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The loudest voices in the AI revolution belong to technologists and executives. But the people who may be best suited to lead AI are the ones least likely to be handed the reins: in healthcare, that’s practicing clinicians. At Presbyterian Healthcare Services, the largest integrated health system in New Mexico, that unlikely choice wasn’t an afterthought, it was the strategy. That perspective has shaped one of the most ambitious clinical AI deployments in the country. Presbyterian is rolling out a precision‑care AI platform across roughly 200 primary‑care clinicians.
A new analysis from the Office of Inspector General found a similar net cost for drugs through vertically-integrated Part D plans compared to other plans. Vertically-integrated firms accounted for 35% of contracts Part D in 2023, according to OIG's report. While net drug costs were on par between the two types of organizations, the study found that vertically integrated firms came to those prices through different means. In most cases, vertically integrated Part D plans paid pharmacies more initially but then clawed back more through fees and rebates to reach a net price.
Rural leaders grow skeptical of $50B transformation funds
When Congress packaged $50 billion for rural healthcare inside HR 1, it offered a number large enough to generate headlines and excitement. But the distribution of funds, planned over five years, has raised questions. The money was welcomed. The mandate attached to it is generating considerably more skepticism due to the lack of standard federal guidance for states administering the funds. The hospitals most in need of the fund’s dollars are the least positioned to access them, because the transformation the program envisions — alternative payment models, value-based care contracts, digital infrastructure — assumes organizational capacity that financially distressed rural providers don’t have.
ACA exchange enrollment likely to decline by at least 17% this year: KFF
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act marketplace plans could decline to 17.5 million people this year, according to a new KFF analysis. Researchers at KFF analyzed data from Wakely Consulting Group, which tracks the exchanges. The consultants estimate that enrollment in the exchanges could decrease by 17% to 26% over the course of 2026, accounting for unpaid premiums, mid-year attrition and other impacts.
VA hospitals earn record-high quality ratings in 2026 CMS report
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that 78% of VA hospitals that received an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating earned four or five stars in the latest annual report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That’s the highest percentage since CMS first started rating VA facilities in 2023. Additionally, VA accounted for nearly 15% of all 5-star rated hospitals in the 2026 report. The new report marks the fourth consecutive year that VA facilities have outperformed non-VA facilities.
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