Morning Read: Companies form Health Transformation Alliance to hold down employee healthcare costs

Also, in the Democratic debate U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders goes after Hillary Clinton over pharma campaign donations influencing her position on drug prices, and a hospital CEO is arrested for prescription drug fraud.

Helping hand to new member or hire join up with large social groTOP STORIES

A health insurance alliance formed by 20 companies such as American Express, Macy’s and Verizon Communications with more than 4 million employees will use their collective data and market power to hold down the cost of providing workers with healthcare benefits. Specifically, the Health Transformation Alliance will share information about members’ employee health spending and outcomes towards using those findings to change how they contract for care. The idea came out of the think tank American Health Policy Institute, led by Tevi Troy, a top health official in the George W. Bush administration.— The Wall Street Journal

Martin Shkreli’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman admitted that his client has some PR issues in reference to his Capitol Hill smirkathon and his client’s tweet referring to Congressmen as imbeciles. “It’s unfortunate,” said Brafman. “He’s young, he’s inexperienced. It was a regrettable choice of words.” — CNN, CNBC

And yet, Shkreli just turns around and does this:

In the Democratic debate last night in New Hampshire, U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders accused rival Hillary Clinton of supporting the status quo by not going after pharma companies and taking their campaign donations. Data from the Center for Responsive Politics shows that Clinton’s campaign received $332,016 in contributions from the pharmaceutical and health products industries in 2015 — more than any other presidential candidate.

“Let’s ask why it is that we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, and your medicine can be doubled tomorrow, and there’s nothing the government can do to stop it,” Sanders said. “There is a reason why these people are putting huge amounts of money into our political system.”

For her part, Clinton said she had not changed her vote or policies because of any donations she received. — STAT

LIFE SCIENCES

As a way to address the frustration with the failure to verify scientific study findings, Amgen has posted the results of three failed efforts to verify findings on the website called F1000 Research, run by London-based publishers Faculty of 1000. — Nature

Dr. Lode Debrabandere, the CEO of Osiris Therapeutics, a biotech company which developed the first FDA approved stem cell drug, has resigned for personal reasons. He had taken over for the previous CEO Randal Mills, who resigned in 2013 for personal reasons. — Fierce Biotech

An investment platform focusing on biotech startups, called FundRx, uses doctors as both vetters and investors. — Forbes

Impact Pediatric Pitch has extended the deadline for applications to its medtech pitching competition at SXSW Interactive until February 15. It’s also added a $50,000 prize for the winner. — Impact Pediatric Pitch

Are you a corporate writer feeling up to handling stressful situations? Theranos wants you. — Wired

PAYERS-PROVIDERS

The CEO of Georgia hospital Union General Hospital, Michael Gowder, was arrested for prescription drug fraud. He was one of six arrested by federal agents as part of a multi-state prescription drug sting.  — Becker’s Hospital Review

Kentucky and Arkansas had the biggest decline in the percentage of adult residents without health insurance from 2013 to 2015, according to a Gallup-Healthways Well Being report. —Louisville Business Journal

UnitedHealthcare is suing the government for the way it reckons overpayment for Medicare Advantage plans. —FierceHealthPayer

A report from iVantage Health Analytics said that 673 rural hospitals in 42 states are vulnerable to being shut down. — Healthcare Dive

The complexities of translators in hospitals. — The New England Journal of Medicine

At least one health hospital, Northwell Health,  is running an ad during the Superbowl for New York audiences. An anonymous contribution from a Northwell trustee is covering the cost of this and another commercial running twice during pregame programming.— PR Newswire, Newsday

TECHNOLOGY

Stanford University and Merseyside hospital in Liverpool are planning to pilot a suicide prevention app. The app would allow clinicians to provide round-the-clock observations on people who they fear may be considering suicide. Patients would start using the app in January 2017. Its performance would be evaluated by outside experts over the next three years. — BBC

Life science companies have been on a hiring spree for CIOs. — Government Health IT

NASCO and Genpact will collaborate on business operations needs for health plan administration for Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. — PR Newswire

A look at technologies coming to smartphones this year that could be helpful in a healthcare context such as machine learning, virtual augmented reality and faster chips. — CIO

Ayogo’s weight management app Picture It, currently for Kaiser Permanente members, has hit the app store. — Google Play

POLITICS

Massachusetts lawmakers are reviewing a pair of bills that would conduct regular assessments of hospitals to minimize the threat of violence against nurses and other hospital staff. — ABC local WCVB

U.S. Senator and Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz wants to see greater spending for Alzheimer’s disease research. The spending bill passed by Congress in December boosted spending in this area by $350 million to $936 million.  The disease affects 5.3 million Americans. — STAT

A LITTLE BIT EXTRA

Which companies have the best employee perks? Epic Systems gives employees who have worked there for five years a four-week sabbatical, while the spouses of Google employees get 50 percent of their salary for 10 years after they pass away. — Glassdoor

Photo: BigStock Photos

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