Samwise Healthcare IT Newsletter
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
CMS Finalizes Transparency in Coverage Rules Requiring Clearer Health Plan Pricing Data
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on October 5 finalized new regulations updating the federal Transparency in Coverage requirements for health plans and issuers. Plans must publish a plain-text file at the root of their website identifying where machine-readable pricing files are located, plus a homepage footer link labeled “Price Transparency” or “Transparency in Coverage.” Reporting frequency for certain pricing information shifts from monthly to quarterly. Plans must also provide personalized cost-sharing information by phone. HHS, Labor and Treasury plan to begin developing a Prescription Drug File schema in November 2026, with plans expected to publish using the new schema in December 2027.
Sources: Healthcare Innovation
Ransomware Attack Hits University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine
The University of Illinois Chicago discovered a ransomware attack that limited access to some systems at its College of Medicine, according to Recorded Future News. A university spokesperson said hackers stole some information held on the college’s servers, and an investigation is underway to determine whether personal, research or academic information was compromised. All affected systems have since been restored, the university’s main network was not affected, and there was no impact on patient care delivery at UI Health, the spokesperson said. A ransomware gang known as Booba claimed the attack last week and said it stole 344 gigabytes of data.
Sources: The Record
Utah Pilot Lets Nolla Health AI Issue Initial Acne Prescriptions
New York-based Nolla Health announced a Utah pilot allowing its AI platform to issue initial prescriptions for topical acne treatments through its Nolla Derm app. The program is available to eligible Utah residents 18 and older for a $4.99 monthly subscription, with medication costs separate. Patients complete informed consent, a short intake questionnaire and a face scan, and the system selects from predefined, physician-approved protocols. Under the Utah agreement, physician oversight progresses through three stages, starting with two Utah-licensed physicians reviewing each prescription for at least 100 patients. Oral medications and isotretinoin are excluded, and patients with severe acne are screened out.
Sources: MobiHealthNews
CommonSpirit Says It Captured $200 Million in Financial Value From AI
Michael Browning, senior executive vice president and CFO of Chicago-based CommonSpirit, said during the system’s fiscal 2026 investor call on October 2 that it has captured $200 million in financial value from artificial intelligence. Direct AI spending remains under 0.75% of its total IT budget, with enterprise token costs held to $25,000 per month, he said. A 36-member governance committee has reviewed more than 122 enterprise use cases and rejected 20. About 67% of facilities are now on Epic, and CommonSpirit has cut its EHRs from 19 to nine. Full Epic rollout is now expected by the end of fiscal 2030.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Bessemer and Bain Report Healthcare AI Averaging 3.5x Return Within 12 Months
Bessemer Venture Partners and Bain & Company published The 2026 Healthcare AI ROI Scorecard, surveying 226 healthcare C-suite executives across 65 use cases at health systems, payers and biopharma companies. Buyers modeled a 24-month payback but realized a material return within about 12 months, averaging a 3.5x return on investment. Provider revenue cycle management led with a 4.0x realized ROI, while provider clinical workflows sat at 2.9x. Half of surveyed organizations have reduced headcount because of AI or plan to within six months. Only 46% of clinicians trust AI-generated tools for clinical decision-making, the report found.
Sources: HIT Consultant
Sarasota Memorial Completes $160 Million Systemwide Epic Go-Live
Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System has launched Epic across its entire organization, completing a roughly $160 million EHR transition, Becker’s reported. The health system said in an October 4 Facebook post that the launch included First Physicians Group offices, outpatient healthcare centers, urgent care sites and hospitals. More than 11,000 employees were involved in preparing for the transition. The implementation began in June 2025, and Sarasota Memorial chose an enterprise-wide “big bang” rollout rather than a phased approach. The project was expected to consolidate three patient portals into one and retire nearly a quarter of roughly 380 applications.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
Utah Approves August AI to Pilot AI-Assisted Prescription Renewals
San Francisco-based August AI has been approved by the Utah Department of Commerce’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy to pilot AI-assisted prescription renewals for people with chronic illnesses. The AI will review renewal requests for routine, non-controlled medications, including treatments for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and a Utah-licensed physician will review each recommendation before authorizing a prescription. August AI will charge patients $4 per renewal. The pilot advances by drug class and requires 1,250 physician-reviewed decisions per class. The state also announced a network of independent evaluators, including the Coalition for Health AI, to verify claims made by sandbox companies.
Sources: MobiHealthNews
Novant Health Shifts From Urgent Care to 24/7 Virtual Care in South Carolina
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health is pivoting from urgent care to virtual care in South Carolina, Becker’s reported, citing The Post and Courier. Novant is selling 36 of its South Carolina urgent care centers to Greenville-based Prisma Health in a deal expected to close November 1. Novant said it is expanding virtual care to 24/7 availability and adding specialty care where possible. The shift builds on a model launched in July with AI-enabled care company K Health, letting patients in both Carolinas book virtual primary care around the clock through NovantHealth.org and MyChart. A K Health digital assistant collects symptoms before each visit.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
AWS Awards $1.8 Million in Cash and Cloud Credits for Pediatric AI Projects
Amazon Web Services awarded more than $1.8 million in cash and cloud computing credits to 11 organizations, including five children’s hospitals, through its 2026 AWS Imagine Grant Children’s Health Innovation Award, the company said October 5. Nationwide Children’s Hospital will expand its GENIUS machine learning platform to six more NICUs in central Ohio. Seattle Children’s is building a cloud platform converting more than 35,000 EEG studies into AI-ready formats. Cook Children’s, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters and Lurie Children’s were also recipients. The awards are part of AWS’ $10 million commitment to children’s health.
Sources: Becker’s Hospital Review
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