Hello,
Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:
- Oura's CEO explains how the company's smart ring became a favorite of companies looking to reopen;
- Anthem's Bryony Winn shares the insurer's approach to primary care;
- Louisiana is facing a dire surge of coronavirus cases that could overwhelm its healthcare system.
If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at [email protected] or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it…
Oura
Oura's smart ring has been a hit with Silicon Valley insiders. After the pandemic hit, companies looking for ways to aid nationwide reopening came flocking.
- Oura's CEO said smart-ring sales have increased among companies buying them for employees.
- Before the pandemic, Oura rings were mostly bought by individual customers.
- He thinks the future of wearable technology could hinge on companies' benefits strategies.
Geber86/Getty Images
A top Anthem exec explains why the $92 billion health-insurance giant is betting on a different primary-care strategy than rivals UnitedHealth and Humana
- Health insurers have been pushing deeper into providing care directly to patients.
- Anthem exec Bryony Winn broke down how the insurer partners with doctors and equips them with data.
- Its approach differs from that of UnitedHealth and Humana, which have acquired and built clinics.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Louisiana is approaching a 'major failure' of its healthcare system as hospitals get dangerously close to capacity
- Hospitals are at least 70% full in all but one region in Louisiana.
- Several regions have just a handful of ICU beds left amid the state's dramatic COVID-19 surge.
- State health officials warn of catastrophic outcomes, such as patients being denied critical care.
More stories we're reading:
- Verily is buying clinical trials company SignalPath (Stat News)
- Watch: The 8 most pressing questions about vaccines and boosters, answered (Insider)
- A Chicago pharmacist has been charged with selling vaccine cards online (Washington Post)
- A single COVID-19 case in New Zealand has sparked another full national lockdown. 'We need to again go hard and early,' the prime minister said. (Insider)
- Lydia
Read the original article on Business Insider
