest rates at next week’s meeting, according to the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  • Bill Ackman is trying to turn social media stardom into profit.

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Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell about 28 points (0.5%) to 5,399.22; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 81 points (0.2%) to 39,935.07; the NASDAQ Composite ended 161 points lower (0.9%) at 17,181.72.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped four basis points to 4.255%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX)declined 0.6% to 17.94.

What’s up

What’s down

  • Universal Music Group tumbled 23.54% after subscription and streaming revenues fell well short of analyst expectations.
  • Ford plummeted 18.40% for the automaker’s worst day of trading since 2009 after it missed profit expectations and provided no positive forecast for the quarters ahead.
  • Lululemon slid 9.09% thanks to a downgrade from Citi analysts from “buy” to “neutral” predicated on a sales slowdown.
  • Royal Caribbean sank 7.61% after the company indicated that it’s facing a slowdown in demand.
  • Edwards Lifesciences crashed 31.27% thanks to a mixed earnings report, as well as management’s guidance that sales for its key heart valve replacement therapy will sink next quarter.

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Thousands of seniors are losing coverage at local hospitals as problems plague Medicare Advantage. Lower payout rates for Medicare and Medicaid are sparking insurance companies to leave certain areas and change coverage options across the country.

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DAILY UPDATE: Digital Therapeutics, FSEDs, Medical Costs and the NASDAQ Collapse

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You’ve heard of an emergency department and an urgent care center, but have you heard of a freestanding emergency department (FSED)? While only 1% of FSEDs were freestanding in 2001, that figure jumped to 11% in 2016, totaling 566 facilities nationwide. The concept of FSEDs dates back to the 1970s, when these facilities provided emergency care to people in rural areas who didn’t have convenient access to hospitals. In 2001, there were only 50 FSEDs in the US—now there are about 745, according to 2018 research by the Emergency Medicine Network, which Herscovici worked on.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 fell about 129 points (2.3%) to 5,427.13; the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 504 points (1.3%) to 39,853.87; the NASDAQ Composite ended 655 points lower (3.6%) at 17,342.41.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose four basis points to 4.291%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) surged 23% to 18.13.

What’s up

  • Enphase Energy gained 12.80% despite missing earnings estimates as investors cheered management’s very positive forecast for the solar company’s future.
  • AT&T phoned in a 5.22% pop after reporting a stronger than expected increase in its number of wireless subscribers, a key metric its competitor Verizon recently missed on.
  • Mattel rose yet another 9.80% as takeover rumors continue to swirl, with reports that rival toy maker Hasbro could place a competing bid.
  • Seagate Technology jumped 4.02% thanks to a strong earnings report from the hardware maker.

What’s down

  • Visa slid 4.01% after missing analyst estimates for revenue thanks to slower consumer spending.
  • AMC Entertainment Holdings fell 7.68% after the company tried to get ahead of bad news and released preliminary earnings that impressed nobody.
  • Vertiv Holdings sank 13.64% despite beating earnings estimates, with investors seemingly worried about the AI play’s sky-high valuation.
  • General Dynamics stumbled 3.32% thanks to fewer deliveries of its high-end jets last quarter.
  • Lamb Weston dropped like a hot potato, plunging 28.24% after the frozen food supplier announced earnings well below expectations and forecast a terrible second half of the year.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed CPT payment codes for some digital therapeutics products for the first time, potentially paving a pathway toward widespread reimbursement for the nascent industry.

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In 2025, medical costs are projected to increase 8% in the group market and 7.5% in the individual market—the highest levels seen in 13 years—according to an analysis from consulting firm PwC’s Health Research Institute. The anticipated rise is mainly pinned on inflationary pressure, expensive pharmaceuticals, and an increasing number of patients seeking mental health care, analysts found.

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HEALTH EXPENDITURES: Projected to Approach $8 Trillion by 2032

By Health Capital Consultants LLC

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On June 12, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their health insurance enrollment and national health expenditure (NHE) projections for 2023 through 2032. The annually-updated NHE is the official U.S. estimate of insurance enrollment and health spending. CMS projects that, between 2023 and 2032, the NHE’s annual growth rate of 5.6% will surpass the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) annual growth rate of 4.3%. As a result, health spending as a share of the U.S. GDP is expected to jump from 17.3% in 2022 to 19.7% in 2032.

This Health Capital Topics article reviews the notable findings from CMS’s projections. (Read more…) 

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DAILY UPDATE: Ardent Health IPO, Davita Settles, Amex Reports with Choppy Stock Markets

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Stat: 13%. That’s how much millennial and Gen Z spending increased year over year, according to American Express earnings released last week. Amex reported slower growth in travel and entertainment compared to the previous quarter, but restaurant spending “remained strong.” (PYMNTS)

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Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 fell about 9 points (0.16%) to 5,555.69; the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 57 points (0.14%) to 40,358.09; the NASDAQ Composite ($COMP) ended 10 points lower (0.06%) at 17,997.35.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was unchanged at 4.255%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) decreased about 2% to 14.62.

What’s up

What’s down

  • UPS delivered a 12.05% dip, falling to new all-time lows after missing analyst earnings expectations, as well as cutting its revenue forecast.
  • NXP Semiconductors plunged 7.58% on management’s poor revenue forecast for the coming quarter, despite meeting expectations this quarter.
  • Comcast sank 2.58% on a mixed earnings announcement that saw the company beat on earnings but miss revenue thanks to a slow theme parks segment.
  • GM stalled 6.43% despite announcing solid earnings—investors didn’t like to hear management note that the second half of the year will be a lot tougher.

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Kidney care giant DaVita has agreed to pay nearly $34.5 million to settle allegations that it paid kickbacks for referrals to its former DavitaRx subsidary.


And … Ardent Health was targeting a $300 million IPO but raised just $192 million.

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DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth Group and PBMs as Technology Stocks Soar

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Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

The Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX) fell sharply to 14.91.

The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 59.41 points (1.1%) to 5,564.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 127.91 points (0.3%) to 40,415.44; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP)jumped 280.63 points (1.6%) to 18,007.57. 

The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) added two basis points to 4.26%.

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What’s up

What’s down

  • Crowdstrike withered another 13.46% as the fallout from what’s being hailed as the largest IT outage in history continues to punish the stock.
  • Trump Media & Technology Group dipped 0.83% during the trading session after President Biden’s announcement that he’s dropping out of the presidential race.
  • Verizon sank 6.04% after whiffing on its earnings report, missing on revenue thanks to customers holding on to their old phones for longer.
  • Ryanair crumbled 15.41% following an earnings report that revealed the company’s earnings after taxes sank an eye-watering 46% last quarter.
  • Starbucks dropped 3.43% on a report by the Wall Street Journal late last week that activist investor Elliott Investment Management has taken a stake in the coffee chain.

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The US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability is holding a hearing tomorrow, bringing in PBMs from around the US to testify on “their role in rising healthcare costs.” The hearing comes soon after an FTC report found PBMs to have an “outsized influence” on drug pricing.

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The February cyberattack on a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary may have exposed the health data of one in three Americans, but the nation’s largest health insurance company by market cap and revenue returned to profitability in the second quarter, beating Wall Street expectations and reporting net income of $4.2 billion.

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DAILY UPDATE: Starbucks, Crowdstrike, US Banks and Charles Schwab

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Shares of Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW) fell over 15% last week, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. One of the largest brokerages posted slow growth and poor earnings as the company deals with low-yielding assets on its balance sheet. As of 1:31 p.m. ET on Friday, July 19th, Charles Schwab stock was down 17.5% this week.

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Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has reportedly built up a substantial stake in Starbucks and has been pushing the coffee chain to improve its stock price.

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Markets: The S&P 500 logged its worst week since April as investors pulled back from Big Tech stocks. CrowdStrike fell because causing a global IT outage is not good (more on that in a sec).

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In a recent video, finance YouTuber Lena Petrova highlighted the troubling financial state of U.S. banks as they report significant losses and increase their reserves to cover a surge in loan delinquencies. With the second quarter results rolling in, it’s evident that the banking sector is under considerable strain.

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DAILY UPDATE: Crowdstrike Price, Banks and Healthcare

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CrowdStrike saw its share price plummet Friday, although it is still up ~24% YTD. At $74.2 billion, CrowdStrike has the second-largest market cap in the IT security industry, behind only Palo Alto Networks ($107.1 billion), and reported $900 million in revenue for the quarter ending in April, per Reuters. It’s got ~29,000 customers, which is part of why the outage caused so much havoc.

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Crowdstrike Banks: Some traders at JPMorgan Chase, UBS, Bloomberg, and other financial institutions couldn’t execute orders yesterday morning, with one unnamed senior trader telling the Financial Times that it was “the biggest upset in years.”

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Crowdstrike Healthcare: Many hospitals—including some of the largest in Europe and the US—were forced to cancel all elective operations, routine appointments, and walk-ins, and online portals for most UK general practitioners went down.

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DENTAL CARE: Unattainable for Many Patients

“Crisis”

By Staff Reporters

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A lack of insurance and high out-of-pocket costs make dental care unattainable for 69 million people in the US. (USA Today)

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JOHNS HOPKINS: Medical School Free!

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP

I grew up in SE inner city Baltimore, Maryland and played stick ball in the parking lot of JHU medical school. And so, I was gratified to learn that it is about to get a lot cheaper—for many students at Johns Hopkins University, at least.

Thanks Mike Bloomberg. Be like Mike!

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The former New York mayor, entrepreneur, and 1964 John Hopkins alum Michael Bloomberg donated $1 billion to the university, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies and the university in a recent announcement. Starting this fall, tuition will be free for students coming from households that earn less than $300,000 annually, and the gift will also cover living expenses and other fees for students from families with less than $175,000 in annual income.

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Financial access to medical school is a challenge for many students: The median debt for the class of 2023 is $200,000, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. This cost can discourage students from attending medical school at a time when the US needs more physicians; the association predicted that there will be a physician shortage of up to 86,000 doctors nationwide by 2036.

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DAILY UPDATE: UnitedHealth, Aetna, Long Covid and Physician Burnout as NASDAQ Collapses

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The Dow surged another 240 points as the cyclical rotation continues, sending the index to its 22nd record closing high of the year. The S&P 500 had its worst day since late April, while the NASDAQ slumped to its worst finish since December 2022. The last time the Dow rose on the same day the S&P 500 fell by more than 1% was all the way back in 1999. Gold hit a record high yesterday on hopes of a rate cut, not a hike. Oil bubbled up thanks to an Energy Information Administration report highlighting higher demand and lower crude inventories. Bond yields stayed steady throughout the trading session before sinking slightly 20-year Treasury bond auction.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell 78.93 points (–1.39%) to 5,588.27; the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 243.6 points (0.59%) to 41,198.08; the NASDAQ Composite plunged 512.41 points (–2.77%) to 17,996.92.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped just below 4.15%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index jumped sharply to 14.48.

What’s up

  • VF Corp. rose 13.64% on the news that it is selling its Supreme brand to EssilorLuxottica for $1.5 billion.
  • Roche soared 7.55% after the Swiss pharmaceutical company announced it has made strides in developing a weight-loss and diabetes treatment that uses a pill rather than an injection. Competitors sank on the news, with Eli Lilly declining 3.78% and Novo Nordisk falling 3.87%.
  • GitLab popped 9.34% on a report that the software developer is exploring a sale, potentially to cloud company Datadog, whose shares fell 7.35%.
  • Johnson & Johnson rose a tepid 3.67% thanks to a mixed earnings announcement that included beating expectations this quarter but warning of lower profits ahead.

What’s down

  • Spirit Airlines descended 10.76% to a new all-time low after warning that both earnings and revenue will come in lower than expected this coming quarter.
  • Five Below plummeted 25.05% after its CEO, who has helmed the company for over a decade, announced his departure smack in the middle of a very difficult year.
  • J.B. Hunt tanked 6.88% thanks to a poor second-quarter earnings report in which earnings and revenue came in well below analyst expectations.
  • Charles Schwab fell yet another 5.34% as the hits keep coming. Today, the culprit was a price target downgrade from Bank of America analysts.
  • Elevance Health slipped 5.96% despite beating analyst expectations this quarter, but warning that Medicaid membership declined.

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UnitedHealth Group has bounced back in the second quarter, reaffirming its guidance for the year as it posts a profit of $4.2 billion


An audit of Aetna Health of Texas found significant errors in how the health plan calculated the qualifying payment amount for air ambulance services, raising more questions over broader noncompliance in the industry for the No Surprises Act.


And … clinical decision software company Regard pocketed $61 million in series B funding to scale its reach in healthcare as investors have a growing appetite for AI-powered startups.

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A study published in JAMA this month found that nearly 7% of the US population (or roughly 18 million people) have had long Covid. Symptoms of the condition vary widely, but often include fatigue, brain fog, and post-exertional malaise (meaning symptoms worsen after minimal exertion), according to the CDC. Booster shots may help protect against long Covid, the JAMA study suggested.

And, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas with ‘mild symptoms’.

Physician burnout is on the decline after spiking to unprecedented levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey from professional group the American Medical Association (AMA).

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DAILY UPDATE: Apple, Macy’s, Goldman, Banks, Companies and the Roaring DJIA

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  • The Dow jumped 700 points at one point today, its biggest single-day surge this year. The S&P 500 spent the entire trading session in positive territory, ending the afternoon at another record close, while the NASDAQ was flat most of the day as tech stocks sat out the rally.
  • Bitcoin continued to surge, rising as high as $65,191 as predictions of a second Trump presidency helped erase the cryptocurrency’s recent losses.
  • Gold hit a new record as hopes of a rate hike continue to rise, while oil sank on the news of slower economic growth in China translating to lower demand for crude.
  • The Russell 2000 enjoyed its 5th straight gain of 1% or more for the first time since 1979 as small caps make their comeback (more on that below).

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Apple released public beta versions of the newest software for iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch. Macy’s ended talks of a buyout with investment firms Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management after months of wrangling. Goldman Sachs was the latest big bank to benefit from rebounding investment banking fees as deals start making a comeback.

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Despite such challenges as high interest rates, a sluggish M&A market, and increased regulatory scrutiny, bank executives are feeling optimistic about the road ahead. That’s according to KPMG’s 2024 US Banking Industry Outlook Survey, published last month, which polled 200 senior executives at US banks of varying sizes in March 2024.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 35.98 points (0.64%) to 5,667.20; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 742.76 points (1.85%) to 40,954.48; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 36.77 points (0.2%) to 18,509.34.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell slightly to just under 4.17%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) ticked up to 13.19, still near three-week highs.

What’s up

  • Match Group climbed 7.46% after activist investor Starboard Value revealed it has taken a 6.6% stake in the matchmaking company.
  • Bank of America rose 5.35% on strong earnings, and management’s expectation that the bank’s net interest income will rise this year.
  • UnitedHealth Group popped 6.49% after beating analyst earnings estimates, missing revenue expectations, and most importantly, avoided higher costs after a recent cyberattack.
  • Shopify surged 8.57% thanks to an analyst upgrade from “neutral” to “buy” on the company’s turnaround efforts. Shares of Etsy rose 6.33% in sympathy.
  • GRAIL boomed 24.76% on the news that it is kicking off the clinical trials of its new cancer detection test.
  • Home builders’ hot streak continues: Hopes of a rate cut are fueling a rally for home builder stocks, with D.R. Horton up 6.64%, Lennar rising 6.55%, KB Home gaining 7.17%, and Builders FirstSource popping 8.11%.

What’s down

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DAILY UPDATE: PBMs Scrutinized as Companies Report and Stock Markets Rotate

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Though the accountant shortage is still a concern, a shortage of AI and tech skills might be a more pressing issue right now. That’s according to a pulse survey by consulting firm RGP and YouGov, which polled 213 US financial professionals at the director level and above this June.

Read: What do you do when you hit your insurance deductible? Some people throw parties. (the New York Times)

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 15.87 points (0.28%) to 5,631.22; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 210.82 points (0.53%) to 40,211.72, a new record-high close; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 74.12 points (0.4%) to 18,472.57. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) gained four basis points to just below 4.23%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased to 13.14, its highest close since June 24.

What’s up

  • Bitcoin-related stocks rose alongside the crypto rally today, with Coinbase up 11.39% and Microstrategy climbing 15.36%.
  • Gun manufacturers always rise after a major shooting incident, and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump certainly meets that criteria. Sturm, Ruger & Company jumped 5.44%, and Smith & Wesson rose 11.38%.
  • Stelco Holdings rocketed 73.98% higher on the news that the Canadian steelmaker will be acquired by Cleveland Cliffs for $2.8 billion.
  • AutoNation popped 2.01% on the news that it’s cutting $1.50 off of its EPS for the latest quarter due to the CDK cyberattack. Apparently getting ahead of the bad news is actually good news?

What’s down

  • Macy’s sank 11.76% after the department store’s board voted to end acquisition negotiations with activist investors Arkhouse and Brigade.
  • Burberry fell 16.08% after a poor quarterly report, a profit warning, and the ousting of its CEO.
  • AES plummeted 10.01% thanks to a storm cutting power to thousands of the utility company’s customers throughout Ohio.
  • SolarEdge Technologies dropped 15.36% after the company announced it will lay off 400 employees to improve profitability. Shares of solar competitors slumped in sympathy: First Solar fell 8.50%, Sunrun sank 8.95%, and Sunnova Energy fell 9.96%.

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) frequently sets its sights on healthcare, which has previously included efforts to crack down on data privacy and ban noncompetes in contracts. Lately, the agency has turned its attention to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—the groups that negotiate drug prices between insurers and pharmaceutical manufacturers—to shed light on how they impact the healthcare industry.

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Stat: 23.5%. That’s how much Covid-related emergency room visits increased in a week at the beginning of this month. (CDC)

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MEDICAL DEBT: Remains a Household Strain

Report underscores ongoing concerns about accuracy of collections data, particularly with respect to medical debt

By Staff Reporters

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According to Gabriella Cruz-Martinez, tens of millions of debt collections disappeared from Americans’ credit reports during the pandemic, a new government watchdog report found, but overdue medical bills remain a big strain on many households nationwide. The total number of debt collections on credit reports dropped by 33% from 261 million in 2018 to 175 million in 2022, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, while the share of consumers with a debt collection on their credit report shrunk by 20%.

Medical debt collections also dropped by 17.9% during that time, but still made up 57% of all collection accounts on credit reports, far more than other types of debt combined — including credit cards, utilities, and rent accounts. Despite the reduction in collections, the CFPB noted that the results underscore ongoing concerns that current medical billing and collection practices can lack transparency, often hurting the credit scores and financial health of those most vulnerable.

“Our analysis of credit reports provides yet another indicator that, due to a strong labor market and emergency programs during the pandemic, household financial distress reduced over the last two years,” Rohit Chopra, CFPB director said in a statement. “However, false and inaccurate medical debt on credit reports continues to drag on household financial health.”

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ORDER: https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Health-Insurance-Managed-Care/dp/0826149944/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275315485&sr=1-4

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JUNE: Men’s Mental Health Month

By Staff Reporters

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Mental Health America is proud to recognize June as Men’s Health Month. So, if you think you or a loved-one may be experiencing signs of a mental illness, visit www.mhascreening.org to take a free, quick and confidential screen for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, and/or Alcohol or Substance Use problems.  

Put a doctor in your pocket (and skip the waiting room)

Caraway is an app that delivers mental, physical, and reproductive health services tailored to 18- to 29-year-olds. Start therapy, fill prescriptions, answer immediate health concerns, and more—anytime, anywhere, 24/7. Lock in limited-time pricing of $20/month or $180/year (your first 30 days are free!)

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GAP BETWEEN A.I. AND BEDSIDE: Participatory Workshop on the Barriers to the Integration, Translation, and Adoption of Digital Health Care and AI Startup Technology Into Clinical Practice

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The study examines the challenges of integrating new technologies in clinical practice, identified four primary barriers: insufficient knowledge of health system technology procurement protocols, which can vary across facilities; strict regulations and clinical trial requirements; obstacles in the health system technology procurement process; and competitive disadvantages for smaller startups.

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Medical Franchises, MLM and In-Office Dispensation

BY Dr. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO MBA MEd CMP

http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

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Healthcare Business and Medical Franchises

The International Franchise Association (IFA) estimates that that about $1 trillion in sales, or 40% of all retail sales, were made through franchised establishment last decade. On the positive side, franchises offer a branded practice concept with management training and access to proprietary methods, marketing and advertising campaigns and a host of support. Moreover, there are franchises available for virtually every healthcare product or service, including: diet, weight loss and fitness; vein care and laser surgery; vitamins, nutriceuticals and pharmaceuticals; plastic and cosmetic surgery; dermatology, tanning and skin care; home healthcare and extended, etc.

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Some well know established healthcare and medical franchises are: Doctors Express, Being There Senior Care, Home Care Assistance, Personal Training Institute, Inches-A-Weigh, Remedy Intelligent Staffing, Visiting Angels, Unlimited MedSearch, prnYourHealth and Any Lab Test Now.

On the downside, franchises incur high start-up costs, rules and obligations, payment of franchise percentages and many contractual obligations.

Questions to consider when contemplating this business entity include:

 Franchise stability, track record, licensing and costs.
 Training, support and proximity of other franchises.
 Independence, ownership laws, contracts and dispute resolutions,
 Screening methods, market size and potential market share.
 Replacement cost and transferability?

For more information on Uniform Franchise Offerings Circulars (UFOCs) contact:

Frandata
1130 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20036
202.659.8640

International Franchise Association7
1350 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.628.800

Multi-Level Marketing and In-Office Dispensation


A multi-level marketing (MLM) business delivers products or services through a chain of independent distributors rather than traditional retail business outlets. Existing medical practices not only pursue income ancillary, but it is not unusual for beginning practitioners to plan for and include it in their start-up models and business plans.

The first layer is usually the distributor who must sell products/services and recruit additional members to produce a hierarchical organization with many employees. Each distributor profits from direct sales, and from a varying commission stream down-line. It may be best to investigate before you leap into these situations since some may be fraudulent pyramid schemes that sell no useful product or service, and requires only recruiting others into the scheme. Be sure to obtain a Dunn & Bradstreet or TRW credit
report about any MLM company and inquire about current litigation. Most authorities agree that it take 3-5 years before serious money is made in the MLM business.

Moreover, care must be taken with this model. According to colleague Stephen Barrett MD, writing on the Mirage of Multilevel Marketing: “Many any physicians are selling health-related multi-level products to patients in their offices. The companies most involved have included Amway (now doing business as Quixtar), Body Wise, Nu Skin (Interior Design), Rexall, and Juice Plus+. Doctors are typically recruited with promises that the extra income will replace income lost to managed-care.

Back, in December 1997, the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) advised against profiting from the sale of “non- health-related products” to their patients. Although CEJA’s policy statement does
not mention products sold through multilevel marketing, CEJA’s chairman said the statement was triggered by the growing number of physicians who had added an Amway distributorship to their practice.”

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DAILY UPDATE: Tesla, PBMs, Medicare Part C and the Hot Stock Markets

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A day before the June CPI report, major indexes extended their rally amid growing demand for semiconductors and rate cut hopes.

  • The S&P 500 rose above 5,600 for the first time ever, only a few short days after breaking above 5,500, with the index hitting a new record for the last seven straight trading sessions. The NASDAQ also enjoyed a solid day as well thanks to strong performances by tech stocks, while even the Dow got in on the action and ended the session in the green.
  • Bond yields stayed almost right where they’ve been all week as investors hold their breath ahead of tomorrow’s key CPI reading.
  • Gold rose as investors hope for a strong CPI report to point the Fed toward more rate cuts, while oil rose as well thanks to a stronger-than-expected outlook on global demand from OPEC.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in June it would recalculate 2024 Medicare Advantage (MA) star ratings for all plans after two court rulings called into question the agency’s method for determining this year’s ratings. The decision is estimated to cost the federal agency roughly $1 billion in additional bonus payments for insurers, according to healthcare analytics firm Cotiviti. The move comes after several large insurers laid off employees in late 2023 after their star ratings decreased.

HIPAA: Some groups are disputing a proposed federal rule that would require hospitals to report cybersecurity incidents, saying they want it to also include insurers and third-party vendors. (Healthcare Dive)

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

What’s up

  • Taiwan Semiconductor rose 3.54% after it reported that its June revenue fell 10% month over month, but its sales rose roughly 33% year over year.
  • Advanced Micro Devices popped 3.87% on the news it is acquiring Silo AI, the largest private artificial intelligence lab in Europe, for $665 million.
  • Carvana drove 4.21% higher after Needham analysts upgraded the stock from “hold” to “buy” due in part to new features at checkout highlighting EVs. Competitor CarMax jumped 6.42% in sympathy.
  • Aehr Test Systems rocketed 24.01% after the semiconductor testing equipment maker raised earnings guidance thanks to strong AI demand.
  • Smart Global Holdings rose 26.27% thanks to earnings that beat Wall Street expectations in the third quarter and a strong outlook for the rest of the year.

What’s down

  • LegalZoom plummeted 25.35% to a new all-time low after the company cut its outlook and its CEO stepped down.
  • HubSpot sank 12.24% on a report that Alphabet is no longer interested in acquiring the company.
  • Intuit dropped 2.57% on the news that the tax prep company is cutting 10% of its workforce.
  • Deckers Outdoor fell 4.86% after M Science analysts published a note cautioning that sales for key brands UGG and HOKA fell in June.
  • Ziff Davis fell 10.32% after the digital media company tried to get ahead of the bad news and pre-announced that second-quarter earnings will fall below analyst expectations.
  • Fast-casual restaurant stocks continued to sink today as investors grow more concerned about lower consumer spending and higher valuations. CAVA Group fell 5.47%, Sweetgreen dropped 1.72%, and Dutch Bros fell 4.34%.

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Tesla’s US electric car market share fell below 50% in Q2 for the first time, according to estimates by the research firm Cox Automotive.

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In a scathing report, the Federal Trade Commission accused [PBMs] pharmacy benefit managers—the companies that act as go-betweens for drug makers and consumers—of jacking up drug prices

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DAILY UPDATE: Mike Bloomberg, Arianna Huffington and Andreessen Horowitz as Stock Markets Tread Lightly

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Most medical students at Johns Hopkins University won’t have to pay tuition anymore thanks to a $1 billion gift from Michael Bloomberg.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index®(SPX) rose 4.13 points (0.1%) to 5,576.98; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 52.82 points (0.1%) to 39,291.97; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) climbed 25.55 points (0.1%) to 18,429.9.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield increased two basis points to 4.29%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) inched up to 12.49, still near recent lows.

What’s up

  • Tesla rose 3.71%, putting the company squarely in the green year to date as investors continue to celebrate the automaker’s strong delivery numbers.
  • Corning rose yet another 3.76%, extending the glassmaker’s gains as it quickly becomes the new hot AI stock du jour.
  • Kymera Therapeutics shot 23.40% higher after its partner Sanofi gave the go-ahead for further studies of its experimental skin disease treatment.
  • Jumia Technologies soared 29.79% after Benchmark analysts initiated coverage of the African e-commerce company with a “buy” rating.
  • Sony rose 4.46% on the news that it has nothing to do with the merger of Paramount and Skydance as shareholders celebrate dodging a Paramount-shaped bullet.

What’s down

  • Albemarle dropped 8.76% after Baird analysts warned that lower lithium demand will translate to lower profits for the miner in its upcoming second quarter.
  • BP sank 4.80% after management warned of lower-than-expected profits and a writedown of its German refining facility to the tune of up to $2 billion.
  • Helios Technologies fell 10.94% on the news that the CEO of the industrial manufacturer had been placed on paid leave for potentially violating the company’s code of ethics.
  • Helen of Troy plummeted 27.73% after the Hydro Flask maker announced terrible earnings and lowered its fiscal year outlook.
  • UiPath fell 6.90% on the announcement that the software company will cut 10% of its workforce.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

OpenAI’s venture fund and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global are jointly funding a new startup that aims to build an AI health coach to promote healthier lifestyles.


Function Health, a health tech company focused on preventive medicine, recently closed a series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health along with a slew of celebrity investors.


And … made possible by the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration is putting $27.5 million toward women’s behavioral health.

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DAILY UPDATE: Health Insurers & Hospital Mergers with Light Stock Market Trading

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) climbed slightly to 12.37.

The S&P 500 index®(SPX) rose 5.66points (0.1%) to 5,572.85; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) dropped 31.08 points (0.1%) to 39,344.79; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) gained 50.98 points (0.3%) to 18,403.74.

The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was roughly flat at 4.27%.

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What’s up

  • Intel popped 6.15% after an analyst at Melius Research declared the company could be one of the big AI winners in the second half of this year.
  • Morphic Holding skyrocketed 75.06% on the news that Eli Lilly will acquire the drugmaker for $3.2 billion in cash.
  • SolarEdge climbed 9.26% thanks to an upgrade from “underperform” to “neutral” by Bank of America analysts, who see big upside and few downside risks ahead.
  • Corning rose 11.98% after management raised earnings guidance for the coming quarter thanks to higher demand due to the AI boom.
  • Lucid rose 7.85% on the news that its deliveries rose 70% in the second quarter.

What’s down

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Stat: 27. That’s a tally of some of the hospital mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and partnerships that have been canceled since January 2022. (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Read: Health insurers received $50 billion from Medicare for diseases that doctors did not treat over three years, according to a recent analysis. (Wall Street Journal)

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Novant/CHS Deal Scrapped after FTC Intervenes

By Health Capital Consultants LLC

In February 2023, Novant Health, a 19-hospital, non-profit health system operating throughout the Carolinas, agreed to acquire two North Carolina hospitals – Davis Regional Medical Center and Lake Norman Regional Medical Center – from Community Health System (CHS), a publicly-traded mega-system operating in 15 states.

After the $320 million deal was announced, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began an extensive review of the acquisition, and concluded that: (1) the transaction may substantially reduce competition; (2) create a monopoly; and (3) constitute an unfair method of competition. (Read more…)

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HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Ransomware and Bankruptcy!

Bad things can happen in paperless practices, Doc

By Darrell Pruitt DDS

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“Illinois Hospital First To Shut Down Completely After Ransomware Attack”

-By Karl Bode for Techdirt, Jun 16th 2023.

“Such attacks can have a chain reaction on already broken hospitals and health care systems. Health care workers are sometimes forced to resort to pen and paper for patient charts and prescriptions, increasing the risk of potentially fatal error. Delays in care can also prove fatal. And ransomware is only one of the problems that plague dated medical IT systems whose repair is being made increasingly costly and difficult by medical health care system manufacturers keen on monopolizing repair.”

Remember the MCNA (Managed Care of North America) data breach that was reported by Bill Toulas in Bleeping Computer on May 29th? There have been new developments.

LINK: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/mcna-dental-data-breach-impacts-89-million-people-after-ransomware-attack/?fbclid=IwAR29pojexxoxDrrjIbcQqAAgnw17L5xqMXGxCnnDk_ZL0-kIv2PCniVaG0Y

“Patients of a Florida-based dental insurance provider brought a proposed class action lawsuit alleging negligence over a ransomware data breach that leaked the private information of more than 8.9 million people on the dark web, saying they face a lifetime risk of having their identities stolen.”

David Minsky for Law 360

[June 16th, 2023]

If you are still using paper records, don’t change now.

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DAILY UPDATE: Home Health and Nurse Vacancies as Stock Markets Reach New Highs

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As home hospital programs continue to grow—employment in the home health industry is projected to increase by nearly 30% by 2029—so does the concern that home healthcare professionals are increasingly vulnerable to assault and harassment.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index® (SPX)rose 30.17 points (0.54%) to 5,567.19; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) rose 67.87 points (0.17%) to 39,375.87; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) climbed 164.46 points (0.9%) to 18,352.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped nearly seven basis points to just below 4.28%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) increased slightly to 12.45.

What’s up

  • Meta Platforms rose 5.88% a day after CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a video of himself wearing a tux, holding an American flag and a beer, and wakeboarding. Shareholders apparently approve of such an absolute stud running the company.
  • Koss Corp. rose another 25.68% as the latest meme stock continues to rally for no reason at all.
  • Macy’s popped 9.48% after bidders looking to acquire the beleaguered retailer raised their offer from $6.6 billion to $6.9 billion.
  • Smith & Nephew rose 6.67% on the news that activist investor Cevian Capital has taken a 5% stake in the medical device maker.
  • Instructure Holdings rose 5.25% on the news that a bidding war is building for the education software company.

What’s down

  • Nvidia fell 1.91% after it received a rare analyst downgrade due to the company’s valuation.
  • Southwest sank 5.67% on the first full trading day after the company adopted a “poison pill” to fend off activist investor Elliott Management.
  • Budget airline companies took a blow after a Raymond James analyst downgraded the industry due to a “clear as mud” outlook for the third quarter. Frontier Group fell 6.79%, while Spirit Airlines dropped 8.70%.
  • Crypto-related stocks tumbled after bitcoin fell below $54,000 at one point today, though they recovered alongside the cryptocurrency later in the trading session. Coinbase Global fell 0.56%, Robinhood Markets dropped 0.98%, and MicroStrategy fell 1.56%.

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Stat: 9.9%. That’s the current vacancy rate for nurses in the US, down from 15.7% in 2023. (2024 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report)

PBMs: How pharmacy benefit managers are “driving up drug costs for millions of people, employers, and the government.” (the New York Times)

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DAILY UPDATE: Walmart, HHS and Geriatrics as Companies and Stock Market Still Rise

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HAPPY JULY FOURTH

The S&P 500 broke above 5,500 yesterday and stayed there for the first time in market history, notching yet another all-time high for the index—its 32nd this year alone. With so much bullishness it’s understandable that investors may be wondering if we’re at the top yet, but chartists suggests gains tend to beget gains. The bulls have too much momentum to stop now—and if/when the FOMC cuts rates later this year, it seems likely that we’ll see more all-time highs in 2024? Any thoughts.

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The Biden administration has awarded $206.3 million of funding to clinician training programs across 42 universities and provider organizations to bolster the nation’s geriatrics care workforce. Programs will be able to integrate geriatrics training into primary care and will work to educate older adults’ families on their care needs. Health and Human Services, in its announcement, noted that primary care providers are a crucial source of care for much of the aging population.


As Walmart shutters its primary care clinics, the retail giant inked a deal to sell its MeMD telehealth business to health tech startup Fabric. Fabric provides a telemedicine platform for a range of customers, including provider groups, with the goal of improving the clinician and patient experience, as well as operational efficiency. The acquisition will expand its provider network, add virtual behavioral health to the company’s services and build on Fabric’s employer and payer solutions.


And…The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron deference, stripping power from federal agencies to interpret and enforce regulations. Courts no longer have to defer to reasonable agency interpretations. One healthcare attorney told Fierce Healthcare he predicts the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be under a microscope from the courts going forward, and there will be more scrutiny towards provider reimbursement cuts, drug pricing regulation and the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index®(SPX)rose 28.01 points (0.51%) to 5,537.02; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 23.85 points (-0.1%) to 39,308.00; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) gained 159.54 points (0.9%) to 18,188.30.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dropped seven basis points to 4.36%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) held steady at 12.09.

What’s up

What’s down

  • First Foundation plummeted 23.81% after the bank announced it will raise $225 million to shore up a balance sheet burdened by commercial real estate loans.
  • Constellation Brands fell 3.76% after the alcoholic beverage maker reported stronger than expected earnings but missed Wall Street’s expectations on revenue.
  • Simulations Plus slid 14.87% after it reported strong third-quarter earnings but announced it’s cutting its dividend.
  • CureVac popped then dropped 6.59% after GSK bought the rights to the smaller pharma company’s Covid-19 and flu vaccines for $1.6 billion.

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DAILY UPDATE: Pitch-Book Health Companies, SCOTUS and the Peaking Stock Markets

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SCOTUS: Two technology company cases involving Texas and Florida laws challenging social-media companies’ content moderation were sent to lower courts. SCOTUS thus effectively granted the companies a victory. The Supreme Court isn’t willing to blow up the internet just yet.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

PitchBook released its analysis of digital health venture capital deals done in the first quarter. The first quarter saw downturns in telehealth and digital therapeutics, but opportunities exist in mental health chatbots and care search platforms.


Amedisys, a large home health provider, plans to divest a number of care centers to an affiliate of VitalCaring Group in advance of its planned merger with UnitedHealth Group later this year.


And … ACOs may soon be able to take a breath of fresh air, as CMS shared that it has no intention of punishing them for a $2 billion urinary catheter fraud scandal that rocked the industry.  

What’s up

  • Tesla rose another 10.06% today, continuing its push higher thanks to quarterly car deliveries that beat Wall Street’s expectations. Rivian Automotive rose 6.82% today after beating projections for their own deliveries as well.
  • Paramount Global rose 5.97% on a report from the New York Times that Barry Diller’s IAC may be exploring an acquisition of the embattled entertainment company. IAC fell just 0.26%.
  • Archer Aviation popped 8.92% after the air taxi manufacturer received a $55 million investment from Stellantis.
  • Oliveda International is up 19.81% today after the olive oil company announced massive quarterly revenue growth at a key subsidiary.

What’s down

  • Chewy fell yet another 2.24% as fallout from Roaring Kitty’s stake in the company continues to rattle investors.
  • Pure Storage plunged 4.15% after UBS analysts downgraded the stock to “sell,” citing its high valuation and overhyped AI potential.
  • Home builders took a beating after Citi analysts downgraded Lennar and D.R. Horton from “neutral” to “sell,” noting the housing market will remain soft in the second half of the year. Lennar dropped 1.61%, and D.R. Horton fell 1.35%.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 33.92 points (0.62%) to 5,509.01; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 162.33 points (0.41%) to 39,331.85; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) rallied 149.46 points (0.84%) to 18,028.76.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) dipped four basis points to 4.43%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dropped to 12.03 after earlier trading at its lowest intraday level since late May.

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SCOTUS: Health policy leaders say patients, providers, and health systems should brace for more uncertainty and less stability in the healthcare system. Even routine government functions such as deciding the rate to pay doctors for treating Medicare beneficiaries could become embroiled in long legal battles that disrupt patient care or strain providers to adapt.

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DAILY UPDATE: Nurses & AI, Private Equity & CPAs, Public Companies and the Hot July Stock Markets

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Private equity gets a big accounting firm yet. The March story about private equity firm New Market Capital buying a $2.8 billion stake in accounting firm Grant Thorton was a big story. Private equity is gobbling up accounting firms, signaling a potential sea change in how accounting firms will operate in the future, with “more than half” of the top 20 accounting firms in talks with private equity.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) rose 14.61 points (0.27%) to 5,475.09; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) climbed 50.66 points (0.13%) to 39,169.52; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) added 146.70 points (0.83%) to 17,879.30.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) rose 12 basis points to 4.47%, the highest level since May 30 and back above its 50-day moving average, a technically important move.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) slipped to 12.19.

Crude oil is up sharply over the last month amid rising Middle East tensions.

What’s up

What’s down

  • Chewy stock popped then dropped 6.63% after Roaring Kitty revealed a 6.6% stake in the pet products company.
  • GameStop shares fell 5.35% after CEO Ryan Cohen posted on Twitter/X for the first time in months to advertise a job opening.
  • Uber fell 2.17% and Lyft fell 0.92% on the news that Massachusetts now requires both companies to pay rideshare drivers $32.50 an hour, plus benefits.
  • Cruise stocks sank on the news that Hurricane Beryl is stronger than expected and will disrupt service throughout the Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Line fell 5.86%, Carnival fell 5.40%, and Royal Caribbean fell 1.86%.

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The largest nursing union in the US, National Nurses United (NNU), is sounding the alarm about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. In April, the union’s affiliate California Nurses Association (CNA) protested an AI conference helmed by managed care consortium Kaiser Permanente. Like workers in other sectors who are worried about AI encroachment, the nurses fear that the tech is contributing to the devaluation of their skills amid what they say is already a “chronicunderstaffing crisis, nurses reported in an NNU survey of 2,300 registered nurses and members in early 2024.

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DAILY UPDATE: Wall Street Stocks, Dow Dogs, Commodities, Gold, the Fed, Yen and Bitcoin

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If you can believe it, Friday was the final trading day of the first half of 2024. It might be a good time to reflect on your New Year’s resolutions to see how you’re measuring up halfway through the year.

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Dogs of the Dow: The 139-year-old index has never looked more its age, with components Nike, Intel, and Boeing all down more than 30% in 2024. The Dow has gained less than 4% this year.

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But, the S&P 500 gained a sublime 15% in H1, and Nvidia alone was responsible for more than a third of that gain. The maker of AI chips surged ~150% since Jan. 1st to become the most valuable company in the USA at one point.

Going into 2024, investors were expecting the Fed to cut interest rates six times. There hasn’t been a single rate cut yet, but that hasn’t stopped the S&P from notching 31 all-time closing highs, good for the second-best tally of records this century. Stocks have overcome the Fed’s delay thanks to strong earnings, a sturdy economy, and AI fever.

Commodities soar and a currency plummets. Cocoa boomed nearly 85% over shortage concerns. Gold hit a record high last month. The Japanese yen has slumped to a 38-year low against the US dollar.

Bitcoin got a boost from new ETFs, but it’s getting boring.

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DAILY UPDATE: Walgreens, Healthcare Fraud and Opioids as Stock Markets Hurt

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Wentworth said the pharmacy chain Walgreens will shutter a significant share of its 8,600 locations in the US. The closures are part of a broader attempt to boost the ailing company, which also includes reducing its stake in the primary care business VillageMD. Wentworth said the company can reassign most employees instead of conducting layoffs. Shares cratered yesterday after Walgreens whiffed on Wall Street’s earnings projections due to weak consumer spending.

And, read how some counties reduced opioid overdose deaths during the pandemic. (Politico)

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What’s up

  • Oliveda International, which makes beauty products from olive oil, rose 38.33% for no apparent reason. Maybe people just really like the feel of extra virgin olive oil on their skin?
  • Infinera popped 16.38% after Nokia announced it would acquire the telecommunications hardware manufacturer for $2.3 billion.
  • Synchrony Financial rose 6.17% after a Baird analyst initiated coverage of the financial services company with an outperform rating.
  • Regional banking stocks rose on the hopes that a good PCE reading means a better chance of the Fed cutting rates soon. Regions Financial rose 3.83%, while Citizens Financial Group rose 3.16%.

What’s down

A late round of selling in the Treasury market sent yields to fresh highs as the day ended so here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) dipped 22.39 points (0.41%) to 5,460.48; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) fell 45.20 points (0.12%) to 39,118.86; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) lost 126.08 points (0.71%) to 17,732.6.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield climbed nine basis points to 4.38%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) moved up slightly to 12.43.

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Nearly 200 people have been charged for their roles in various health care fraud schemes across the U.S. that federal authorities say amounted to over $2.7 billion in intended losses, the Justice Department announced. Attorney General Merrick Garland said charges against 193 people, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical professionals in 32 different federal districts. The defendants were charged over a two-week sweep involving numerous law enforcement agencies nationwide, resulting in the seizure of more than “$231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets,” according to Garland.

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BEWARE: Junk Health Insurance and Medical Billing Fees

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President Joe Biden is cracking down on what the White House calls “junk” health insurance plans – namely, less-robust and short-term coverage that the Trump administration expanded as a cheaper alternative to Obamacare AHA plans.

Biden announced a draft regulation which, once finalized, would limit temporary plans to four months instead of the current three-year maximum. It would also require more disclosure on coverage limits.

“This rule would help make these plans fairer and help ensure that consumers know what they’re getting when they sign up for insurance,” said White House domestic policy advisor Neera Tanden. “When they don’t know what they’re getting and get these gigantic bills, they can feel like it’s a scam.”

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The president also announced new guidance on medical billing stemming from 2020’s No Surprises Act. The guidance would limit the ability of insurers that contract with hospitals to claim provided care was not in network and have customers pay more money. Health plans also would need to disclose facility fees that are increasingly charged to patients and can surface as an unexpected cost in a medical bill.

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DAILY UPDATE: Amazon Pharmacy, Healthcare Spending Boom, Companies and the Bi-Hybrid Markets

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Amazon Pharmacy announced on June 18 that, effective immediately, its RxPass medication delivery service will be available to more than 50 million Medicare beneficiaries, a move the company says could save up to $2 billion annually for the federal health insurance program.

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Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index fell 8.55 points (0.2%) to 5,464.62, up 0.6% for the week; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 15.57 points (0.04%) to 39,150.33, up 1.5% for the week; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) shed 32.23 points (0.2%) to 17,689.36, little changed for the week.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) was little changed at 4.255%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) dipped 0.06 to 13.22.

What’s up

  • Sarepta Therapeutics soared 30.14% thanks to FDA approval of Elevidys, its new Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment.
  • Zealand Pharma rose 18.62% after Phase 1b trial results revealed its new weight-loss drug could compete with Ozempic.
  • Asana jumped 14.95% on the news that its board has approved a share repurchase program of up to $150 million of its own stock.
  • CarMax shares rose 0.37% after the company reported first-quarter earnings. The number isn’t big, but the performance is impressive considering the used car company posted a 33% decline in profits.
  • Hertz Global popped 15.95% after the company announced it was raising the size of its bond offering to $1 billion as it looks to update its fleet of rental cars.

What’s down

  • Nvidia fell another 3.22% today as the sell off continued, with investors taking profits after a record run higher.
  • Smith & Wesson Brands dropped 12.87% after the gun maker beat earnings forecasts but announced that next quarter’s sales will be lower than expected.
  • LendingTree slid 2.48% after a Bloomberg report revealed that hackers are auctioning off stolen customer data.
  • Palantir fell 6.78% after the company earned an analyst downgrade for its “gluttonous valuation,” a phrase you never want to hear as an investor.
  • Bitcoin mining stocks took a hit today, selling off after popping higher yesterday after bitcoin prices rallied. Marathon Digital Holdings dropped 7.02%, Riot Platforms fell 8.35%, and CleanSpark sank 9.81%.

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With a record number of people insured and seeking healthcare services post-pandemic, US health spend growth is outpacing GDP growth, and is expected to keep doing so through 2032, according to a June 12 report from actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). By 2032, CMS actuaries project healthcare spending will total $7.7 trillion and make up 19.7% of total US GDP, compared to $4.8 trillion and 17.6% of GDP in 2023.

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MURTHY: Warnings on Social Media Apps

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The top health official in the US is urging Congress to pass legislation that would stamp social media apps with a surgeon general’s warning “stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” he wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times recently.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s push for a warning label follows years of alarm-sounding with his strongest appeal to lawmakers yet.

  • In his statement, Murthy referenced a 2019 study that found risks of depression doubled among teens who scroll for more than three hours per day, and a 2023 Gallup poll showing that US teens log a daily average of 4.8 hours on social media.

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PODCAST: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

By Eric Bricker MD

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DAILY UPDATE: Done Global TeleHealth

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The NASDAQ nabbed its fifth-straight record close last week, and the S&P 500 snapped its four-day streak. Both were up for the week as investors digested data that showed inflation cooling. Adobe became the latest company to soar thanks to AI, spiking after delivering better-than-expected earnings and forecasts.

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Those who rely on ADHD medication got some bad news last week when the CDC issued a health advisory alerting patients that there may be possible “increased risks for injury and overdose,” after two executives at Done Global, a telehealth company, were arrested for fraud linked to allegedly selling Adderall over the internet. The CDC warned that as many as 30,000 to 50,000 adult patients could be affected. https://tinyurl.com/3rf5py6c

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PODCAST: Blue Cross Health Insurance Companies Must Now Compete

Second BlueBid Explained

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PODCAST: Number #1 Rule for Healthcare Investing

SUPPLY-DEMAND CONSIDERATIONS

By Eric Bricker MD

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CMS; Proposes Increasing Inpatient & Long Term Care Payments

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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On April 10th, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rules for the payment and policy updates for the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2025. 

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This Health Capital Topics article will discuss the proposed rule and the implications for stakeholders. (Read more…)

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DAILY UPDATE: Hospital Charges, Cannabis and Stocks as Markets Slump

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The prices hospitals charge for their services have long been opaque, but thanks to a 2021 hospital price transparency law, the picture is starting to come slightly into focus. And it turns out, there are some huge disparities in the prices hospitals charge that can’t be attributed to quality of care, according to a recent study from research institute Rand Corporation.

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🟢 What’s up

What’s down

  • Salesforce is down 19.73% after the cloud computing company missed revenue estimates for the first time since 2006 and projected slower sales in the coming quarter. Turns out not even commercials featuring hunky Matthew McConaughey could save the company’s quarter.
  • UIPath shares plummeted 34.06% after announcing disappointing results and lower forward guidance, and to add insult to injury got hit with an analyst downgrade from Bank of America.
  • Build-A-Bear Workshop got the stuffing knocked out of it, dropping 13.92% after it missed estimates on both the top and bottom lines.
  • Hormel sank 9.69% after missing earnings thanks to slower retail sales offsetting higher meat prices, leaving shareholders stuck eating bologna sandwiches for lunch.
  • Kohl’s dropped 22.88% in its worst day ever after the company announced a terrible quarter and forecast more issues ahead due to customers contending with inflation.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) fell 31.47 points (0.6%) to 5,235.48; the Dow Jones Industrial Averagedropped 330.06 points (0.9%) to 38,111.48; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) declined 183.50 points (1.1%) to 16,737.08.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) lost more than 7 basis points to 4.548%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) rose 0.19 to 14.47.

Interest-rate-sensitive sectors including banks and utilities were among the stronger performers Thursday, boosted by a pullback in Treasury yields from four-week highs posted earlier in the week. Stocks are still heading for a down week, with the S&P 500 on track for its first weekly decline out of the past six.

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Legal cannabis is a booming industry: An estimated $38.4 billion in medical and recreational cannabis was sold in the US in 2023, and that figure is projected to rise to $56.9 billion by 2028. The industry has grown an average of 29.1% per year between 2018 and 2023, according to IBISWorld.

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UPMC: Settles Stark Law Case

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On May 9th, 2024, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), a large nonprofit healthcare system that owns a number of hospitals, medical practices, and other subsidiaries, announced that they would pay $38 million to settle a longstanding Stark Law case which had triggered a violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The lawsuit claimed that several of UPMC’s surgeons ordered complex and unnecessary procedures to increase their earnings. 

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This Health Capital Topics article will discuss the UPMC settlement and the allegations underlying the case. (Read more…) 

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DAILY UPDATE: Hims & Hers, MSFT-AI, Neuralink, FDIC and New Market Highs

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Microsoft unveiled new PCs with AI-powered features.

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Hims & Hers stock soared as much as 38% on the news that it’ll provide GLP-1 injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic or Wegovy for just $199/month—an 85% discount compared to Wegovy’s ~$1,350 monthly price tag (without insurance).

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FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg will resign after an investigation found widespread sexual harassment at the agency. But he won’t step down until a successor is named.

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The FDA granted Elon Musk’s neurotech company Neuralink, approval to place its brain chip into a second human test subject using a new method designed to correct issues that arose after its inaugural insertion in January, per the Wall Street Journal.

And, Optum Rx is shaking up its pharmacy model. The business says it will make drug costs more predictable and transparent for clients.

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  • All three indexes ended the day higher after Fed Governor Christopher Waller stopped by CNBC and mentioned he doesn’t think raising interest rates is in the cards, even if the Fed is waiting for more data before making cuts. The NASDAQ continued to hit new all-time highs today as investors place their bets before Nvidia’s earnings announcement tomorrow afternoon, and the S&P 500 hit yet another record.
  • Copper continued to rise as the market comes to terms with the metal’s importance, while oil fell on the news that the Biden administration will release 1 million barrels of gasoline this summer from the Northeast reserve. Meanwhile, ethereum continued to climb on the news that a new ETF may be joining the fray.

Here’s where the major benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index rose 13.28 points (0.3%) to 5,321.41; the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) gained 66.22 points (0.2%) to 39,872.99; the NASDAQ Composite advanced 37.75 points (0.2%) to 16,832.62.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) lost more than 2 basis points to 4.414%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.29 to 11.86.

Banking and consumer staples were among the market’s strongest performers Tuesday, while utility shares extended a sharp upswing over the past month. The Dow Jones Utility Average® ($DJU) added 0.5% and closed at a 12-month high. Transportation companies were among the weakest performers.

In other markets, Gold (/GC) futures slipped from Monday’s record high above $2,454 per ounce, while Silver (/SI) futures ended near a 12-year high around $32.21. Gold futures are still up 17% this year due to several factors, including reports of China’s central bank buying actual gold as well as escalating conflict in the Middle East. Gold is viewed by some as a safe-haven asset during periods of heightened geopolitical tension.

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