Author: Abhay Panchal

A study published in March 2025 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention offers important insights for the future of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, particularly in how the cost-effectiveness of new noninvasive tests could reshape current practices. Here’s an overview of the research.The Study’s Design. Using a simulated model of 100,000 average-risk 45-year-old adults, the research compared three novel screening options—multitarget stool RNA (mt-sRNA), multitarget stool DNA 2.0, and cell-free DNA tests—against guideline-recommended methods like colonoscopy, fecal immunochemical testing, and stool DNA testing.

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The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a False Claims Act lawsuit in Boston federal court accusing three of the country’s largest insurers—CVS Health/Aetna, Elevance Health and Humana—of running a massive kickback scheme between 2016 and 2021. According to the complaint, the insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars in “marketing,” “co-op” or “sponsorship” fees to brokers—eHealth, GoHealth and SelectQuote—in exchange for steering Medicare beneficiaries into the insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans. The DOJ alleges that brokers prioritized plans offering the highest kickbacks (and even avoided enrolling less-profitable patients, such as those with disabilities) rather than acting in their clients’ best…

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GI Alliance, a physician-led multispecialty management services organization owned by Cardinal Health, has acquired two leading urology practices to build out an integrated specialty platform: These purchases mark GI Alliance’s first move beyond gastrointestinal care into urology, aiming to deliver more coordinated, patient-centered services. The Urology America deal is set to close by June 2025, while the Potomac Urology acquisition is already complete. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Management Service Organizations (MSOs) were originally created to help physician practices with administrative tasks like billing and HR. However, they’ve increasingly become tools for private equity firms, insurers, and corporations to control medical practices—often bypassing state laws that prohibit non-physicians from owning or directing medical care. MSOs now not only provide services but also buy up practices, consolidate networks, and influence clinical decisions—all while claiming not to “own” the practice. This can result in higher costs, reduced physician autonomy, and patient care that may prioritize profits over health.

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CVS Health’s Caremark PBM struck a major deal with Novo Nordisk to give Wegovy preferred formulary access over Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, shifting market momentum in the GLP-1 weight loss drug space. Starting July 1, Wegovy will cost less for Caremark clients, while Zepbound may see limited coverage. The move could drive volume for Wegovy, CVS Pharmacy, and Caremark’s weight management program. Novo Nordisk shares rose 2%, while Eli Lilly’s dropped over 11%. Eli Lilly downplayed the deal, emphasizing its focus on direct consumer relationships over PBM contracts.

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Unionization among U.S. healthcare professionals, especially physicians, is increasing as corporatization intensifies and physician autonomy erodes. Spurred by hospital system consolidation, private equity ownership, and COVID-19 burnout, many clinicians—particularly trainees—are turning to unions like the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), which now represents 20% of the resident workforce. Surveys reveal over 60% of nonunionized residents would vote to unionize, citing pay and working conditions. Critics argue unionization risks physician professionalism, but others view it as a needed counterweight to corporate control. Strikes remain rare but are growing as a negotiation tool, raising ethical and legal complexities.

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Alimentiv and Dova Health Intelligence have unveiled DovaVision™, an AI-powered endoscopy reading tool for ulcerative colitis (UC) clinical trials, at Digestive Disease Week 2025. Designed to provide frame-level Mayo Endoscopic Sub-score (MES) analysis, DovaVision enables deeper, quantitative insights into disease severity using anonymized IBD colonoscopy video data. Integrated into Alimentiv’s Notō™ platform, the tool offers researchers and sponsors enhanced image interpretation, more consistent scoring, and data correlation with patient outcomes. Though not intended for clinical diagnosis, DovaVision represents a major step toward precision, AI-driven gastrointestinal research.

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