New data from the University of California San Diego Health adds clinical weight to a growing shift in post-acute care strategy: targeted, virtual transition clinics can reduce hospital readmissions without sacrificing patient equity or engagement. In a study published this month in JMIR Medical Informatics, researchers documented a 25% relative reduction in 30-day readmission rates among patients seen through a one-time, virtual follow-up visit compared to traditional post-discharge workflows.

Apple’s recent launch of the Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 introduces more than incremental hardware updates. By embedding heart rate sensing into earbuds and promising hypertension detection via smartwatch, the company has signaled a deeper ambition: to collapse the boundary between lifestyle tech and regulated medical oversight.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has released the CPT 2026 code set, introducing 288 new procedural codes that reflect the accelerating convergence of technology, clinical innovation, and reimbursement strategy in American healthcare. While often viewed through a billing and administrative lens, the CPT framework has evolved into a critical policy lever, defining what care is measurable, billable, and therefore deliverable at scale.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled a pivotal advisory committee meeting for November 6 to address the regulatory future of AI-powered digital mental health tools. Convened under the auspices of the agency’s Digital Health Advisory Committee (DHAC), the session will explore how emerging technologies, from chatbots to algorithmic screening tools, might bridge gaps in behavioral health access, while also surfacing unique safety and oversight challenges.

In a move that redefines the competitive landscape of Nevada’s healthcare market, Kaiser Permanente and Renown Health have announced a joint venture that will combine Kaiser’s nationally scaled value-based care model with Renown’s regional insurance infrastructure and care delivery footprint. Beginning in 2026, the two organizations will co-own and operate a health plan and outpatient care system in northern Nevada under the newly formed Kaiser Permanente Nevada.

A new federal law, passed under the Trump administration’s 2025 tax and spending legislation, is poised to reconfigure the financial bedrock of the Medicaid program. Tucked inside the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a policy shift that will cap state-directed Medicaid payments to hospitals and physicians which are cuts that, according to provider groups and state hospital associations, could devastate already-fragile rural health systems.

As the healthcare industry recalibrates its ambitions for value-based care (VBC), one reality has grown increasingly difficult to ignore: aggregate data isn’t enough. Executives and clinical leaders charged with reducing costs and improving outcomes have long relied on population-level metrics and episode-based models to guide transformation. But when avoidable variation in care still accounts for hundreds of billions in waste, a shift in measurement strategy becomes essential.

Alphabet’s Verily has officially shuttered its medical device division, marking a significant realignment of the company’s once-celebrated healthcare ambitions. In doing so, Verily joins a growing list of tech-backed health ventures that are stepping away from hardware-driven innovation in favor of AI-centric strategies with faster return potential.