Finance
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Richer not-for-profit hospitals less generous with charity care, JAMA analysis finds
Hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act also tend to provide less charity care, the survey of 2,500 health systems found.
By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 18, 2020 -
Last year saw 19 rural hospitals close, most in nearly a decade
The states with the highest number of closures in the past 10 years are Texas at 20 and Tennessee at 12, followed by Oklahoma and Georgia with seven each, according to a report from The Chartis Center for Rural Health.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 18, 2020 -
Price hikes drove employer-sponsored health costs to record high in 2018
The Health Care Cost Institute, drawing on data from Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and United Healthcare, found higher prices accounted for about three-quarters of the increase, while usage rose just about 3%.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 14, 2020 -
Moody's weighs coronavirus impact across hospitals, other sectors
For hospitals, the impact will depend on the length of stay for patients. Any further outbreak would increase volumes but could pressure margins if facilities are forced to cancel more lucrative elective procedures.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 13, 2020 -
CVS swings to $6.6B profit in 2019, buoyed by Aetna
The payer also saw growth in government services, reporting its Medicare Advantage business grew over three times the industry average in 2019, CEO Larry Merlo said Wednesday.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 12, 2020 -
Molina posts mixed Q4, says ACA shoppers not switching for savings
In an effort to drive greater membership in the marketplaces this year, the payer cut prices by 4% on average. But that didn't spur the growth hoped for in 2020, particularly in Texas and Florida.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 11, 2020 -
Hospitals, clinics most likely to be hit with ransomware attack
Nearly 1,500 healthcare companies have been hit with an attack over the past four years, affecting 6.6 million patients, according to a report published Tuesday by Comparitech, which rates IT privacy tools.
By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 11, 2020 -
Hospital margins rose in December following slump
Hospitals saw increased volumes and revenues in the last month of 2019 despite increases in bad debt and charity care, along with mixed performance on expenses, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall.
By Hailey Mensik • Feb. 06, 2020 -
Cerner teases M&A, divestitures, touts backing for interoperability rules
CEO Brent Shafer re-upped the EHR giant's support for two HHS rules promoting free data sharing between health IT systems, due to be finalized any day, which rival Epic Systems has lobbied stridently against.
By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 04, 2020 -
Payers, providers urge CMS to scrap rule targeting supplemental Medicaid payments
The AHA warned the rule would "severely curtail the availability of health care services to millions" of people and cut Medicaid payments to hospitals by up to $31 billion annually.
By Samantha Liss • Feb. 03, 2020 -
CHS estimates slight uptick in 2019 same-store revenue
About a month ahead of releasing its official earnings report, the for-profit chain gave some information in an SEC filing as it prepares to sell a $1 billion round of senior secured notes.
By Ron Shinkman • Jan. 24, 2020 -
Impeachment trial, election won't dampen health investment, Fitch says
Despite the potential for regulatory changes late in the year, the outlook for healthcare products and services remains strong and the frenetic pace of M&A is unlikely to slow much, according to the ratings agency.
By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 24, 2020 -
FTC commissioner pledges hard line on hospital mergers
Lobbyists and legislators also spoke at a Council for Affordable Health Coverage forum, noting a surprise billing ban is still on the table for Congress despite disagreements over the policy to achieve it.
By Shannon Muchmore • Jan. 17, 2020 -
UnitedHealth reports nearly $14B in 2019 profit
The company beat forecasts on Q4 earnings, though revenues of $60.9 billion were slightly lower than Wall Street expectations.
By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 15, 2020 -
Deep DiveWill more employers get off the healthcare bench in 2020?
"At the end of the day, employers have to put their hands on the steering wheel as purchasers of healthcare," Suzanne Delbanco, executive director of Catalyst for Payment Reform, said.
By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 14, 2020 -
Health IT to lead 2020 deals as hospital activity slows, KPMG says
Just under 40% of investors say the overall sector is at or nearing a bubble, down from about half of respondents last year, according to the new report.
By Linda Wilson • Jan. 14, 2020 -
Dignity Health loses appeal of Medicaid out-of-network billing case
The hospital operator said it may try to take the case against L.A. Care, the largest public Medicaid managed care plan in the country, to the California Supreme Court.
By Ron Shinkman • Jan. 13, 2020 -
Walgreens centers strategy on cost cuts
The chain saw retail prescription market share on a 30-day adjusted basis decrease and comparable retail sales fall 0.5% in the quarter, mostly due to continued de-emphasis of tobacco.
By Daphne Howland • Jan. 09, 2020 -
Insurance startup Bright Health eyes California with 1st payer acquisition
The deal is the company's first buy of another health insurer and a pivot to M&A as it pursues an aggressive growth strategy.
By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 09, 2020 -
Beaumont, Summa sign merger agreement to form $6.1B nonprofit
The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of this year, would create a 12-hospital system spanning Michigan and Ohio.
By Linda Wilson • Jan. 07, 2020 -
Hospital margins dipped in November as expenses rose
Volumes fell across most measures including adjusted discharges, emergency department visits and operating room minutes.
By Linda Wilson • Jan. 02, 2020 -
Sutter posts $689M loss, blames antitrust settlement
The California nonprofit also disclosed a potential class-action lawsuit alleging it shared medical information of patients without authorization that could have a "material adverse effect" on its finances in the future.
By Ron Shinkman • Dec. 30, 2020 -
Gundersen, Marshfield nix merger talks
The two Midwest systems called it quits after seven months of negotiations. The union would have created a system topping $4 billion in revenue.
By Ron Shinkman • Dec. 20, 2019 -
Providers push back on PhRMA report highlighting 340B program costs
American Hospital Association executive vice president Tom Nickels blasted a new drugmaker-funded study as an "obvious attempt to divert attention away from a problem of their own making: skyrocketing drug prices."
By Rebecca Pifer • Dec. 18, 2019 -
CVS long-term care pharmacy sued by DOJ over fraudulent prescribing practices
The suit is by no means the first time the subsidiary, acquired in 2015 for about $12.7 billion, has been under the federal microscope for fraud.
By Rebecca Pifer • Dec. 17, 2019
