Finance

Anthem beats in Q3, but profit plummets amid rising costs

The payer also reported a $594 million payment toward a federal antitrust settlement reached with Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that is still awaiting approval by a judge.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 28, 2020

Community Health swings to Q3 profit, even as COVID-19 cases swelled

The pandemic and flu season haven't stopped the hospital chain from shifting into the black. CHS also said COO Tim Hingtgen will replace long-time Wayne Smith effective January.

By Hailey Mensik • UPDATED: Oct. 28, 2020 at 2:13 p.m.

Centene Q3 profit skyrockets on WellCare close, ACA settlement

Lower utilization of healthcare services during the quarter was partially offset by higher testing and treatment costs for COVID-19, the payer said. Analysts called the results "good enough."

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 27, 2020

After hospital volumes plummeted due to COVID-19, full rebound not likely soon

Researchers writing in JAMA Internal Medicine suggested patients may be avoiding the hospital or may have lost health insurance as a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 26, 2020

COVID-19 cases could be 5% of 2021 admissions, HCA says amid rising Q3 profits

The hospital giant reported profit of $668 million in the third quarter, up 9% from the same time last year. Results come weeks after it said it would return millions in government grants early and as COVID-19 surges in key markets.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 26, 2020

AHA, AMA ask Congress to extend suspension of Medicare sequester

The 2% payment cut was suspended under the CARES Act, but providers say the ongoing financial pain they are feeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic means it should continue to be on hold well into next year.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 23, 2020

HHS walks back CARES fund reporting requirement hospitals feared

The department said it had earlier concerns that some providers would wind up more profitable than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Samantha Liss • UPDATED: Oct. 23, 2020 at 10:07 a.m.

Robotic surgery startups help drive Q3 medical device funding over $5B, an all-time high

CB Insights also tracked funding records in digital health and telehealth, largely due to a jump in the number of companies raising megarounds worth upward of $100 million.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Oct. 22, 2020

'In many ways more challenging:' Tenet loses $197M in COVID-19-slammed Q3

Strong results in Tenet's ambulatory and Conifer segment offset a worse-than-expected hospital segment performance. The chain was also surprised by a Trump administration methodology change for reporting CARES funding.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 21, 2020

From back-to-work to telehealth to retail rebranding: HLTH 2020 takeaways

Trump administration officials also provided an update on value-based care models, teased details of the coronavirus vaccine's approval and hinted at a coming reimbursement plan.

COVID-19 has sparked more concerns about healthcare costs, insurance, TransUnion says

More people, especially those in younger generations, are using insurer websites to conduct cost research, the annual survey found.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 21, 2020

CMS approves controversial Medicaid waiver in Nebraska, creating 2-tiered system

The expansion is a more creative way to implement work or job training requirements, but opponents argue it will deprive some enrollees of benefits.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 21, 2020

Providers' rocky road to recovery could last into 2022

About 20% of hospital executives told Kaufman Hall they were "extremely concerned" about their financial viability, as the Midwest reports rising COVID-19 caseloads and providers prep for the pandemic to collide with flu season.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 20, 2020

Deep Dive

Retail's role, focus on equity, value-based pay amid COVID-19: takeaways from HLTH 2020

Back-to-work products, coronavirus vaccine distribution and telehealth ROI were also hot topics at the conference's third year.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 19, 2020

The hazy post-pandemic future of telehealth

"The effective application of technology and data to healthcare is the foundation for efficient healthcare, but has so far failed to deliver on its potential," the managing partner of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners said Thursday.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 16, 2020

CMS grants Medicaid waiver to Georgia; exchange opt-out remains on table

The agency has approved a modest Medicaid expansion waiver for Georgia, and is apparently nearing OK of a second waiver that would allow the state to stop using the Healthcare.gov insurance exchange.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 15, 2020

UnitedHealth says Q3 volume rebounds, net income down on consumer price breaks

Still, the first payer to report quarterly earnings bested Wall Street expectations and saw a lower-than-expected medical cost ratio of 81.9% for the third quarter.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 14, 2020

Hospitals warn of 'devastating' impact from CARES funds reporting change

The problem centers on how the agency is now defining "lost revenue." AHA bashed the change as "simply unfair and unrealistic" and added it would create an "administrative and accounting disaster."

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 14, 2020

Allscripts to sell CarePort care coordination segment for $1.35B

The sale price represents a multiple greater than 13 times CarePort's trailing 12-month revenue and is significantly above Wall Street's valuation of the business. Allscripts' stock skyrocketed following the news.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 14, 2020

Teladoc-Livongo make first combined sale to Guidewell Health

The Florida Blue plan, which has been a Teladoc client for several years, will now offer Livongo's diabetes platform to some 50,000 members. Executives claimed more interest behind the scenes Monday at HLTH.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 13, 2020

Trinity sees red ink, but mixed bag of results, in grappling with COVID-19

The pandemic pushed the Michigan-based system to a $34.5 million net deficit in fiscal 2020, a stark contrast to the $834 million surplus it posted in the prior fiscal year. Still, some measures improved, including days of cash on hand.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 13, 2020

Deep Dive

Pediatric hospitals face 'double whammy,' not spared from COVID-19 effects

The facilities had to shut down many services amid the pandemic and saw few coronavirus patients. Now they face squeezed Medicaid budgets.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 12, 2020

Atrium, Wake Forest Baptist seal merger forming $11.5B system

The pandemic doesn't seem to have slowed hospital M&A. For Atrium, it comes more than two years after an attempt at a deal with UNC Health in North Carolina fell through.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 09, 2020

In surprise move, HCA to return all $6B in COVID-19 federal aid

The biggest for-profit chain also predicted third quarter revenue up 5% to $13.3 billion, even amid a coronavirus-spurred drop in volume.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 09, 2020

Employer healthcare costs stable in 2020, COVID-19 impact still unclear, KFF says

Still, despite modest premium growth, the annual Kaiser Family Foundation Employer Health Benefits survey notes costs for family coverage rose double the rate of inflation over the past five years.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 08, 2020