CMS showcases first wave of digital health tools as questions about 'last mile' of adoption remain

fiercehealthcare - On Thursday, Trump administration officials unveiled the first wave of health tech tools as part of a push to make medical records more accessible to Medicare patients.

AI Summary: CMS showcased its first wave of vetted digital health tools via a new "app store" designed to streamline interoperability and distribute standardized applications across health systems. The platform aims to make vetted digital tools easily discoverable, but adoption hurdles, governance questions, and real‑world integration challenges mean hospitals may be cautious before swapping PDFs for plug‑and‑play magic.

Tenet CIO to retire at year end

Emily Olsen / healthcaredive - Paola Arbour will stay at Tenet on a part-time basis to provide transition and support services through early 2028.

AI Summary: Tenet announced its chief information officer will retire at year‑end, kicking off a leadership transition for a pivotal technology role. The departure forces succession planning and raises questions about continuity for key digital initiatives — the sort of timing CIOs love to call “strategic.”

Patients Are Using Chatbots to Fight Medical Bills, With Mixed Results

Sarah Kwon / nytimes - While chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT can help narrow the information divide between patients and providers, they can also dispense flawed advice.

AI Summary: Patients increasingly use AI chatbots to challenge medical bills, leveraging automated appeals and negotiation scripts. While chatbots can speed administrative tasks and sometimes reduce balances, outcomes vary and users face inconsistent accuracy and limits in handling complex payer disputes—so yes, convenience at the price of occasional frustration.

Digital health startups raked in $4B during Q1 with 12 megadeals driving investment: Rock Health

fiercehealthcare - Digital health startups pocketed $4 billion in venture capital funding in the first quarter of 2026, marking the strongest first quarter since the pandemic peak.

AI Summary: Venture investment in digital health is narrowing: a small number of startups captured a large share of Q1 funding, driven by a handful of megadeals. The trend signals investor preference for later‑stage companies and scale plays, squeezing early innovators who must now demonstrate clearer paths to durable revenue and clinical impact.

Anthropic acquires stealth AI startup Coefficient Bio in $400M deal: reports

fiercehealthcare - AI powerhouse Anthropic is continuing its push into the healthcare arena with the acquisition of previously stealth AI startup Coefficient Bio in a $400 million stock deal, according to reporting from The Information and Eric Newcomer.

AI Summary: Anthropic has acquired stealth biotech Coefficient Bio in a reported $400 million deal, signaling a major push by an AI developer into drug discovery. The acquisition folds computational prowess into wet‑lab capabilities, reshaping who might lead future therapeutic discovery and prompting competitors to wonder if they missed the memo.

Group sues CMS for details on Medicare AI prior authorization pilot

Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - Digital rights advocacy organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against CMS seeking information on how the AI algorithms work in its traditional Medicare prior authorization pilot. CMS’ Wasteful and I…

AI Summary: A coalition of tech and privacy groups has sued CMS seeking detailed records about a Medicare pilot that uses AI to automate prior authorization decisions. Plaintiffs argue the agency failed to provide transparency on algorithms, data inputs and patient safeguards, demanding documents to assess legal, safety and fairness risks before the program expands.

WHOOP Secures $575M, Reaches $10B Valuation

Marissa Plescia / medcitynews - WHOOP’S Series G round was led by Collaborative Fund and includes participation from 2PointZero Group, Qatar Investment Authority, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James.The post WHOOP Secures $575M, Reaches $10B Valuation appeared first on MedCity News.

AI Summary: Wearable fitness company Whoop closed a $575 million funding round that values the business at roughly $10 billion, attracting strategic partners including Abbott and health systems like Mayo Clinic. The cash infusion underwrites an aggressive hiring spree and product expansion as Whoop doubles down on clinical collaborations and scaling its sensor and analytics platform.

Eli Lilly Bets €2.4B on AI-Designed Drugs in New Insilico Medicine Deal

oncodaily - In a sweeping push to expand its pipeline and embrace artificial intelligence in drug discovery, Eli Lilly and Company has announced two major strategic moves: a multi-billion-dollar collaboration with Insilico […]

AI Summary: Eli Lilly struck a major partnership with Insilico Medicine to accelerate AI‑designed drug programs, providing a substantial upfront payment and committing to multiyear development milestones and potential payouts worth roughly in the billions. The deal expands Lilly’s AI drug discovery footprint and signals big pharma’s growing bet on algorithmic chemistry.

Teens are driving the demand for online abortion pills via telehealth

medicalxpress - Teens in the U.S. are obtaining medication abortion pills through telehealth, and young people aged 18 to 24 are ordering medication abortion at much higher rates than older adults.

AI Summary: Telehealth provision of medication abortion has surged, reducing travel for many and prompting a noticeable uptick in online requests from teenagers. Reports show virtual care is reshaping access patterns and forcing healthcare systems and regulators to confront new realities around remote prescribing, confidentiality, and youth access to reproductive services.

UK government recommends maximum two hours of screen time for younger children: What the evidence says

medicalxpress - New UK government guidance recommends that screen time for children under two should be avoided, except for shared activities such as video calls. For children aged two to five, a maximum of an hour a day is suggested. The guidance also outlines that watc…

AI Summary: The UK government updated child‑health guidance recommending strict limits on young children’s screen time, citing evidence linking excessive use to delayed development and poorer sleep. The guidance urges parents and caregivers to prioritize interactive, non‑screen activities and age‑appropriate limits while acknowledging modern practicalities for families.

Verily raises $300M, sheds Alphabet’s majority control

Shelby Livingston / endpoints - Verily has raised $300 million in new, outside funding that ends parent company Alphabet's controlling position in the healthcare innovation company, Endpoints News has learned exclusively. The funding round was led by Series X Capital ...

AI Summary: Verily secured a $300 million financing round that reduces Alphabet’s majority control, bringing new strategic investors on board including health system partners. The cash infusion aims to accelerate Verily’s healthcare technology and platform ambitions — because nothing says “healthcare disruption” like another well‑funded pivot.

Turquoise Health Snags $40M to Simplify Healthcare Contracts & Payments

Katie Adams / medcitynews - Turquoise Health raised $40 million in a Series C round to expand beyond price transparency into managing healthcare contracts. The startup’s platform aims to simplify payer–provider agreements, reduce administrative waste and enable patients to see guara…

AI Summary: Turquoise Health closed a $40 million funding round to accelerate its platform that standardizes healthcare contracts and payments, aiming to increase price transparency and streamline payer–provider interactions. The cash infusion will support product growth, sales expansion and the company's push to make messy contract data slightly less catastrophic for hospital finance teams.

Lantern Secures $30M to Fuel Growth Across Employers and Health Plans

Marissa Plescia / medcitynews - Lantern’s $30 million raise was led by Morgan Health, a JPMorganChase business unit focused on employer-sponsored healthcare, as well as Echo Health Ventures, a strategic investment platform that invests on behalf of multiple Blues health plans.The post L…

AI Summary: Lantern secured a $30 million investment led by Morgan Health and Echo Health Ventures to scale its employer- and plan-facing digital health platform. The capital will accelerate product development, deepen payer-employer partnerships, and expand deployment of Lantern’s care navigation and benefits tools as it chases broader market traction — because nothing says progress like more tech for paperwork.