The AMA's Billing Party Finally Gets Crashed, $6.6B Health System Merger, Ann Wojcicki's Dramatic Comeback

Hey all,

Happy Thursday! Yesterday I received an $88 bill from Quest Diagnostics that was so magnificently vague I have no idea what it was for. The healthcare industry has perfected the art of making bill verification so tedious that most of us just pay anything under $100 without question—which, coincidentally, seems to be exactly the point. Right then, another small victory for administrative friction over actual transparency. 

Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(Fierce Healthcare) ChristianaCare and Virtua Health Exploring $6.3B Merger 

ChristianaCare and Virtua Health have signed a nonbinding letter of intent to explore a $6.3 billion merger that would create an eight-hospital, 30,000-employee nonprofit regional health system across four states. The deal comes amid rising financial pressure on hospitals and government healthcare programs, with both systems emphasizing a shared commitment to care innovation, local access, and workforce development rather than financial necessity. The merger also reflects a broader trend of health systems seeking scale to gain leverage with major insurers and reduce operational costs. Full Article

(Endpoints News) 23andMe Acquisition by Anne Wojcicki’s Nonprofit

Anne Wojcicki’s nonprofit TTAM Research Institute has officially completed its $305 million acquisition of 23andMe’s consumer genetics and research business, following a protracted and dramatic bid process. This marks a significant comeback for the co-founder and former CEO, who resigned earlier this year to pursue the deal amid the company’s bankruptcy and board upheaval. TTAM intends to maintain 23andMe’s core operations with an emphasis on customer data transparency and choice, while also seeking to acquire its telehealth arm, Lemonaid Health, for $2.5 million. Full Article

(STAT News) Medicare’s Proposed Physician Payment Cuts

Medicare has proposed a 2.5% “efficiency adjustment” cut to thousands of physician procedures, disproportionately affecting high-earning specialists like surgeons and radiologists, while increasing payments to primary care doctors. The move aims to address long-standing concerns about the imbalance in pay between specialties and primary care, and reduce reliance on the American Medical Association’s influential panel that has shaped physician compensation for decades. Under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this marks a dramatic shift in Medicare’s strategy, signaling a challenge to entrenched interests and a bid to reward time-based care more fairly. Full Article