POLITICAL:

A new RAND Corporation study suggests that CARES Act funding generally reached hospitals with the greater share of COVID-19 patients, but critical access hospitals received a lower proportion of assistance.

ECONOMIC:

According to Moody’s new Healthcare Quarterly report, shortages of health care workers will continue to erode hospital financial performance well into 2022. Rising costs may make it hard for hospitals to regain pre-COVID-19 margins.

SOCIAL:

Utilizing data from the past decade, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced a goal to get all Medicare beneficiaries along with the majority of Medicaid members in an accountable care arrangement in the next 10 years. Health equity and reducing overlap are other major motivators.

TECHNOLOGY:

Senior living communities and health systems will be able to use Alexa Smart Properties starting next month. Amazon’s tool will ideally allow greater ease of communication for both workers and patients, in addition to allowing for communication while maintaining social distance.

LEGAL:

The Senate has followed the House and removed a ban on national identifier research from the newest appropriations bill. This is progress toward a nation-wide strategy on patient identification, likely encouraged bypatient-identification issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ENVIRONMENTAL:

The National Academy of Medicine recently launched the Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector. However, the group will need to take swift and knowledgeable action to effectively address the health care industry’s ongoing role in the climate crisis.