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Shopping center near Foundry Park sells for $67.8M after healthcare revamp
Chicago-based Novak Development sold the Webster Place shopping center for nearly $68 million after landing an Advocate Health facility as a major tenant.
Health Officials Cut Certification Rules for Medical Technology
HHS removes 14 of 60 health IT certification criteria, effective December 28, 2026. Read on to see what it means for developers and healthcare providers.
Evernorth earnings boosted by specialty business as PBM evolves
Cigna raised its earnings guidance even as it weathers weaker results from its Express Scripts pharmacy benefit manager.
Startup bringing AI-powered robotics to the cath lab raises $160M from GE HealthCare, other investors
Laza Medical, a California-based medtech company, is developing advanced technologies for the cath lab. GE HealthCare also participated in a previous financing round in 2023.
Ballad Health, UnitedHealthcare reach agreement over Medicare Advantage plans
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Ballad Health announced Thursday that it and UnitedHealthcare had finalized a multi-year agreement for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage individual and group …
Acadia’s Bed Ramp Strategy Begins to Pay Off
Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC) had a strong third quarter with $895.3 million in total revenue, up 5.1% compared with the same period in
Acadia’s Bed Ramp Strategy Begins to Pay Off
Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC) had a strong third quarter with $895.3 million in total revenue, up 5.1% compared with the same period in
Ballad Health announces new, multi-year agreement with UnitedHealthcare
Ballad Health announced a new, multi-year agreement with UnitedHealthcare on Thursday.
Here's the severance package Block is offering laid-off US employees
Block employees laid off this week are getting 90 days of pay without working, plus severance and three months of healthcare coverage.
URI College of Nursing to establish interdisciplinary palliative care program to train students, healthcare professionals
KINGSTON, R.I. — Nov. 5, 2026 — Serious illness is part of the human experience, affecting not only those living with illness but also their families and loved ones. Many people experience it more than once in their lifetime—whether their own illness or caring for a loved one in their hardest moments. Those navigating serious […]
Community health workers help bridge the gap in service access
With so much emphasis on healthcare access, a small but growing group of people known as community health workers (CHWs) is making a difference for those living on the fringes,...
Community health workers help bridge the gap in service access
With so much emphasis on healthcare access, a small but growing group of people known as community health workers (CHWs) is making a difference for those living on the fringes,...
Idaho to receive $185 million in federal funding for rural health care
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced an initial $185 million in funding for Idaho through the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Baptist Health to expand advanced cardiovascular services at Baptist South - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
The new unit will bring new heart surgeries and procedures closer to home for residents of southern Duval and northern St. Johns counties. November 5, 2026 – Baptist Health is expanding […]
Memorial Healthcare System Mobile Health Program Connects Thousands to Care, Reduces Hospital Admissions - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
November 5, 2026 – Memorial Healthcare System’s Mobile Health Program continues to expand access to care across South Broward, serving more than 2,000 patients through more than 2,800 visits in the […]
Oscar Health boasts ‘strongest year’ in its history after outperforming in Q3
Oscar Health is seeing the “strongest year” in its history in 2026, CEO Mark Bertolini told investors during the company’s third quarter earnings call Thursday morning. | The company also saw a 27% YOY increase in membership, ending Q3 with 2.7 million members.
Where patients with UnitedHealthcare insurance can still get care if Lee Health goes out of network
Thousands on the Gulf Coast could lose UnitedHealthcare coverage by Jan. 1. Here's which medical groups and hospitals still accept it.
Health: How Can Congress Combat The Rising Cost Of Healthcare?
The cost of most necessities is rising right now. And healthcare is no exception.In 2026, the average employer-based family healthcare plan cost a little over $28,000. And employees contributed over $7,400 more to those plans than in 2025. That’s according to analysis from the health research group KFF.And the nearly 20 million Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance are facing a 13 percent premium increase next year.Two days out from the midterm elections, what can Congress do to keep healthcare affordable in the United States?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Get Your Healthcare at … Costco?
To ensure that the entry of companies like Costco into healthcare is positive for consumers, policymakers may want to closely monitor impacts on access to services, costs, and outcomes to the same degree as is done for traditional providers.
MU Health Care, Ambetter Health strike deal to expand in-network access
The agreement expands options for patients seeking high-quality care while allowing them to maximize their in-network health plan benefits.
Medicus Pharma proposes $135M SkinJect spinout through SPAC business combination
Medicus Pharma CEO Dr Raza Bokhari joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss a proposed transaction involving the company's wholly owned subsidiary, SkinJect, which has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with an undisclosed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) for a potential business combination. The proposed transaction contemplates a US$135 million pre-money enterprise valuation for SkinJect, alongside a concurrent equity financing intended to support the company's SKNJCT-005 clinical study in patients with Gorlin syndrome and preparations for a potential New Drug Application (NDA). Bokhari told Proactive that the proposed deal is designed to establish SkinJect as a separately listed company focused on advancing its dermatology and rare-disease development program. Under the proposed structure, the SPAC would acquire 100% of SkinJect in exchange for newly issued common shares in the combined company. Medicus Pharma intends to retain majority economic and voting ownership, allowing existing Medicus shareholders to maintain significant participation in SkinJect's potential future value. The separation would also provide SkinJect with a dedicated financing platform to fund its clinical development activities, particularly the SKNJCT-005 study targeting Gorlin syndrome, a rare genetic condition associated with the development of multiple basal cell carcinomas. The concurrent financing is expected to support the clinical program and the work required to prepare and potentially submit a New Drug Application, subject to successful development and regulatory progress. Final ownership percentages have not yet been determined. These will depend on negotiations surrounding the definitive transaction agreement and the combined company's capitalization, including retained SPAC cash, public and sponsor shares, warrants and other potentially dilutive securities. Medicus said the proposed transaction remains subject to the completion of definitive documentation and other customary conditions. The planned spinout represents a strategic step in Medicus Pharma's efforts to give SkinJect a dedicated corporate and financial structure, while allowing the parent company to retain majority participation as the dermatology program advances towards its next clinical and regulatory milestones. #proactiveinvestors #nasdaq #mdcx #tsxv #mdcx #pharma #SkinJect #Biotechnology #Healthcare #RareDisease #GorlinSyndrome #Dermatology #SPAC #ClinicalTrials #DrugDevelopment #NDA #Biopharmaceuticals
Americans wary of AI in healthcare for diagnoses and insurance claims, survey finds
Clover Health boosts outlook amid continued membership growth, financial momentum in Q3
Clover Health is continuing to see strong traction in its Medicare Advantage plan, with membership growing 49% year-over-year in the third quarter to approximately 157,000 members. | The company posted $130 million in profit, up 77% year-over-year, according to Q3 2026 financial results.
Geneva Health Forum 2026: Rethinking cooperation in global health
From November 10 to 12, at the Biotech Campus in Geneva, the Geneva Health Forum (GHF) will bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, institutional leaders, and representatives from international and humanitarian organizations for three days of debate, networking, and the sharing of experiences.
How women Veterans won the right to healthcare
Women Veterans fought for decades to gain equitable federal care, and their advocacy reshaped access for future generations.
How science influenced Abdul El-Sayed's politics
The Michigan senate-elect says evidence-based policymaking, public health and scientific scrutiny of corporate influence shape his positions on healthcare, environmental safety and government
Why CVS is breaking up its pharmacy empire now
CVS is splitting off its retail pharmacies as lawmakers intensify scrutiny of vertically integrated insurers, PBMs and pharmacy owners.
Why CVS is breaking up its pharmacy empire now
CVS is splitting off its retail pharmacies as lawmakers intensify scrutiny of vertically integrated insurers, PBMs and pharmacy owners.
Octo Health Launches Beta to Make Proactive, Personalized Healthcare More Accessible
Octo Health brings medical records, lab results, medications and health data into one health timeline, giving consumers a more complete picture of their healthBy combining annual testing of more than 100 biomarkers with unified health data, the platform helps members identify patterns and track health trends over timeAs consumers take a more active role in managing their health, Octo Health gives them greater ownership of their data and helps them understand what it means NEW YORK, Nov. 05, 2026
GE HealthCare Technologies' Taha Kass-Hout to Resign as Chief Science and Technology Officer
GE HealthCare Technologies' Chief Science and Technology Officer Taha Kass-Hout will resign effective December 31, 2026.Original SEC Filing: GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. [ GEHC ] - 8-K - Nov. 05, 2026This is an AI-powered summary. It may contain inaccuracies. Consider verifying important informa…
Cigna profit tops estimates on insurance, care services
Cigna said profits reflected growth in its insurance business and specialty pharmacy services.
Avanlee Care, platform for family caregivers, raises $3.5M, targeting Medicare Advantage plans
Avanlee Care, a platform to engage family caregivers, has clinched $3.5 million in seed funding, Fierce Healthcare has learned. | Avanlee Care helps MA plans and other organizations engage caregivers within their member populations, enabling them to take action and measure what happens as a result.
Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) posts better-than-expected sales in Q3 CY2026
Healthcare distributor and services company Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) announced better-than-expected revenue in calendar Q3 2026 (fiscal Q1 2027), with revenue up 5.5% year on year to $67.51 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $3.26 per share was 10.9% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Healthcare powers Democrats’ midterm rout: 4 takeaways
Voters sent a strong rebuke of the GOP health agenda on Tuesday night as Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress, rejecting Republicans who pushed sweeping healthcare cuts.
Here’s what to expect on healthcare from a Democratic Congress
The Democratic takeover of Congress will revive fights over Medicaid cuts, insurance subsidies and healthcare affordability.
Healthcare powers Democrats’ midterm rout: 4 takeaways
Voters sent a strong rebuke of the GOP health agenda on Tuesday night as Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress, rejecting Republicans who pushed sweeping healthcare cuts. Here are f…
Midterm Voters Split on Abortion and Trans Healthcare Ballot Questions
The nationwide blue wave in the midterm election didn’t necessarily carry over to ballot measures on abortion and transgender issues.
New Oklahoma Children’s OU Health center to expand pediatric behavioral healthcare in state
Oklahoma’s first comprehensive pediatric behavioral health center integrated with a children’s hospital is expected to begin serving patients in December.
In Warren County, a reflection of rural healthcare's turmoil
Rising costs, staff shortages and plummeting reimbursement rates have shuttered several of Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals, with nearly a third at risk of closure in the coming years.
Biz Buzz: New owners rebrand Platteville pet food, grooming business; Peosta healthcare service plans expansion; gaming store opens location in Dubuque
Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. This edition highlights businesses in Platteville, Wis.; Peosta, Iowa; and Dubuque.
Government CEO defends response to healthcare report
Paul Wylie said the future of health funding is one of his "most significant priorities" following criticism
Bowen Health cuts the ribbon on new facility opening in Wabash
Bowen Health, Indiana’s largest community mental health center and nonprofit healthcare organization, cut the ribbon at its new Wabash location.
Inside CVS’s Decision to Break Up a Healthcare Juggernaut
The company is splitting its drugstore and insurance businesses amid mounting regulatory pressure.
5 healthcare fights Democrats could take on after midterms sweep
Democrats now have leverage to try to restore the expired Obamacare tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts and push for changes they say would make healthcare more affordable.
Assessing Urgent Referral Trends From Primary Health Care Centres to Emergency Departments in the United Arab Emirates: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Background Efficient referral pathways between primary health care centres (PHCs) and emergency departments (EDs) are important for appropriate healthcare utilization and resource allocation....
Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover
Presented by AstraZeneca{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover Reinstating the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium ta…
Congress gave Nebraska millions for rural healthcare. Most isn’t getting to rural hospitals.
Much of the $218 million Nebraska has received to soften the blow of looming Medicaid cuts has gone to big cities and out-of-state contractors. DHHS leaders argue more money will make its way to rural areas.
UnitedHealthcare delivers proposal to Lee Health that could maintain network access
UnitedHealthcare said it delivered a proposal to Lee Health on Oct. 30 that could maintain long-term network access.
CMS Finalizes CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule to Shift from Sick Care to Healthcare and Curb Waste
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is prioritizing prevention, strengthening primary care, cracking down on duplicate billing
Illumina selected to help bring precision medicine into everyday healthcare in Singapore
Illumina, Inc. (Nasdaq: ILMN) announced it has been selected to provide whole-genome sequencing services for the SG-INSIGHT study, a cohort under Phase III of Singapore's National Precision Medicine (NPM) programme. Expected to include approximately one in 10 Singapore residents, or around 450,000 individuals, the study is designed to generate evidence from genomic and health data to help inform preventive approaches to healthcare.
Aetna lifts CVS Health profit in third quarter results
CVS Health’s insurance and health services units outperformed Wall Street in the third quarter, yet the bigger story for investors was the company’s breakup plan.
Economic Report: Rancho Mirage Invests in Business, Housing, and Tourism
Rancho Mirage strengthens its economy through healthcare, tourism, new residential communities, and investments in infrastructure and sustainability.
CVS Health plans retail pharmacy spinoff
CVS Health plans to spin off its retail pharmacy business in one of the biggest-ever breakups in the healthcare industry.
BROWARD HEALTH CELEBRATES TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY FOR MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING AT BROWARD HEALTH NORTH - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Shane Strum, President and CEO of Broward Health, signs the beam with fellow executives November 4, 2026- Broward Health celebrated a major construction milestone with the topping out of its […]
CVS plans to break up $117 billion healthcare conglomerate
The move mirrors the break up of Walgreens.
AHF • Reaching Men Where They Are Can Improve Their Health Outcomes
Health services must reach men in their communities, and create opportunities for open conversations about prevention and care.
Goldman Sachs’s Asad Hader on health care's post-election boost
Asad Haider, Goldman Sachs head of U.S. Healthcare Equity Research, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss S&P health care sector gains.
Always Asking Why: The Drive Behind UCF Nursing Leader's Passion for Healthcare
As the dean of the College of Nursing and Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing, Sharon Tucker has transformed curiosity into discovery, leadership and new possibilities for the future of healthcare.
CVS plans to break up $117 billion healthcare conglomerate
CVS Health Corp. plans to spin off its retail pharmacy business in one of the biggest-ever breakups in the healthcare industry. The drugstore business will be separated into a new
What Democratic control of Congress means for healthcare in 2027
Tuesday’s forecast-busting blue wave puts wind in the sails of Democrats who have promised a stark departure from Trump-era healthcare policy—though whether or not the shifts will be incremental or | Tuesday’s forecast-busting blue wave puts wind in the sails of Democrats who have promised a stark departure from Trump-era healthcare policy—though whether or not the shifts will be incremental or seismic hinges on intra-party debates and the president’s veto.
CVS to split off pharmacy business, ending the healthcare conglomerate era
CVS Health intends to keep together its insurance and pharmacy benefits divisions and create a separate company for its pharmacies, in a breakup set for 2028.
CVS plans to break up $117B healthcare conglomerate
A CVS split would follow a decade-long trend of consolidation, with health insurers combining with pharmacy benefits firms and medical providers.
10 ways Democrats could make healthcare cheaper after their huge election wins
Dems won big. So when is your healthcare going to get better?
Healthcare costs helped Democrats win big in the midterms
Democrats now control the House and Senate, with major ambitions for healthcare reform. KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner explains how high costs, abortion ballot measures and Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan win could shape the healthcare debate next year.
Waystar touts bigger health system wins and growing AI pipeline
Healthcare payment software maker Waystar again outperformed analysts’ estimates in the third quarter as the company builds out new artificial intelligence capabilities and drives growth by adding | Waystar again outperformed analysts’ estimates in the third quarter as the company builds out new AI capabilities and drives growth by adding new customers and selling more of its platform to existing clients.
How Science and the Environment Fared in the 2026 U.S. Midterms
Science was on the ballot across the United States in Tuesday’s midterm elections. On federal, state, and municipal levels, hundreds of people with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine ran for office. Americans also voted on measures related to conservation projects, pollutant abatement, healthcare access, and environmental reviews.
British healthcare worker with Ebola to be evacuated from DRC to UK, document shows
Patient, who is in stable condition, is expected to arrive in Britain on Wednesday or Thursday
Earth Science Tech (ETST) Wins Through the Inherent Operating Leverage of Its ‘Conglomerate’ Business Model
Austin, Texas, November 4th, 2026, FinanceWireEarth Science Tech (OTCQB: ETST) is a strategic holding company that brings together innovative businesses across the healthcare, pharmacy, technology and telemedicine, real estate, and consumer products spaces. Its primary operating strategy is to cont…
CVS plans to break up $117 billion healthcare conglomerate
The move mirrors the break up of Walgreens.
ARCare triples nurse capacity by combining RPM and chronic care management
A redesigned nursing workflow connects home blood pressure readings with patient relationships – expanding remote monitoring across three states.
TPA WellNet Healthcare Selects EHVAhealth Voice AI to Automate Health Plan Provider Calls
EHVAhealth, the health payer platform of EHVA.ai, today announced that WellNet Healthcare, a third-party administrator (TPA), has selected EHVAhealth's conversational voice AI to automate its inbound provider calls. EHVAhealth is purpose-built for health plans, TPAs, payers, and benefit administrators that need to answer high volumes of provider calls without adding headcount.
Contract Brings Big Wins for Healthcare Professionals in New York - The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union
Contract Brings Big Wins for Healthcare Professionals in New York
This Week's Health IT Jobs
It can be very overwhelming scrolling through job board after job board in search of a position that fits your wants and needs. Let us take that stress away by
CVS to split into two companies, in major breakup of its $117 billion healthcare empire
CVS Health said Wednesday it is splitting into two companies, marking one of the largest shakeups in the healthcare industry. It’s a major reversal of the mergers that brought together the nation’s largest drugstore retailer along with health insurance giant Aetna and pharmacy benefit manager Caremark.
CVS to split into two companies, in major breakup of its $117 billion healthcare empire
CVS Health said Wednesday it is splitting into two companies, marking one of the largest shakeups in the healthcare industry. It’s a major reversal of the mergers that brought together the nation’s largest drugstore retailer along with health insurance giant Aetna and pharmacy benefit manager Caremark.
Sanford Health Column: Keeping human connection at the heart of healthcare
When used appropriately, AI documentation can make a visit feel more personal, not less. Instead of dividing attention between a patient and a computer screen, a clinician may be able to focus more fully on the conversation.
CVS announces plan to split into 2 companies, separating pharmacy from insurance
CVS announced plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies on Wednesday, reshaping one of the largest healthcare companies in the US.
Democrats ready healthcare push
Democrats have clear first steps when it comes to healthcare: enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and reversing Medicaid cuts.
CVS Health beats estimates, raises guidance amid split plans
Investing.com -- CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.09, beating analyst estimates of $1.65, as the healthcare giant announced plans to separate into two independent companies.
CVS Health's (NYSE:CVS) Q3 2026: strong sales
Diversified healthcare company CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) reported revenue ahead of Wall Street's expectations in Q3 2026, with revenue up 5.4% year on year to $108.4 billion. The company's full-year revenue guidance of $420 billion at the midpoint came in 0.5% above analysts' consensus estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $2.09 per share was 26.6% above analysts' consensus estimates.
CVS reveals plans to split into two companies
CVS Health is splitting up. | CVS Health is splitting up. The healthcare giant announced Wednesday morning that it would divide its business units into two companies.
CVS to Split Off Pharmacy Business, Ending the Healthcare Conglomerate Era
In a breakup planned for 2028, CVS Health intends to split off its pharmacies into a new company, while keeping together its businesses in insurance and pharmacy benefits.
CVS to Split Off Pharmacy Business, Ending the Healthcare Conglomerate Era
In a breakup planned for 2028, CVS Health intends to split off its pharmacies into a new company, while keeping together its businesses in insurance and pharmacy benefits.
Lobo football to health care leadership, Brad Cook finds purpose in building better systems
For Brad Cook, leadership began long before he entered the healthcare industry. As a student at The University of New Mexico, Cook received a full ride scholarship to serve as the head equipment manager for the Lobo football team. This experience gave...
CVS Health plans to split in two. Here’s what is driving the massive healthcare breakup.
The healthcare giant surprised analysts with the decision to separate its business.
CVS Health to split in two, separating pharmacy business from insurance
Nov 4 (Reuters) - CVS Health said on Wednesday it will split into two companies, separating retail pharmacy from its insurance and pharmacy-benefit operations in a major unwinding of the healthcare conglomerate it spent years building through acquisiti...
CVS Health to split in two, separating pharmacy business from insurance
Nov 4 (Reuters) - CVS Health said on Wednesday it will split into two companies, separating retail pharmacy from its insurance and pharmacy-benefit operations in a major unwinding of the healthcare conglomerate it spent years building through acquisiti...
CVS Health to split in two, separating pharmacy business from insurance
Nov 4 (Reuters) - CVS Health said on Wednesday it will split into two companies, separating retail pharmacy from its insurance and pharmacy-benefit operations in a major unwinding of the healthcare conglomerate it spent years building through acquisiti...
CVS to split off drugstore business in major breakup of healthcare giant
The move would reverse the company's $78 billion acquisition of Aetna, and dismantle the vertically integrated healthcare conglomerate it created in 2018.
CVS to split off drugstore business in major breakup of healthcare giant
The move would reverse the company's $78 billion acquisition of Aetna, and dismantle the vertically integrated healthcare conglomerate it created in 2018.
Why big mergers aren’t in Inova’s playbook
Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones outlined the system's growth plans and capital project strategy.
$2 Million Settlement Resolves Covenant Health Data Breach Lawsuit
Covenant Health, St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital Nashua, N.H., and other Covenant Health facilities were named Covenant Health, St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital Nashua, N.H., and other Covenant Health facilities have agreed to pay $2 million to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from a May 2025 security incident.
Star Health's Arogya Seva Kendra clinics cross 1.8+ lakh beneficiary visits within a year of their inception, bringing free primary healthcare to communities across 9 states
Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (NSE: STARHEALTH) (BSE: 543412), India's leading standalone health insurer, has been safeguarding the health and well-being of millions of Indians for over 20 years through a strong focus on customer-centricity, transparency, and innovation. Reflecting its commitment to creating lasting social impact, Star Health's CSR initiatives focus on improving health outcomes through accessible healthcare, preventive interventions, and community wellness pro
El Camino Healthcare District’s Measure S gets the greenlight
A ballot measure to establish term limits for El Camino Healthcare District’s board members appears headed for victory.
The dangerous myth of the well-meaning health guru
In healthcare, a warm heart is no substitute for a trained mind. Banned Australian naturopath Barbara O’Neill built a global empire on the defense that she "just wants to help," but good intentions mean nothing when uncredentialed health advice causes real-world harm.
AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
Mobile medical clinics keep mothers and babies healthy
World Vision’s support of a mobile medical outreach clinic in Malawi ensures that more mothers and children receive the healthcare they need.
CVS Health to split into two publicly traded companies by 2028, FT reports
Investing.com-- CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) is planning to split its retail pharmacy business from its insurance operations, potentially unwinding one of the U.S. healthcare industry's largest vertical integration deals, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.