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CTV News
09-08-2025
- Health
- CTV News
$89M in funding makes Ontario community paramedicine program permanent
Ontario provides $89 million in funding to make the community paramedicine program permanent, expanding care for seniors and First Nations people. On Tuesday, the Ontario government announced $89 million in new fund to make the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program permanent while expanding services to First Nations communities. Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau, who also chairs the Northern Ontario Service Delivery Association, expressed enthusiasm for the announcement. 'We're just thrilled with this announcement,' Boileau said. 'We know that community paramedicine has proven to be very valuable. And, for many of our northern communities, it's often the only access to primary care.' Boileau noted that she and the association have been advocating for this funding for the past four years. 'It's been helping alleviate waitlists for long-term care. It's been helping to alleviate visits to emergency departments across the region,' she said. 'Something that is, of course, of importance to many of our communities and we know that this is working.' Program provides critical at-home care for seniors The provincial paramedicine program offers 24/7 non-emergency support, allowing more seniors to age safely at home. Services include routine diagnostic procedures, at-home treatments and remote monitoring. Ambulance Ontario Paramedics transport an elderly man to a hospital in Ontario on November 19, 2020. (File photo/Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS) Initially launched as a pilot program in five communities in 2020, it expanded province-wide in 2022. Since then, the Ontario government reports that the program has: Served more than 81,000 people and provided more than 310,000 hours of direct care. Sudbury paramedic services highlight program's success Deputy Chief Melissa Roney of Greater Sudbury's Paramedic Services emphasized the program's effectiveness. 'In 2024, we were rostering – meaning caring – for just over 1,800 unique patients,' she said. 'So fairly substantial, considering we have four people on during the day and one community paramedic at night.' Sudbury community paramedics An undated photo of two members of Greater Sudbury's Community Paramedicine Program at Dynamic Earth with their vehicles. (File photo/Supplied/City of Greater Sudbury) Roney also told CTV News that the program has reduced unnecessary emergency calls. 'What we're seeing is an increase in people who are able to stay at home, fewer 911 calls for those non-urgent patients,' she said. 'Instead of calling 911, these patients are calling their community paramedic for their low-acuity and non-urgent needs. In 2024, our community paramedics in the city were able to reach out and meet just over 13,000 people, either by phone or in person.' Permanent funding ensures stability and long-term care Roney said the province's commitment provides much-needed stability for the program. 'It offers the ability now for stability, some long-term planning in our program because we were never sure whether or not the lights would stay on following the end of the fiscal year,' she said. 'But really, most importantly, I think it's really great that we can provide consistent care.' Roney praised the program for showcasing the evolving role of paramedics. 'This program really shows that paramedics are highly skilled, adaptable professionals who can do more than just respond to emergencies – they can prevent them.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Too Cheap to Ignore': Scotiabank Says There's an Opportunity Brewing in These 2 Large Cap Healthcare Stocks
President Donald Trump's new second term is young, but some of its patterns are already clear. The President has no interest in keeping the government's sacred cows intact, and large swaths of Federal spending are on the chopping block. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Healthcare funding, long a third rail in politics, is among those endangered sectors. The Trump Administration has already cut back on funding for various academic research institutions and government agencies. Uncertainty around trade and tariff policy, and the economic forecast, is also putting a crimp on private sector funding. Yet, despite the tightening purse strings and rising volatility, some market watchers believe the current environment is creating compelling entry points – particularly in the life science tools sector. One of them is Scotiabank analyst Sung Ji Nam, who sees an opportunity emerging amid the broader pullback. 'With LST-13 [large cap life science tools companies] now trading near the 10-year trough on a forward P/E basis we believe the worst-case outlook for the group has been largely factored into valuations… We think longer-term fundamentals are mostly unchanged for the group, and we expect growth acceleration into 2026 and beyond. As such, we expect further upside for the group as a whole over the next twelve months,' Ji Nam opined. Ji Nam isn't just making a broad call on the sector – she's zeroed in on two top stock picks she believes are primed for upside. And she's not alone in that view. According to the TipRanks database, both stocks carry Strong Buy consensus ratings from Wall Street analysts. Danaher Corporation (DHR) The first stock we'll look at here, Danaher Corporation, deals with the applications of science and technology to human health, providing biotech, diagnostic, and life sciences services to customers in the medical and biosciences fields. The firm fits squarely in Scotiabank's preference for large-cap life science tool companies, with a market cap of $138 billion – and a record of recent underperformance, with a share price decline of 20% over the past 12 months. The company's business is divided into three divisions. The first, biotechnology, provides the technologies and services – and the expertise behind them – to customers working on new medications and other healthcare advancements. Danaher's biotechnology work makes it possible for therapeutic developers to more rapidly commercialize their products, for fast and safe delivery to patients. Danaher's second division, diagnostics, focuses on creating the supporting tools, both hardware and software, that will back up medical investigations for faster and more precise diagnoses. This is an urgent need in the healthcare industry, and Danaher's approach is designed to engender increased confidence. Life sciences make up Danaher's third business division. This encompasses a wide range of vital activities in the field, from the latest cell and gene therapies to high-quality lab techniques like fluid filtration, to the latest advanced techniques in molecular oncology. Danaher provides tools and tech that will support life sciences researchers as they work to improve overall human health through new innovations. All of this is big business, and Danaher's last earnings release, which covered 1Q25, showed a top line of $5.74 billion. This was down 1% from the prior-year period, but it was $150 million better than had been expected. At the bottom line, the company realized a non-GAAP EPS of $1.88, 4 cents lower than in 1Q24, but beating the forecast by 24 cents per share. Danaher maintained a strong free cash flow in the quarter of just over $1 billion. For Scotiabank's Sung Ji Nam, the key point here is this company's strong position in an important business niche. She writes, 'From an end-market standpoint, DHR is more favorably positioned this year and next year given its exposure predominantly to later-stage development/bioprocessing spending for pharma/biotech, as well as diagnostics, and low single digit exposure to U.S. A&G. Following 1Q25, DHR largely maintained its 2025 guidance, and barring significant, unforeseen deteriorations across the pharma/biotech and diagnostics end markets, we believe DHR is on track to accelerate its growth profile over the next 12–18 months (to reach its LRP of high single digit top line CAGR, low to mid-30% adjusted operating margins and double-digit EPS CAGR).' 'Furthermore,' the analyst added, 'we are bullish about DHR's significantly transformed business model, achieved over the last several years (higher top line growth potential, margins and FCF conversion), better alignment and focus on meaningfully faster growing end-markets, as well as its operational execution capabilities leveraging the Danaher Business System and capital deployment capacity.' Taken all together, this adds up to a Sector Outperform (Buy) rating from Nam, along with a $275 price target that points toward a one-year upside potential of 41%. (To watch Nam's track record, click here) The Strong Buy analyst consensus on DHR stock is based on 16 recent analyst reviews that show a lopsided split of 15 to 1 favoring Buy over Hold. The stock's $194.79 trading price and $240.93 average target price together imply that the shares will gain 24% by this time next year. (See DHR stock forecast) Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) Next up is a stock in the medtech sector, Thermo Fisher Scientific. This medical technology firm specializes in producing supplies and equipment for medical and other research laboratories. The rapid expansion of the healthcare industry in the past two decades has been generally good for Thermo Fisher, providing a strong base for the business. That can be seen in a few basic numbers: even though the stock is down 21% in the past 12 months, the company still boasts a market cap of $157 billion, and generated $42.9 billion in total revenue last year. Thermo Fisher operates through several business divisions, catering to various aspects of the healthcare and medical research fields. The largest division, accounting for more than half of the firm's revenue, is laboratory products and biopharma services, which provides leading lines of lab products and support services for clinical research and development. This division also offers manufacturing services for specialized laboratory and research products. The company's second-largest division, accounting for almost $10 billion worth of revenue last year, is the life sciences solutions segment. Under this heading, Thermo Fisher maintains a portfolio of products and services specifically tailored to support research efforts in bioproduction and clinical markets. The company's 'smaller' divisions, still conducting multi-billion dollar business, handle analytical instruments and specialty diagnostics. On the first, Thermo Fisher provides the technological base that labs need to keep up with the latest science, and to solve the various analytical problems that emerge from their research; on the second, the company's diagnostic tools are designed to provide cost-effective answers and improve patient outcomes. At the ground level, there is substantial product overlap between these business divisions among Thermo Fisher's products. Most of the company's specific products and services, from antibodies and cell cultures, to chemicals and lab equipment, to lab services and training to instrument maintenance, have applications across a wide range of fields. When we turn to the financial side, we find that Thermo Fisher beat the forecasts on both revenue and earnings in its 1Q25 report. The company's revenue of $10.36 billion was flat from the prior year – but was $130 million better than the estimates had predicted. On earnings, the company realized $5.15 per share by non-GAAP measures, beating the forecast by a nickel. The company's free cash flow in the quarter was down significantly (59%) year-over-year, but still came to $373 million. In her coverage of the stock for Scotiabank, Sung Ji Nam notes the company's advantage of scale, and its potential to streamline its business. She says of Thermo Fisher, 'We continue to believe TMO's unparalleled commercial scale (combined with even more enhanced region-for-region capabilities by next year), innovation leadership, operational execution and cash flow potential, position the company well to reaccelerate its growth once the dust begins to settle on the concerns around the potential U.S. healthcare policy changes. We also believe that once there is some more clarity around the end market environment and outlook (which we anticipate throughout the second half), TMO is capable of further optimizing its business lines and operational capabilities to align with the best growth opportunities in life sciences and beyond.' These comments back up her Outperform (i.e., Buy) rating on the shares, and her price target, set at $590, implies that TMO will gain 39% in the coming months. Overall, this stock has earned a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 19 recent analyst recommendations that include 16 to Buy against just 3 to Hold. The shares are priced at $424.98 and their $546.72 average target price suggests that a 29% increase is waiting for the stock over the next year. (See TMO stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Unpacking claims nursing homes say they will 'close their doors' if GOP passes budget bill
A June 2025 survey by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) found that 27% of nursing home providers said they would have to close facilities if Medicaid funding was reduced in the 2025 congressional budget bill One Big Beautiful Bill Act. However, the survey represented responses from 363 nursing home providers about hypothetical actions they would take, not confirmed closure plans. The survey was conducted by a trade association representing nursing home interests, to highlight industry concerns about proposed federal Medicaid cuts. House Republicans have proposed approximately $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade in the bill, while the Senate passed its own version with a projected $930 billion Medicaid reductions. In late June 2025, after U.S. House Republicans passed (archived) budget legislation proposing cuts to Medicaid, social media posts spread claiming that many nursing homes would be forced to close if the legislation advanced. For example, on June 28, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D‑Mass., wrote (archived) on Facebook: " BREAKING: 1 in 4 nursing homes say they will be forced to close if Republicans pass Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. No grandma should be kicked out of her nursing home so that Mark Zuckerberg can buy another Hawaiian island." (Sen. Elizabath Warren/Facebook) The post had received more than 140,000 reactions and 8,200 shares as of this writing. Similar claims appeared on Facebook (archived) from Social Security Works, an American political advocacy group that calls for expansion of Social Security, as well as on X (archived) from Jesse Ferguson, former deputy press secretary for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. The posts referenced survey data from the American Health Care Association (AHCA), a nursing home industry trade group. According to the organization's June 2025 "Provider Insights: Medicaid" survey of 363 nursing home providers, 27% indicated they would "close facility(ies)" if the federal government reduced Medicaid funding under the bill. The survey asked: "If the federal government reduces Medicaid funding, what changes would your facility(ies) have to make?" Respondents could select multiple options. Beyond the 27% who said they would close facilities, 55% said they would reduce their Medicaid census (lowering the number or percentage of residents whose care is paid for by Medicaid), 58% said they would reduce current staff, and 77% said they would defer modernization efforts. Snopes attempted to contact AHCA for additional details about the survey methodology and respondent characteristics. We have not yet received a response as of publication. The AHCA survey provides context for why nursing home operators have expressed concern about potential Medicaid cuts. According to the survey, 80% of nursing homes were operating at a loss or with narrow profit margins of 3% or less. Specifically, 30% reported operating at a loss, while 50% reported operating with total margins between 0-3%. Medicaid serves as the primary revenue source for nursing homes, accounting for 59% of their income on average, according to the survey. However, 62% of providers report that Medicaid reimburses less than 80% of their actual costs of care, with 24% saying Medicaid covers less than 60% of costs. The survey found that 79% of nursing home providers were "extremely concerned" about potential Medicaid reductions, with an additional 13% "moderately concerned." Meanwhile, a June 2025 analysis by Brown University School of Public Health researchers Vincent Mor and Fangli Geng commissioned by Senate Democrats identified 579 nursing homes nationwide at high risk for closure. According to the study, these facilities represent approximately 4% of all U.S. nursing homes and met three criteria: over 85% of patients on Medicaid, occupancy rates below 80%, and quality ratings of 1-2 stars on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System. The facilities were distributed across 45 states, with Illinois having 93 high-risk facilities, Texas 66, Ohio 41, Missouri 39, and Georgia 37. Regarding potential impacts of Medicaid cuts, the researchers wrote: It is difficult to say for sure, but a payment freeze lasting more than a year could nearly double the closure rate. People tend to enter nursing homes that are close to their homes or near where their families live, so closures often result in greater travel for residents and their families. In many communities, nursing homes are a major employer of low-skilled workers, particularly in rural and exurban areas. When they close, those in the community have to look further afield for employment, and in rural areas, discharged workers may need to relocate. The Brown analysis focused on facilities currently meeting specific risk indicators, while the AHCA survey asked nursing home operators about their anticipated responses to hypothetical funding reductions. The researchers noted that facilities with high Medicaid populations would be "differentially adversely affected" by payment freezes since they have limited non-Medicaid revenue sources. On May 22, 2025, House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a budget reconciliation package that includes major changes to Medicaid. According to the Congressional Budget Office, baseline federal Medicaid outlays were projected to total $8.2 trillion over the next 10 years. Independent analyses, including those by the Kaiser Family Foundation (archived) and State Health and Value Strategies, estimated that the House legislation would reduce Medicaid spending by approximately $880 billion over that period. The Senate approved its version, with deeper projected reductions of around $930 billion, on July 1, 2025. As of this writing, the legislation was back in the House, which must decide whether to adopt the Senate-passed version or negotiate a final bill through a conference committee. American Health Care Association. "Provider Insights: Medicaid." June 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025. Congressional Budget Office. "Re: Mandatory Spending Under the Jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce." 5 Mar. 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025. House Budget Committee. "What They Are Saying: President Trump Congratulates House Republicans on Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act." 27 May 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025. Burns, Alice. "The Math is Conclusive: Major Medicaid Cuts Are the Only Way to Meet House Budget Resolution Requirements." Kaiser Family Foundation. 7 Mar. 2025 Accessed 1 July 2025. Mor, Vincent and Fangli Geng. "Response to Senate Finance Nursing Home Request." Brown University School of Public Health. 23 June 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025. State Health and Value Strategies. "Medicaid Provisions in the House Budget Reconciliation Bill." 22 May, 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025. U.S. Congress. "H. Con. Res. 14 - Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034." 119th Congress. Accessed 1 July 2025. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. "Wyden Statement on New CBO Numbers Showing More Than $930 Billion in Medicaid Cuts in New Senate Draft." 28 June, 2025. Accessed 1 July 2025.
Health Line
07-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Medicaid Cuts Most Likely to Impact These 5 Groups
Republican leaders are looking at budget proposals that could drastically reduce Medicaid funding. Experts say the cuts could have a significant impact on low-income households that rely on the federally funded program. Medicaid cuts could also affect reproductive health services as well as programs for older adults, children, and people with mental health disorders. Republicans continue to debate how deep cuts should be in the nation's Medicaid health insurance program. The reductions are part of GOP plans to slash $5 trillion in federal expenditures over the next 10 years. Under those proposals, Medicaid spending would be reduced by more than $2 trillion over the next decade. Medicaid's current annual budget is about $600 billion. Medicaid is a federal government program that provides health insurance to more than 80 million people in the United States, including low-income households, seniors in nursing homes, adults with disabilities, and adults with mental health disorders. Each state administers its own Medicaid program using funds provided by the federal government and state revenues. The money is mostly used to reimburse hospitals, community health centers, physicians, nursing homes, and other medical facilities. Republican leaders and White House officials are considering a 'per capita gap,' which would cap federal payments to states that had expanded Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and perpetuate existing inequities. GOP leaders are also weighing whether to reduce federal matching funds to states and whether to place work requirements on some Medicaid recipients. In addition, they are looking at reducing the expansion in Medicaid coverage that some states adopted as part of the ACA. About 20 million people are currently covered through this expansion. Experts say the Medicaid reductions being discussed would have serious health-related impacts on a wide range of people. 'Medicaid is more than just a safety net. It is a lifeline that supports the well-being of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income families across the country,' said officials at the National Medical Association, an organization that represents Black healthcare officials, in a statement provided to Healthline. 'Additionally, it helps ensure access to healthcare services, prevents financial hardship due to medical costs, and supports the overall health and well-being of vulnerable populations.' Kathleen Adams, PhD, a professor of health policy and management at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, noted that while Medicaid programs vary across states, 'basic healthcare services, including outpatient prescription drugs, are covered by states' Medicaid programs.' 'Long-term care for our elderly and disabled is largely paid for through Medicaid. Its funding is critical to our 'safety-net,' rural hospitals, and nursing homes,' she told Healthline. Pregnant people The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide, shared with Healthline that about 21% of U.S. women of reproductive age are insured through Medicaid. Institute officials also note that 4 in 10 births in the United States are covered by Medicaid. They also add that it is a major source of coverage for people seeking contraceptive services. 'Medicaid plays a vital role in ensuring affordable access to sexual and reproductive healthcare,' said Amy Friedrich-Karnik, the director of federal policy at the Guttmacher Institute, in a statement provided to Healthline. 'Further, Medicaid's coverage of a robust package of family planning services, including a wide range of birth control methods with no out-of-pocket costs, is integral to ensuring person-centered care and upholding enrollee's right to decide whether and when to become pregnant,' she added. Experts also caution that Medicaid cuts could endanger the health of children. 'Medicaid provides funding for prenatal and postnatal care, particularly for low-income women. These populations already face barriers to care and reducing Medicare will lead to an increased risk for infant and maternal mortality,' Kanwar Kelley, MD, a specialist in otolaryngology head and neck surgery, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Side Health, told Healthline. 'We could see a worsening of our maternal health crises and in turn, gestational age, and birthweight of our infants,' added Adams. 'We would likely see increased rates of severe maternal morbidities, which include outcomes such as hemorrhage, sepsis, renal failure, shock, acute respiratory distress, eclampsia, heart failure, and, in severe cases, death. These are costly but preventable outcomes. The racial gap that exists in these outcomes would likely worsen,' Adams said. Older adults Although many people 65 years and older are covered by Medicare, a number of services provided to older adults are reimbursed by Medicaid. It's estimated that 5 out of 8 older adults in nursing home facilities are insured through Medicaid. In addition, Medicaid provides health coverage to about 12 million low-income seniors who are also enrolled in Medicare. Medicaid also helps fund the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), an initiative that helps people 55 years and older continue to live in their homes. Justice in Aging, a non-profit organization that helps older adults living in poverty, states that Medicaid is a 'lifeline for older adults.' In particular, it provides assistance for seniors who need help with daily activities such as eating, bathing, and dressing. 'Under these proposals, older adults and people with disabilities would lose services, be saddled with unaffordable financial obligations, and receive a lower quality of care,' the organization noted. 'Elderly care and end-of-life care would also suffer,' added Kelley. 'Medicare represents a large portion of funding for an aging population. With the concurrent cuts to primary care, the population that requires long-term care may increase and need more medical services.' People with mental health disorders Medicaid is the single largest payer of mental health services in the United States. It also has a significant role in reimbursement for substance use disorder services. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that nearly 40% of nonelderly adults covered by Medicaid in 2020 had mental health issues or substance use disorder. The foundation also noted that Medicaid plays an important role in providing mental health services to children. People with mental health and substance use issues also tend to require more general healthcare services than other segments of the population. Medicaid estimated that 12 million visits to the nation's emergency rooms in 2007 involved a person with mental health issues, substance use issues, or both. '[Mental health and substance disorder] programs already rely heavily on Medicare funding. Cutting would worsen these services, which are already suffering from shortages,' said Kelley. Low-income households Experts say Medicaid cuts could have a devastating impact on households that are at or below the poverty level. They add that these lower-income households could include people who live in rural areas and those who are covered by Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act expansion. '[The cuts] would ultimately lead to reduced access to care for many individuals. People would be ineligible for coverage, and facilities would have to close due to a lack of money,' said Kelley. 'Those in rural areas may have to travel farther to clinics and hospitals. There may also be increased wait times due to a lack of staff and facilities.' 'The ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility and rollbacks would result in the loss of insurance for thousands of Americans,' he added. 'Lack of insurance will lead to delays in medical care, increased morbidity, increased mortality, and increased medical debt for American citizens.' Adams agreed. 'The first-round effects would be reductions in numbers of lower-income households with insurance access to needed services, reduced access to preventive and primary care as well as services needed to manage chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease) which are higher among these vulnerable populations,' Adams said. 'The second-round effects will include increased uncompensated care costs at our hospitals and potentially, increased closures, especially in rural areas.' Impacts on the community at large Experts say that people who aren't covered by Medicaid could eventually feel the effects of these budget cuts. The impacts could include higher insurance premiums, longer waits at medical facilities, and an increase in illness in communities. 'The increase in the number of uninsured individuals strains the medical system,' Kelley said. 'Many will use the emergency room instead of seeing their primary doctor or specialist for preventive care. Hospitals would likely face the brunt of uncompensated care and increase costs or decrease services to offset these losses. Insurance premiums would rise for those with insurance due to fewer people participating in the system.' 'There would certainly be 'spillover' effects to the general population,' Adams added. 'Providers of 'last resort' such as emergency rooms would quite likely be more crowded.' 'To the extent the cuts reverse progress on the overall health of our population — especially, our workforce — we could all see some impacts in terms of absenteeism, spread of contagious disease and reduced productivity,' she said.
