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Kevin Roche

The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry through Roche Consulting, LLC. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.

Nov 04 2019

Google is buying Fitbit for around $2.1 billion, putting the wearables maker out of its misery.  Fitbit was hot for a while, then crashed on unrealistic growth expectations.  And the big tech firms just get bigger and more intrusive.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/google-buys-fitbit-for-2-1b.html?oly_enc_id=4013B4524489F1Y
Nov 01 2019

Eversana, a vendor of commercialization services to life sciences companies, has acquired Cornerstone Research Group, which offers health economics research.

https://www.pehub.com/2019/10/pe-backed-eversana-to-acquire-cornerstone-research-group/
Nov 01 2019

Aflac invests in Sharecare, yet another digital health company that lets patients manage their "health journey" in one place.  How tedious.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aflac-corporate-ventures-makes-strategic-investment-in-sharecare-to-accelerate-digital-health-innovation-and-the-well-being-of-georgia-300947164.html
Oct 31 2019

Ooooh, disruption, how cool is that, Sana Benefits reels in $6.3 million in new capital for its software that will fix the "stone age" health insurance industry.  It is targeting medium and small employer plans.  All it will end up doing is adding cost and complexity.

https://venturebeat.com/2019/10/29/sana-benefits-gets-6-3m-to-disrupt-stone-age-healthcare-insurance-industry/
Oct 31 2019

Scary stuff, boys and girls, investing in the hype of the moment.  A company called Socially Determined has garnered $7.3 million in financing for its product that focuses on analyzing and measuring the social determinants of health.  Not a ghost of a chance that this succeeds.  It will be a zombie company, like a vampire sucking more funds from investors.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/socially-determined-raises-over-7-3-million-in-series-a-funding-300946065.html
Oct 31 2019

Workday Ventures tries to get in a league of its own, as it makes a significant investment in League, which offers software to help employers manage health benefits.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/league-joins-workday-software-partner-program-to-help-transform-the-health-and-benefits-industry-300947243.html
Oct 31 2019

The Optum division of UnitedHealth Group has apparently acquired Vivify Health, which conducts remote patient monitoring for a variety of conditions.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/30/unitedhealthcare-acquires-vivify-health-patient-monitoring-start-up.html
Oct 31 2019

Contract research vendor Icon has acquired Symphony Clinical Services, which provides clinical trial-related services in a patient's home.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/cro/icon-snaps-up-at-home-patient-services-company?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTnpFME9UTTVPREF4T0RsaiIsInQiOiJnTnE3Z0pqd1dQVjJaeGxSbEVmazY2RWVhM2dwM3RUR1liVVdKNWhmZXVMbFIzQlM3elNFS29icUt2WXZBajFucGQ0dFdQUFcyd0krMTI2N21WdWhZdHhwYzZ6U205OWtqd3lYMWJ1Y2src3dKT2s2WEFnM0psamZibFwvNjg0aEkifQ%3D%3D&mrkid=635530
Oct 30 2019

GPO and software vendor Premier has purchased MedPricer, which offers software and services to help health systems with purchased services.

https://www.hpnonline.com/sourcing-logistics/products-purchased-services/article/21112393/premier-inc-acquires-medpricer
Oct 30 2019

Broad-based health management company Medecision decides to buy GSI Health, which offers software to help providers with value-based payment arrangements, particularly for Medicaid business.

https://liberatehealth.medecision.com/medecision-acquires-health-delivery-system-transformation-pioneer-gsi-health/
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