The healthcare industry may be heading toward the end of the era of integrated businesses, as CVS (CVS) is reportedly considering breaking up its vertical business.According to the report, CVS is the second vertically integrated retail healthcare company in the U.S. to consider changing its strategy this year. That could mean health insurance company Aetna, pharmacy benefits manager Caremark, or a combination of the two and other industries.Major retail rival Walgreens (WBA) has already partnered with VillageMD to exit retail clinic stores. This, along with Walmart (WMT) closing its healthcare retail stores, signals the end of a more consumer-focused approach…
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Listen and subscribe to Stocks in Translation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.Just after the third quarter, we suddenly found that the pure AI trading of Nvidia (NVDA) and its group of chips became a net drag on the performance of the entire S&P 500 index. itself surprised investors with a solid 5.5% return.Nevertheless, generative AI is still gaining traction and is slowly moving into real-world applications.Abby Yoder, U.S. equity strategist at JPMorgan Private Bank, emphasized that healthcare, which is notoriously slow-moving, could be next in line for AI-driven innovation.Despite being the only sector in…
The 2024 presidential election is just weeks away, and health care is expected to be a key issue for voters heading to the polls.Overall health care costs remain a major issue. Health spending in 2022 increased by 4.1% to reach $4.5 trillion, accounting for 17.3% of U.S. GDP.Rising costs highlight the core of America's health care conundrum. The United States spends more on health care than any other developed country in the world, at an estimated $13,493 per person. However, it lags behind in overall health performance, access and affordability, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes, according to the Commonwealth…
Salesforce (CRM) and Blue Shield of California have partnered to build an artificial intelligence-based system. They argue that this should make it easier for patients to get treatment approved through their insurance company, reducing the burden of weeks of prior authorization. Ideally late to same day process.The collaboration is expected to be announced this morning.The idea is not new, as some major insurance companies have worked on using AI to address claim approval or denial in the past. And now it faces significant headwinds amid concerns about increased denials, especially to older patients.Prior authorization is a decision-making process that insurance…
Salesforce (CRM) and Blue Shield of California have partnered to build an artificial intelligence-based system. They argue that this should make it easier for patients to get treatment approved through their insurance company, reducing the burden of weeks of prior authorization. Ideally late to same day process. The collaboration is expected to be announced this morning. The idea is not new, as some major insurance companies have worked on using AI to address claim approval or denial in the past. And now it faces significant headwinds amid concerns about increased denials, especially to older patients. Prior authorization is a decision-making…
Health care stocks fell last week after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation's top health agency. Vaccine makers like Moderna (MRNA) are down more than 5%, and big names like Pfizer PFE (PFE) are down about 2%. Some Wall Street analysts believe the slide is an overreaction, given that little is known about Kennedy's actual controversial policies and that he has not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mr. Kennedy said it was too early to tell whether or how much of an impact it would have on the health sector. If confirmed…
President-elect Donald Trump's picks for the nation's top health agencies and their track records in office could fuel “anti-science” views and defund global public health efforts. There are concerns around the world. For example, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration severed ties between the United States and the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite President Joe Biden restoring ties, subsequent struggles to obtain U.S.-made vaccines in low-income countries have left countries like Russia and China doing better than expected in responding to the global pandemic. It became possible to fulfill the role of President Trump has previously…
Like many industries preparing for Donald Trump's second term in office, the outlook for healthcare is mixed. However, headwinds such as tariffs and drug pricing are clearly blowing strongly. Analysts on the sidelines are also taking a wait-and-see approach. “Uncertainty surrounding policy changes is holding investors back, but potential administrative reforms under President Trump and related candidates are expected to continue in 2025,” analysts at Leerink Partners said in a December note. “We believe there will be more clarity through the appointment process early in the year.” The three key issues being watched are China, tariffs, and drug prices. China…
David Joyner, CEO of CVS (CVS), has ambitious plans to improve the company's retail healthcare business and create a more integrated system of health professionals. Joyner said his goal, telling Yahoo Finance, is that by leveraging what he considers a large labor pool, CVS will have a major impact on the health of the entire community he serves. “I'll see 30,000 pharmacists employed at CVS retail, pair it with one of the biggest labor forces of nurses around Minute Clinic and add Oak Street… doctors on top. “It's been a huge amount of care. Delivery model in this country,” he…
Believe it or not, in fact, there were other stories in the world this week, alongside the market roller coaster surrounding President Trump's trade policy. Take health care. Between major announcements on Medicare advantage, emerging drug tariffs, and Dr. Mehmet Oz's first speech to the military at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we are beginning to get a more clear glimpse into the new White House healthcare agenda. Here's a breakdown of recent news. Private Medicare plans have fallen The large health insurance company is the biggest increase in a decade after stocks pop earlier this week and…