Mary Mosquera

For innovators, the experience at the typical industry conference exhibit hall is usually focused on selling their newly designed products and services.

Healthcare sector merger and acquisition (M&A) activity is expected to increase in 2013 compared to last year, but will likely be smaller-sized deals as health systems continue to consolidate and bulk up to prepare for health reform.

Final rule clarifies design of employee wellness programs and increases reward rate for outcome-based health programs.

Venture capitalists invested $1.4 billion in 167 life sciences deals during the first quarter of 2013, a 14 percent drop in dollars and 16 percent slide in the number of deals, compared with last year’s first quarter.

With the European and U.S. healthcare markets working to reduce spending, the global medical device market reached $331 billion in 2012, a growth rate of 3 percent from 2011, according to Kalorama Information.

Generic drug maker, Actavis Inc., is acquiring specialty pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott in a stock transaction valued at $8.5 billion, creating the third largest U.S., announced the company on Monday. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

Healthcare providers will be paid less for their for services under the federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) starting next month to stretch its funding because it is fast running out of money.

Medicaid coverage alone is no guarantee of improved health outcomes, but researchers found that expanding Medicaid in Oregon reduced depression and eliminated out-of-pocket costs for its low-income enrollees.

How consolidation and integration plays out will determine if providers or payers have more influence on competition suggested experts at a conference last week sponsored by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

A new report by the Society of Actuaries has found that aging is not as overwhelming a driver of increased healthcare spending as is generally believed.