TTA’s autumn leaves: Amazon Rx kiosks for One Medical, VillageMD shrinks in TX, Rock Health’s odd take on Q3 investment, Trilliant Health’s dizzying what-ails-healthcare analysis

October 10, 2025 | by | 1 Comment

 

Friday 10 October 2025

Several quick looks at Amazon’s test of pharmacy dispensing kiosks in One Medical clinics, VillageMD’s Texas selloff, and Rock Health’s strangely ambivalent report on Q3 digital health investment. Today’s deeper dive is a Must Read–Trilliant Health’s diagnosis on what ails US healthcare and why a “return to first principles” is badly needed, detailed in a 100+ page free report.

Editor Donna will be taking a short additional hiatus; back w/o 27 October.

Editor Donna’s selective roundup: One Medical’s Amazon Rx kiosks, VillageMD sells off Texas, digital health investment’s Q3 boost

Will “expensive, complex and inefficient” US healthcare respond to six major demographic, cost, supply trends–and recuperate? Or further sicken?

From our last Alert: Editor Donna is back. Here’s the catchup.

Congratulations to James Batchelor MBE (Well Deserved!)

And a read with even more relevance now: Should free-falling UnitedHealth Group be broken up? Or break itself up to survive, before it becomes another GE? (updated) (Not a rant, more a ‘get going’ to avoid disaster!)

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TTA returns: government shutdown effects, favored nations deal, funding overview, Veradigm still treading water, 23andMe bought back, and more!

October 3, 2025 | by

 

 

 

 

3 October 2025

Hello, Editor Donna is back, trying to catch up after a long and unanticipated leave that is not quite finished. We look at the effects of the US government ‘shutdown’ (not much except in telehealth), Pfizer’s ‘favored nations’ deal on drug prices (moving power away from the PBMs) and multiple big deals. We’re also gobsmacked that Veradigm still can’t get its reports together and Wojcicki bought back 23andMe. Sadly, one of our telehealth pioneers, John Boden, has also passed. More next week.

Editor Donna is back. Here’s the catchup.

From our last Alert: 

No, this shouldn’t happen to you–an unwanted hiatus for Editor Donna (an oops and a break that could have been worse)

Congratulations to James Batchelor MBE (Well Deserved!)

And a read with even more relevance now: Should free-falling UnitedHealth Group be broken up? Or break itself up to survive, before it becomes another GE? (updated) (Not a rant, more a ‘get going’ to avoid disaster!)

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donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Summer “Break”: On Hiatus

June 26, 2025 | by

 

27 June 2025

TTA will be on hiatus due to a ‘break’. Literal, and not a vacation! Articles and Alerts will resume at a date TBD in July.

No, this shouldn’t happen to you–an unwanted hiatus for Editor Donna (an oops and a ‘break’ that could have been worse)

Congratulations to James Batchelor MBE (Well Deserved!)

From our last Alert: Warmer temps, warmer news, a little earlier this week. We lead with Hims & Hers buying with their free cash UK/Europe’s similar Zava. Omada rumored to go public on Friday or shortly thereafter, while Anne Wojcicki takes a last-ditch run at buying her bankrupt company with an unnamed backer. UnitedHealth’s miseries remain very much in the news, with other opinions at variance, but all agree it’s a deep hole they’ve dug. Nonetheless, UHG shareholders seem to have some confidence in their new CEO, but aren’t yet giving him combat pay. And a lawsuit against Centene in AZ uncovers inaccurate provider ‘ghost networks’.

This just in: Hims acquires Zava, adds 1.3 million European/UK telemed customers (A way to grow and defy the bears?)

Need to knows: Omada’s $158M IPO at flat valuation, AZ lawsuit on Centene plan’s ‘ghost network’ fatality, UHG shareholders OK reduced package for CEO Hemsley, new ASTP/HIT-ONC leader, NJ’s Cooper Health patient data breach, Net Health buys Limber Health (Omada listing up on Friday, possibly)

Anne Wojcicki asks 23andMe bankruptcy court to reopen bidding on 12 June with fresh offer (Why, Anne, why??)

Two other views on UnitedHealth Group’s annus horribilis, for your consideration (Going inside the black box)

Weekend reading/viewing (for me too): Rural telehealth blackouts and value-based care’s ‘utopia’ (Set aside the time)

Should free-falling UnitedHealth Group be broken up? Or break itself up to survive, before it becomes another GE? (updated) (Not a rant, more a ‘get going’ to avoid disaster!)

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Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Summer #1: Hims buys Zava for EU/UK, Omada’s IPO, Wojcicki tries harder to buy 23andMe, UnitedHealth’s miseries explored, Centene sued on AZ network, more!

June 5, 2025 | by

5 June 2025

Warmer temps, warmer news, a little earlier this week. We lead with Hims & Hers buying with their free cash UK/Europe’s similar Zava. Omada rumored to go public on Friday or shortly thereafter, while Anne Wojcicki takes a last-ditch run at buying her bankrupt company with an unnamed backer. UnitedHealth’s miseries remain very much in the news, with other opinions at variance, but all agree it’s a deep hole they’ve dug. Nonetheless, UHG shareholders seem to have some confidence in their new CEO, but aren’t yet giving him combat pay. And a lawsuit against Centene in AZ uncovers inaccurate provider ‘ghost networks’.

This just in: Hims acquires Zava, adds 1.3 million European/UK telemed customers (A way to grow and defy the bears?)

Need to knows: Omada’s $158M IPO at flat valuation, AZ lawsuit on Centene plan’s ‘ghost network’ fatality, UHG shareholders OK reduced package for CEO Hemsley, new ASTP/HIT-ONC leader, NJ’s Cooper Health patient data breach, Net Health buys Limber Health (Omada listing up on Friday, possibly)

Anne Wojcicki asks 23andMe bankruptcy court to reopen bidding on 12 June with fresh offer (Why, Anne, why??)

Two other views on UnitedHealth Group’s annus horribilis, for your consideration (Going inside the black box)

From last week: Our big article this week is your Editor’s think-piece on breaking up UnitedHealth Group in order to save it–and healthcare. We also look at post-GLP-1 weight gain–and what it means for providers, in-person and telehealth, ‘soft’ robotics out of Scotland, NZ’s telehealth war with GPs, and what’s doing at companies like Midi Health, AssistIQ, Ambience, Auxira, and Yosi Health. And plenty of weekend reading and viewing!

Weekend reading/viewing (for me too): Rural telehealth blackouts and value-based care’s ‘utopia’ (Set aside the time)

Short takes: Midi Health’s longevity care for women covered by (some) insurance, NZ government 24/7 telehealth scored by GPs, Auxira tele-cardiology follow-up launches (Two disappointments that look like advances)

News roundup: GLP-1 weight regain real, soft robots walk off 3D printer, Ambience’s AI coding beats doctors by 27%, Get a Second Opinion debuts, $11.5M for AssistIQ (Reality bites GLP-1s and a soft robot wee bairn)

Job Posting: Yosi Health seeks Demand Generation Manager and Manager, Data Analytics & Reporting

Should free-falling UnitedHealth Group be broken up? Or break itself up to survive, before it becomes another GE? (updated) (Not a rant, more a ‘get going’ to avoid disaster!)

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donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Unofficial Summer kickoff: breaking up UnitedHealth to save it, post-GLP-1 weight gain, soft robots, NZ telehealth controversy, Midi Health widening women’s health, AssistIQ, Ambience, more!

May 30, 2025 | by

30 May 2025

Brrrr….it’s unofficially summer as we leave May behind. Our big article this week is your Editor’s think-piece on breaking up UnitedHealth Group in order to save it–and healthcare. We also look at post-GLP-1 weight gain–and what it means for providers, in-person and telehealth, ‘soft’ robotics out of Scotland, NZ’s telehealth war with GPs, and what’s doing at companies like Midi Health, AssistIQ, Ambience, Auxira, and Yosi Health. And plenty of weekend reading and viewing!

Weekend reading/viewing (for me too): Rural telehealth blackouts and value-based care’s ‘utopia’ (Set aside the time)

Short takes: Midi Health’s longevity care for women covered by (some) insurance, NZ government 24/7 telehealth scored by GPs, Auxira tele-cardiology follow-up launches (Two disappointments that look like advances)

News roundup: GLP-1 weight regain real, soft robots walk off 3D printer, Ambience’s AI coding beats doctors by 27%, Get a Second Opinion debuts, $11.5M for AssistIQ (Reality bites GLP-1s and a soft robot wee bairn)

Job Posting: Yosi Health seeks Demand Generation Manager and Manager, Data Analytics & Reporting

Should free-falling UnitedHealth Group be broken up? Or break itself up to survive, before it becomes another GE? (updated) (Not a rant, more a ‘get going’ to avoid disaster!)

From last week: The major news the week before US Memorial Day was the Hinge Health IPO, the first for digital health in two years–but the downside was that it was at a lower valuation. Denouements abounded with most 23andMe genetic assets bought by Regeneron, without a drink of Lemonaid. WeightWatchers’ time may have passed, new heads for Calibrate and Oak Street, and two more ‘arranged marriages’, Smarter Technologies and Fuze Health. An update on the VA EHRM in the budget. Masimo’s recovering, as is Ted of Strata-gee. 

News roundup 22 May: an inflight ‘save’ and AliveCor’s KardiaMobile, rolling out the VA/Oracle EHR in ‘waves’, Fuze Health formed from LetsGetChecked/Truepill, hacking and ransomware 92% of PHI data breaches (A renaming of a 2024 ‘arranged marriage’–can it be saved?)

News roundup: Hinge Health public @$32/share, lower valuation. Is WeightWatchers game over? Calibrate replaces CEO, new prez for Oak Street, NMC gets ‘Smarter’ rolling up 3 portfolio companies, another splash of investor ‘cold water’ (The first health tech IPO in 2 years and ‘smushing’ when they can’t)

Update: Masimo’s website status and an analysis of the Sound United sale (Getting up and running post-attack, but what happened?)

23andMe sold to Regeneron for $256M in court-supervised bankruptcy, sans Lemonaid. And is it worth it? (We come up with a number, it’s likely)

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Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Blooming Spring 5: Hinge Health’s IPO, 23andMe bought by Regeneron, sans Lemonaid, WeightWatchers’ future, debuts of Smarter Technologies and Fuze Health, VA EHR update, more!

May 23, 2025 | by

 

23 May 2025

The major news this week was the Hinge Health IPO, the first for digital health in two years–but the downside was that it was at a lower valuation. Denouements abounded with most 23andMe genetic assets bought by Regeneron, without a drink of Lemonaid. WeightWatchers’ time may have passed, new heads for Calibrate and Oak Street, and two more ‘arranged marriages’, Smarter Technologies and Fuze Health. An update on the VA EHRM in the budget. Masimo’s recovering, as is Ted of Strata-gee. 

Remember our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have passed on this Memorial Day. Our Monday newsletter will be on Tuesday.

News roundup 22 May: an inflight ‘save’ and AliveCor’s KardiaMobile, rolling out the VA/Oracle EHR in ‘waves’, Fuze Health formed from LetsGetChecked/Truepill, hacking and ransomware 92% of PHI data breaches (A renaming of a 2024 ‘arranged marriage’–can it be saved?)

News roundup: Hinge Health public @$32/share, lower valuation. Is WeightWatchers game over? Calibrate replaces CEO, new prez for Oak Street, NMC gets ‘Smarter’ rolling up 3 portfolio companies, another splash of investor ‘cold water’ (The first health tech IPO in 2 years and ‘smushing’ when they can’t)

Update: Masimo’s website status and an analysis of the Sound United sale (Getting up and running post-attack, but what happened?)

23andMe sold to Regeneron for $256M in court-supervised bankruptcy, sans Lemonaid. And is it worth it? (We come up with a number, it’s likely)

From last week: UnitedHealth Group changed out CEOs suddenly. The new one is a surprising ‘blast from the profitable past’ but that didn’t stop Mr. Market from taking the stock down down down. Another blast involves Elizabeth Holmes’ partner Billy Evans fronting a diagnostic testing- in-a-box startup.”Surprise, surprise!” No surprise that Holmes lost her appeal of an appeal–nor Omada Health filing for an IPO. Unfortunately, our investigator on all things Masimo met his own surprise walking on a sunny day–fortunately, Ted’s on the mend. More about BCIs with Apple integration, a chronic pain management startup, Parkinson’s data, two good raises, and what payers pay to keep their execs safe.

Short takes: Synchron BCI integrates with Apple devices, Shields Health partners with Duke on specialty pharmacy, raises for Cohere Health, Olio (More BCI action with Apple getting into it)

Theranos’ revenge? Holmes’ partner Billy Evans founds a startup for diagnostic testing, denies it is ‘Theranos 2.0’; Holmes loses Federal rehearing appeal. (Is Holmes advising long distance? Letters from a Texas Jail?)

News roundup: Omada Health files for IPO, UPMC-Redesign partner on chronic pain management, OK and PA AGs warn 23andMe users to delete data, Verily to build Parkinson’s dataset, what payers paid for exec security (Omada follows Hinge. But the last is surprising–between a lot and a little)

This just in: UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down immediately, replaced by former CEO Stephen Hemsley (updated 15 May) (UHG may change out CEOs, but continues to be hammered by Mr. Market)

Best wishes to Strata-gee’s Ted Green on a fast recovery! (Ted, our ace Masimo investigator, was put rather suddenly in a bad place…use your eyes when you drive!)

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TTA’s Blooming Spring 4: UnitedHealth’s CEO change doesn’t stop market pummeling, Omada’s IPO, Theranos redux, Holmes loses appeal, Synchron BCI and Apple, exec security cost, raises, more!

May 16, 2025 | by

 

16 May 2025

One after another surprise this week. UnitedHealth Group changed out CEOs suddenly. The new one is a surprising ‘blast from the profitable past’ but that didn’t stop Mr. Market from taking the stock down down down. Another blast involves Elizabeth Holmes’ partner Billy Evans fronting a diagnostic testing-in-a-box startup. “Surprise, surprise!” No surprise that Holmes lost her appeal of an appeal–nor Omada Health filing for an IPO. Unfortunately, our investigator on all things Masimo met his own surprise walking on a sunny day–fortunately, Ted’s on the mend. More about BCIs with Apple integration, a chronic pain management startup, Parkinson’s data, two good raises, and what payers pay to keep their execs safe.

Short takes: Synchron BCI integrates with Apple devices, Shields Health partners with Duke on specialty pharmacy, raises for Cohere Health, Olio (More BCI action with Apple getting into it)

Theranos’ revenge? Holmes’ partner Billy Evans founds a startup for diagnostic testing, denies it is ‘Theranos 2.0’; Holmes loses Federal rehearing appeal. (Is Holmes advising long distance? Letters from a Texas Jail?)

News roundup: Omada Health files for IPO, UPMC-Redesign partner on chronic pain management, OK and PA AGs warn 23andMe users to delete data, Verily to build Parkinson’s dataset, what payers paid for exec security (Omada follows Hinge. But the last is surprising–between a lot and a little)

This just in: UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down immediately, replaced by former CEO Stephen Hemsley (updated 15 May) (UHG may change out CEOs, but continues to be hammered by Mr. Market)

Best wishes to Strata-gee’s Ted Green on a fast recovery! (Ted, our ace Masimo investigator, was put rather suddenly in a bad place…use your eyes when you drive!)

From last week: This week’s drama was all about Masimo, developing literally as this Editor was writing. Their website outage was revealed to be from a cyberattack that took down nearly all their systems. Not good for a monitoring/tech company. But their good news was that they sold Sound United to Samsung–2/3rds off. The others deserving of more attention are Neuralink’s successful BCI implant in an ALS subject and UHG’s 1,000 app bet on AI. Not so dramatic: WeightWatchers’ prepackaged, quick bankruptcy, the NIH/CMS autism data project, and Amedisys divesting to salvage their UHG sale. 

Short takes: HHS forms NIH/CMS autism data project; Oscar Health beats Street w/Q1 $275M net; Centene’s $1.3B earnings; UHG has class action suit on earnings, 1K AI apps in production; Cedars-Sinai and Redesign Health partner on development; FDA, Lilly, Novo Nordisk win vs. compounders (Big step forward for autism research)

News roundup: WeightWatchers in 45-day prepackaged Ch. 11, Neuralink BCI successful in ALS subject, telehealth VR reduced TMD pain–study, AliveCor maxes up KardiaMobile 6L, TytoCare-Allina Health partnership, UHG-Amedisys divest some more (WW losing runway, a Neuralink win, Amedisys divesting to save their two-year-old UHG deal)

Breaking–Masimo Mystery SOLVED–cyberattack, website down for days, new websites up–and where’s the public explanations? Sound United sold. (Another cleanup on Aisle 10–the Sound United albatross flies off)

Holding this over: The weekend read: why SPACs came, went, and failed in digital health–the Halle Tecco analysis/memorial service; why OpenAI is going to be a bad, bad business (Grab the cuppa and lunch for a good read and podcast. Updated–Also Tecco’s blog post on why she quit being an angel investor.) 

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donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Blooming Spring 3: Masimo’s cyberattack takes it down, WW’s Chapter 11, Neuralink’s ALS success, UHG’s 1K bet on AI apps, NIH/CMS autism data project, a look at payer earnings, more!

May 9, 2025 | by

9 May 2025

This week’s drama was all about Masimo, developing literally as this Editor was writing. Their website outage was revealed to be from a cyberattack that took down nearly all their systems. Not good for a monitoring/tech company. But their good news was that they sold Sound United to Samsung–2/3rds off. The others deserving of more attention are Neuralink’s successful BCI implant in an ALS subject and UHG’s 1,000 app bet on AI. Not so dramatic: WeightWatchers’ prepackaged, quick bankruptcy, the NIH/CMS autism data project, and Amedisys divesting to salvage their UHG sale. 

Short takes: HHS forms NIH/CMS autism data project; Oscar Health beats Street w/Q1 $275M net; Centene’s $1.3B earnings; UHG has class action suit on earnings, 1K AI apps in production; Cedars-Sinai and Redesign Health partner on development; FDA, Lilly, Novo Nordisk win vs. compounders (Big step forward for autism research)

News roundup: WeightWatchers in 45-day prepackaged Ch. 11, Neuralink BCI successful in ALS subject, telehealth VR reduced TMD pain–study, AliveCor maxes up KardiaMobile 6L, TytoCare-Allina Health partnership, UHG-Amedisys divest some more (WW losing runway, a Neuralink win, Amedisys divesting to save their two-year-old UHG deal)

Breaking–Masimo Mystery SOLVED–cyberattack, website down for days, new websites up–and where’s the public explanations? Sound United sold. (Another cleanup on Aisle 10–the Sound United albatross flys off)

From last week: Cherry blossoms are starting to fall, much like Teladoc’s revenue for Q1 in our lead story. Can their acquisition of a small virtual mental health provider with insurance coverage help turn around BetterHelp? And what about their main business? Novo Nordisk would rather partner than fight with teleprescribers Hims & Hers, Ro, and LifeMD for GLP-1 Wegovy–will this be a trend? Commure adds to its ‘house that Jack built’ tech stack with a HealthTap partnership. And Masimo’s latest episode of its ongoing soap opera is that its former CEO (and major shareholder) is claiming ownership of shares as part of his severance–but they haven’t been granted and very much in dispute. (Irony alert: they’ve increased in value since his departure!)

This just in: Teladoc acquires UpLift for $30M, bolstering struggling BetterHelp telemental health; Q1 revenue down 3% (Can this telemental health be saved with one acquisition?)

News roundup: Hims, Ro, LifeMD and Novo Nordisk partner on Wegovy prescribing (updated); Commure partners with HealthTap for virtual care after hours; WebMD Ignite adds texting to member health ed; hellocare.ai raises $47M for virtual nursing  (When you can’t beat ’em in weight loss meds, join ’em. With a side of Commure’s interesting M.O. on acquisitions.)

Masimo updates: former CEO Kiani claims 13.2% ownership, and a review of the new management’s style (updated) (The soap opera continues)

Holding this over: The weekend read: why SPACs came, went, and failed in digital health–the Halle Tecco analysis/memorial service; why OpenAI is going to be a bad, bad business (Grab the cuppa and lunch for a good read and podcast. Updated–Also Tecco’s blog post on why she quit being an angel investor.) 

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Help Spread the News

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Donna Cusano, Editor In Chief
donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA’s Blooming Spring 2: Teladoc buys UpLift to buck up BetterHealth, Novo Nordisk partners with Hims, other teleprescibers on Wegovy, Masimo’s former CEO claiming un-granted shares, Commure-HealthTap partner, more!

May 2, 2025 | by

2 May 2025

Cherry blossoms are starting to fall, much like Teladoc’s revenue for Q1 in our lead story. Can their acquisition of a small virtual mental health provider with insurance coverage help turn around BetterHelp? And what about their main business? Novo Nordisk would rather partner than fight with teleprescribers Hims & Hers, Ro, and LifeMD for GLP-1 Wegovy–will this be a trend? Commure adds to its ‘house that Jack built’ tech stack with a HealthTap partnership. And Masimo’s latest episode of its ongoing soap opera is that its former CEO (and major shareholder) is claiming ownership of shares as part of his severance–but they haven’t been granted and very much in dispute. (Irony alert: they’ve increased in value since his departure!)

This just in: Teladoc acquires UpLift for $30M, bolstering struggling BetterHelp telemental health; Q1 revenue down 3% (Can this telemental health be saved with one acquisition?)

News roundup: Hims, Ro, LifeMD and Novo Nordisk partner on Wegovy prescribing (updated); Commure partners with HealthTap for virtual care after hours; WebMD Ignite adds texting to member health ed; hellocare.ai raises $47M for virtual nursing  (When you can’t beat ’em in weight loss meds, join ’em. With a side of Commure’s interesting M.O. on acquisitions.)

Masimo updates: former CEO Kiani claims 13.2% ownership, and a review of the new management’s style (updated) (The soap opera continues)

From last week: Cherry blossoms are blooming (finally) and so is the news. The roundups include Walgreens’ continuing Aisle 9 cleanup of their Federal opioid prescribing allegations, a huge and mysterious breach of Google Analytics sending Blue Shield CA member info to Google Ads, and Veradigm’s interim CEO will be taking the summer off. Our big reads include two surveys: the first on the state of healthcare AI (more show than go) and the second on RPM utilization–and effectiveness. Two raises, a BCI/telehealth merge, and international initiatives.

Product & funding very short takes: South Australia 1st with Sunrise EMR; S. Korea pain research, new emergency services app; BCI + telehealth for stroke patients; VirtuSense monitoring launches at Emory; Series B raises for Nourish, Healthee

Short takes: Veradigm’s interim CEO departing, Blue Shield CA breached 4.8M members’ PHI to Google, advice on expanded M&A premarket notification rules (You can’t blame that CEO for ankling after all the trouble he’s seen! And Blue Shield has 2nd largest breach–involving Google Analytics. Bad timing for Google.)

News roundup: Walgreens’ $350M opioid settlement, only 30% of healthcare AI pilots reach production, Medicare RPM usage up 10-fold despite benefit limitations (Walgreens cleans up again, and two surveys on AI and RPM for weekend perusal)

Holding this over: The weekend read: why SPACs came, went, and failed in digital health–the Halle Tecco analysis/memorial service; why OpenAI is going to be a bad, bad business (Grab the cuppa and lunch for a good read and podcast. Updated–Also Tecco’s blog post on why she quit being an angel investor.) 

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Donna Cusano, Editor In Chief
donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

TTA’s Blooming Spring: Walgreens tidies opioids for $350M, health AI more show than go, Blue Shield CA’s Googly breach, Veradigm’s CEO to depart, BCI meets telehealth for stroke, fundings, more!

April 25, 2025 | by

25 April 2025

Back at the desk….hope your holiday was great!

Cherry blossoms are blooming (finally) and so is the news. The roundups include Walgreens’ continuing Aisle 9 cleanup of their Federal opioid prescribing allegations, a huge and mysterious breach of Google Analytics sending member info to Google Ads, and Veradigm’s interim CEO will be taking the summer off. Our big reads include two surveys: the first on the state of healthcare AI (more show than go) and the second on RPM utilization–and effectiveness. Two raises, a BCI/telehealth merge, and international initiatives.

Product & funding very short takes: South Australia 1st with Sunrise EMR; S. Korea pain research, new emergency services app; BCI + telehealth for stroke patients; VirtuSense monitoring launches at Emory; Series B raises for Nourish, Healthee

Short takes: Veradigm’s interim CEO departing, Blue Shield CA breached 4.8M members’ PHI to Google, advice on expanded M&A premarket notification rules (You can’t blame that CEO for ankling! And Blue Shield has 2nd largest breach–involving Google Analytics.)

News roundup: Walgreens’ $350M opioid settlement, only 30% of healthcare AI pilots reach production, Medicare RPM usage up 10-fold despite benefit limitations (Walgreens cleans up again, and two surveys on AI and RPM for weekend perusal)

Two weeks ago, we were still going through a chilly Spring. Our big pre-Easter/Passover read for the weekend was Halle Tecco’s quantifying of the Cracked SPAC phenomenon and what’s happened with OpenAI. Transcarent closes its Accolade buy and changes its tune to ‘one place’, Walgreens doing a bit better. In touting, Keir Starmer’s bet on NHS data research and Elon Musk on human trials for Neuralink Blindsight. Hinge Health may postpone its long-awaited IPO and FTC pauses its long-awaited toss of the book at PBMs. Plus a new Perspectives on rural healthcare and telehealth.

The weekend read: why SPACs came, went, and failed in digital health–the Halle Tecco analysis/memorial service; why OpenAI is going to be a bad, bad business (Grab the cuppa and lunch for a good read and podcast. Updated–Also Tecco’s blog post on why she quit being an angel investor.) 

Extra, extra!: ATA Action forms Virtual Foodcare Coalition, Ophelia and Spring Health partner on opioid treatment, ISfTeH renews NSA status with WHO (More action from ATA Action and a partnership to watch in telementalhealth)

Midweek roundup: Transcarent closes Accolade; Walgreens beats Street; New Mountain Capital’s Office Ally buy-in; Neuralink Blindsight human trial coming up; PM Keir Starmer touts NHS data research; FTC’s PBM litigation break (Transcarent’s pivot?)

Rock Health’s digital health Q1: more money, fewer deals, more additions and partnerships in ‘leapfrogging’ (Still in a minor key this year)

News roundup: Hinge Health may postpone IPO, Rite Aid may enter 2nd bankruptcy, Veterans Affairs committees want new EHR costs & timeline, fired Texas health plan head hired private eyes to spy on members, providers, lawmakers (The last one is shocking)

Perspectives: Bridging the Gap in Rural Healthcare Through Telehealth (From Yosi Health)

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donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

TTA Where *Is* Spring? 3: SPACs–why they cracked, Hinge Health and FTC-PBM delays, Transcarent’s tune change, UK’s pivot on NHS research data, why OpenAI is losing its way, more!

April 11, 2025 | by

 

11 April 2025

It’s still a chilly Spring in your Editor’s whereabouts, but we have, fresh out of the hothouse, a bumper crop of news and opinion. The big read for the weekend is Halle Tecco’s quantifying of the Cracked SPAC phenomenon and what’s happened with OpenAI. Transcarent closes its Accolade buy and changes its tune to ‘one place’, Walgreens doing a bit better. In touting, Keir Starmer’s bet on NHS data research and Elon Musk on human trials for Neuralink Blindsight. Hinge Health may postpone its long-awaited IPO and FTC pauses its long-awaited toss of the book at PBMs. Plus a new Perspectives on rural healthcare and telehealth.

The weekend read: why SPACs came, went, and failed in digital health–the Halle Tecco analysis/memorial service; why OpenAI is going to be a bad, bad business (Grab the cuppa and lunch for a good read and podcast) 

Extra, extra!: ATA Action forms Virtual Foodcare Coalition, Ophelia and Spring Health partner on opioid treatment, ISfTeH renews NSA status with WHO (More action from ATA Action and a partnership to watch in telementalhealth)

Midweek roundup: Transcarent closes Accolade; Walgreens beats Street; New Mountain Capital’s Office Ally buy-in; Neuralink Blindsight human trial coming up; PM Keir Starmer touts NHS data research; FTC’s PBM litigation break (Transcarent’s pivot?)

Rock Health’s digital health Q1: more money, fewer deals, more additions and partnerships in ‘leapfrogging’ (Still in a minor key this year)

News roundup: Hinge Health may postpone IPO, Rite Aid may enter 2nd bankruptcy, Veterans Affairs committees want new EHR costs & timeline, fired Texas health plan head hired private eyes to spy on members, providers, lawmakers (The last one is shocking)

Perspectives: Bridging the Gap in Rural Healthcare Through Telehealth (From Yosi Health)

Last week: A relatively light news week in a so-far chilly, stormy Spring. Our top article is not one, but two dives into the Unicorn Known as Hippocratic AI. 23andMe’s sale isn’t attracting a lot of buyers (deliberate?) but presents even more problems for the users who took their surveys. Dr. Oz confirmed for CMS as HHS goes on a GLP-1 diet and then some. VA adds to their Oracle 2026 rollout, ATA Action enlarges, and DOJ seeks execution for Brian Thompson’s assassin.

News roundup: 9 additional VA centers named for Oracle 2026 EHR rollout; ATA Action acquiring, expanding with DTA; Dr. Oz to lead CMS while HHS cuts; DOJ seeks death penalty for Mangione  (VA creeps forward, ATA Action enlarges, HHS chops, justice awaits)
Are Hippocratic AI and AI “nurses” the wave of the future–or just another tide of hype? Two articles question. (A needed discussion on this particular unicorn and whether its AI capabilities are all they’re pitched to be)
23andMe’s slim list of prospective buyers–who must uphold privacy policies, according to the FTC. But what about that survey information? *Updated* (More problems with 23andMe’s sale–and if you took their surveys, they have more data on you)

* * *
Advertise on Telehealth and Telecare Aware
Support not only a publication but also a well-informed international community.

Contact Editor Donna for more information.

Help Spread the News

Please tell your colleagues about this free news service and, if you have relevant information to share with the rest of the world, please let me know!

Donna Cusano, Editor In Chief
donna.cusano@telecareaware.com

Telehealth & Telecare Aware – covering news on latest developments in telecare, telehealth and eHealth, worldwide.

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October 20, 2015 | by

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