Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.
1. Hospitals add nearly 9k jobs in March
The healthcare industry added 13,500 jobs last month, contributing to the nation's overall 98,000 new jobs in March, according to the most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2. Poll: 75% of Americans say Trump should try to make the ACA work
A vast majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump and his administration should try to make the ACA work, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.
3. Hospital stocks drop as GOP tries to revive ACA replacement bill
Major for-profit hospital operators saw their share prices sink on Tuesday as Republican leaders sought to revive the ACA replacement bill.
4. Hospital employees sickened after eating co-worker's drug-laced baked goods
Police say six employees of Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, N.C., got sick March 19 after eating a co-worker's baked goods containing cannabis oil, according to WFTV.
5. CMS releases final rule on Medicaid DSH calculation
CMS issued a final rule March 30 addressing how Medicare and other third-party payments are treated when calculating hospitals' Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payments.
6. Arizona hospital falls into bankruptcy less than 2 years after opening
Green Valley (Ariz.) Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy April 3, less than two years after it opened.
7. Cardinal Health looks to acquire Medtronic's medical supplies unit for $6B
Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health is nearing a deal with Minneapolis-based Medtronic to acquire its medical supplies business for approximately $6 billion, an unnamed source told Reuters April 5.
8. Mylan expands EpiPen recall to US
Meridian Medical Technologies, which manufacturers EpiPens for Mylan, on March 31 expanded its global recall of the life-saving devices to include the U.S. market, reports Reuters.
9. Quorum closes investigation into spinoff from CHS
Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health Corp.'s board completed its independent investigation related to its spinoff from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems last year.
10. Wellmark, Aetna to drop Iowa exchanges for 2018 enrollment year
After Des Moines, Iowa-based Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced it will leave Iowa's ACA health insurance exchange effective Jan. 1, 2018, Aetna made the same announcement, citing concerns about the health law's uncertain future.
11. CMS finalizes 2018 Medicare Advantage, Part D rates
CMS finalized a 0.45 percent rate increase for the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs in 2018.
12. Mayo responds to state over patient priority comments
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic says it has not changed its practices for treating patients following a video memo by President and CEO John Noseworthy, MD, in which he told staff to prioritize care for commercially insured patients over those covered by Medicare and Medicaid, reports the Post Bulletin.