How Humana fueled primary-care company Iora Health

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• New documents have given us a better sense of Iora Health's relationship with Humana;
• The FDA has issued a new warning about J&J's coronavirus vaccine;
• Why health insurance upstarts are employing doctors and nurses.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it...

Humana quietly funded a huge piece of primary-care company Iora Health as the national insurer continues to shape the future of care for seniors

• New documents detail the close relationship between Humana and primary care company Iora Health.
• Humana funded 40 Iora clinics, and those clinics served only Humana members until July 2020. Iora has 47 clinics.
• The documents underscore how Humana has helped drive the proliferation of primary care for seniors.

Get the full story>>

The FDA issued a warning about a rare paralyzing syndrome linked to Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine

• Federal officials are warning of a rare, serious disorder linked to J&J coronavirus vaccine.
• Authorities said that the vaccine is still safe, and that its benefits outweigh the risks.
• Vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna haven't been linked to the rare condition, called Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Find out more>>

Why health-insurer upstarts like Alignment, Bright, and Clover are following UnitedHealth's blueprint and employing doctors and nurses

• Insurer upstarts like Alignment, Bright, and Clover have waded into the business of providing care.
• They're betting they can save costs by controlling which specialists or hospitals members go to.
• They also want to give members more ways to get care without competing with community doctors.

Here's why>>

More stories we're reading:

• JPMorgan downgrades Chamath Palihapitiya-backed Clover Health - and expects the stock to flatline over the next 16 months (Markets Insider)
• The Pope made a plea for universal healthcare in his first public appearance after undergoing intestinal surgery (Reuters)
• France will require people to use a 'health passport' to enter a restaurant or attraction this fall (Insider)
• There's a new way to fund medical research called BioBonds (The New York Times)

- Lydia