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A federal judge temporarily blocked part of an Education Department rule that would affect borrowing limits for aspiring clinicians, days before it was scheduled to go into effect. The rule, which was finalized in April, would cap federal loans for graduate students, with higher borrowing limits for those pursuing “professional degrees” such as an M.D. The Wednesday order pauses the implementation of the regulatory definition of “professional degree” that excludes those granted to students such as would-be nurse practitioners or physician assistants. (DeSilva, 6/25)

Physician assistants and other advanced practice providers have helped offset the exit of physicians from the workforce, but the additions are unlikely to meet demands for care well into the next decade. A shortage of physicians persists in rural and urban areas alike and is compounded by recent changes to H-1B visas and federal tuition borrowing rates that are expected to make it more challenging for physicians to join the workforce. (DeSilva and Broderick, 6/25)

El Camino Health has proposed building a new hospital in Los Gatos that would replace its current 64-year-old hospital by 2032, the health care provider announced. The $1 billion rebuild, adjacent to the current facility at Pollard Road and Knowles Drive, would create the first all-electric hospital in Los Gatos. The proposed hospital would be more than double the size of the current facility — 340,000 square feet compared with 138,000. (Ho, 6/25)

The proposed sale of a financially beleaguered nursing home in Eureka could see dozens of employees laid off from the site — at least temporarily — before any new owner takes over. (Bauman, 6/25)

Kaiser Permanente must pay millions to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center over the years of underpayments for out-of-network emergency medical care, according to a Tuesday final judgment ending a battle of appeals between the two. (Muoio, 6/24)

SM Health has agreed to pay nearly $1.1 million in total to settle claims that its pharmacy improperly waived patient copays and, in turn, overbilled Medicare for prescriptions. (Bauman, 6/25)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: Medicare Advantage Company Pays $342M To Government In Midst Of Billing Probe

A major Medicare Advantage company has paid the government more than $342 million to help settle allegations that it overcharged the federal healthcare program for years. Elevance Health, which covers about 2 million people on Medicare, sent the money to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services via wire transfer on May 27, court records show. Government lawyers disclosed the payment in a June 22 court filing. (Schulte, 6/26)

Health systems are racing to scale outpatient services, both to expand their reach and protect their turf. Efficiency and expansion have become paramount as they take on for-profit competitors in surgeries, infusions, cardiac care, imaging and physical therapy. Hospital systems are also competing against their peers, accelerating plans to fund growth initiatives through their balance sheets and joint ventures. (Kacik, 6/25)

Logan Cabiao has a severe form of autism and is nonverbal. At 10 years old, his parents say, he needs round-the-clock support and supervision. Logan cannot brush his teeth or use the bathroom on his own. Routine doctor’s appointments can become so overwhelming that his parents sometimes need to sedate him. In crowded places he may run off without warning, they say. (Lovelace Jr., Kane and McLaughlin, 6/25)

Very few middle-aged men are discussing prostate cancer screening with their doctor, even though they face a decision whether or not to be tested, a new study says. Only about 6% of men have had a documented discussion with their primary care doctor about prostate cancer screening, even though guidelines recommend this talk for all men between 55 and 69 years of age, researchers reported recently in the Southern Medical Journal. (Thompson, 6/25)