Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Change Healthcare posts substitute HIPAA breach notice for 190-million-person data breach
Change Healthcare posted a substitute HIPAA breach notice on June 20, 2026, for the February 2024 cyberattack that exposed protected health information for more than 190 million Americans — the largest healthcare data breach in United States history. The notice fulfills a federal requirement when directly contacting every affected individual proves impractical at scale. Change Healthcare said it plans to mail written notifications to affected patients in late July 2026. The breach was first disclosed in February 2024 and forced the company to pursue substitute notification under federal HIPAA rules due to the extraordinary scale of the incident.
Sources: GovInfoSecurity
CMS to recalculate 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings after Clover Health court win
CMS announced June 18, 2026 that it would voluntarily recalculate 2027 Medicare Advantage quality bonus payment star ratings following a Georgia federal court ruling in May 2026 that sided with Clover Health. The agency said only plans whose scores improve under the revised methodology will receive updated ratings, limiting the practical effect largely to Clover Health itself. Analysts at TD Cowen estimated that a broader application of the recalculation would have generated approximately $500 million in additional payments for UnitedHealth Group, but CMS chose the narrower approach. The decision is expected to invite additional lawsuits from other Medicare Advantage insurers.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
PCMA sues to block Illinois Prescription Drug Affordability Act for pharmacy benefit managers
The Pharmacy Care Management Association sued to block the Illinois Prescription Drug Affordability Act from applying to pharmacy benefit managers, Healthcare Dive reported in June 2026. PCMA, the national trade association for PBMs, filed the legal challenge against the Illinois law, which targets drug pricing practices of pharmacy benefit managers operating in the state. Illinois enacted the legislation as part of efforts to lower prescription drug costs for consumers and state health programs. The PCMA lawsuit seeks to have pharmacy benefit managers exempted from the act’s requirements. Financial and operational terms of the litigation were not detailed in the Healthcare Dive report.
Sources: Healthcare Dive
Ensemble Health Partners to receive Thoreau Group investment after $32B New Mountain deal collapsed
Matt Holt’s Thoreau Group has agreed to invest in Ensemble Health Partners, a revenue cycle management company, according to a Modern Healthcare report published June 19, 2026. The deal comes three months after a planned $32 billion acquisition of Ensemble by New Mountain Capital collapsed in March 2026. Existing investors Berkshire Partners, Warburg Pincus, and Bon Secours Mercy Health will continue as backers of the company under the new arrangement. Ensemble Health Partners provides revenue cycle management services to hospitals and health systems. Financial terms of the Thoreau Group investment were not disclosed.
Sources: Modern Healthcare
WHOOP and HealthEx partner to connect EHRs and biometric data within the WHOOP app
Wearable health company WHOOP announced June 17, 2026 that it has partnered with HealthEx to allow U.S. members to connect their electronic health records directly within the WHOOP app. The integration combines clinical data — including diagnoses, medications, and lab results — with WHOOP’s biometric measurements such as heart rate variability, sleep, and recovery scores to provide personalized health insights. WHOOP said the feature uses a privacy-first architecture in which members control which records they choose to share. The HealthEx connection is currently available to WHOOP members in the United States.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
GAO says DoD and VA must improve cybersecurity coordination for shared federal EHR system
A Government Accountability Office report found that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs must define common goals and outcomes to ensure cybersecurity and privacy protections for their shared federal electronic health record system, Healthcare IT News reported. The GAO conducted the performance audit between June 2024 and June 2026, examining the joint EHR program operated by both agencies. The two departments share an Oracle-based federal EHR enclave that manages health records for military service members and veterans. GAO made recommendations for improving coordination between DoD and VA on cybersecurity and data privacy for the shared system.
Sources: Healthcare IT News
Lumeris adds AI-powered symptom-checking tool to its population health platform
Population health management company Lumeris added an AI-powered symptom-checking tool to its platform, Fierce Healthcare reported in its weekly health technology digest on June 17, 2026. The tool brings AI-driven symptom assessment into Lumeris’s population health management suite, which serves health plans and health systems engaged in value-based care. The addition extends the capabilities of a platform already used by value-based care organizations managing large patient populations. Lumeris works with health plans and health systems on population health and care management. Technical specifications for the new AI symptom-checking tool were not provided in the roundup report.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
DeepIntent rolls out agentic AI tool for healthcare advertising campaign management
Healthcare advertising technology company DeepIntent released an agentic AI tool for healthcare marketers, Fierce Healthcare reported in its weekly health technology digest on June 17, 2026. The product uses agentic artificial intelligence — a class of AI systems designed to autonomously plan and execute multi-step tasks — to help healthcare brands manage digital advertising campaigns. DeepIntent focuses on healthcare-specific digital advertising technology, serving pharmaceutical companies, health systems, and health plans. The launch adds agentic AI capabilities to DeepIntent’s existing healthcare marketing platform. Further details about the product’s specific functionality were not included in the weekly roundup.
Sources: Fierce Healthcare
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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