Finance
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Kaiser Permanente net income tops $1B, margins sag
Unions have cited the not-for-profit's hefty income to push for better working conditions. CFO Kathy Lancaster defended the profits, which she said "allows us to make investments in technology, infrastructure, and our people."
By Linda Wilson • Nov. 12, 2019 -
Trump administration sues Gilead over HIV drug patents
The suit accuses the biotech of unfairly profiting from taxpayer-funded research and seeks damages for alleged patent infringement.
By Ned Pagliarulo • UPDATED: Nov. 7, 2019 at 5:43 p.m. -
American Well to buy Aligned Telehealth in behavioral bet
The Boston-based telehealth giant is rounding out its specialty products after acquiring Avizia last year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 07, 2019 -
CVS profit up 10% thanks to Aetna; warns Q4 won't be as rosy
The company beat Wall Street earnings and revenue estimates in the third quarter, causing it to raise its full-year guidance and sending its stock up almost 5% Wednesday morning.
By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 06, 2019 -
Consumers more likely to leave ACA after their insurer exits
A Health Affairs study also found that shoppers not qualifying for federal premium subsidies were twice as likely to leave when their payer did.
By Linda Wilson • Nov. 06, 2019 -
Final physician payment rule keeps E/M code changes
The final rule, which is mostly unchanged from the proposed rule put forward in July, also cuts payments to physical therapists by 8% and to psychologists and social workers by 7% starting in 2021.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 04, 2019 -
September mixed bag for hospital performance
The October national hospital report from Kaufman Hall shows inpatient institutions are performing well compared to a year ago but down on a month-over-month basis.
By Ron Shinkman • Nov. 04, 2019 -
Deep DiveHLTH19: Telehealth seeks to move beyond flu, but stymied by regulations
"I think we're past the tipping point of where virtual care becomes expected or embedded," Teladoc COO David Sides said at the conference. "I don't think you can put the genie back in the bottle."
By Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 01, 2019 -
Cigna ups guidance after Q3 beat, boosted by Express Scripts
The payer generated adjusted revenue of $35.8 billion for the quarter, more than three times from a year earlier, thanks to the $67 billion acquisition of the pharmacy benefit manager completed in December.
By Samantha Liss • Oct. 31, 2019 -
Teladoc revenues, visits rise on heels of UnitedHealth contract
The virtual health company had the greatest population expansion in its history in the third quarter and now expects total U.S. paid membership to be about 35 million for the full year.
By Linda Wilson • Oct. 31, 2019 -
CHS cuts guidance as revenue falls, stock drops sharply
The struggling hospital chain needs to show it can translate its admissions growth into improved earnings and cash flows, Jefferies analyst Brian Tanquilut told Healthcare Dive.
By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 30, 2019 -
Mastercard launches new healthcare unit on billing, data security
New products include predictive analytics built into a health system's billing platform, allowing the provider to personalize patient payment plans, and AI tech to detect suspicious claims activity and fraud.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 27, 2019 -
Cerner reports mixed Q3 earnings amid 'eventful' quarter
Revenue of $1.43 billion, up almost 7% year over year, was in line with Wall Street expectations, although the Kansas City-based EHR company slightly missed earnings estimates.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 24, 2019 -
1/3 of US payments used alternative models last year, but progress stagnant
Medicare Advantage plans had the highest percentage of total payments tied to APMs, followed by traditional Medicare, commercial payers and Medicaid, a study from a private-public partnership found.
By Linda Wilson • Oct. 24, 2019 -
Health system margins rebounded last year but trail 2015 levels
A drop in average operating margins from 2015 to 2017 was attributed to value-based contracts with commercial payers, a higher percentage of patients with government plans and rising claims denials, according to a Navigant report.
By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 23, 2019 -
Investment income plays important role for nonprofit hospitals, Fitch says
Portfolios can be vital to cushioning hospitals from unforeseen operating challenges, according to a new report from the ratings agency.
By Samantha Liss • Oct. 17, 2019 -
Hospital M&A for 2019 slightly above last year's pace
The third quarter featured 25 announced transactions valued at $8.14 billion, lagging behind the second quarter's near-record of $11.3 billion, according to a new report from Kaufman Hall.
By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 16, 2019 -
Medicare, Medicaid hospital payment cuts to hit $252.6B, industry study finds
"Hospitals are nearing the tipping point we have predicted for so long," Chip Kahn, CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said of the report commissioned by his group and AHA.
By Linda Wilson • Oct. 16, 2019 -
UnitedHealth boasts $60B revenue in Q3, buoyed by Optum
The massive healthcare company kicked off managed care organizations' earnings season Tuesday by handily beating Wall Street expectations.
By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 15, 2019 -
California bill to end excessive dialysis profits becomes law
Fresenius said it's concerned the new law will result in patients only being able to access care at hospitals due to lack of insurance coverage.
By Susan Kelly • Oct. 15, 2019 -
Providers mostly applaud CMS over fee schedule, but some specialists fear cuts
Though lobbying groups lauded the agency for walking back a controversial E/M proposal, psychologists predicted a "mass exodus" of those who treat Medicare beneficiaries.
By Samantha Liss • Oct. 01, 2019 -
Worker health insurance costs surpass wage growth, survey finds
"This survey underscores for me why for most Americans the issue is affordability much more than it is expanding coverage. And it really is just math," Kaiser Family Foundation CEO Drew Altman said of the results.
By Linda Wilson • Sept. 26, 2019 -
Healthcare job growth continues, but pace slows
Ambulatory care saw the biggest job gains, while nursing care facilities, residential mental health facilities and offices of non-physician healthcare practitioners saw slight seasonally adjusted drop-offs.
By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 09, 2019 -
Multiple sclerosis drug costs skyrocketed for Medicare and patients, study finds
Out-of-pocket spending on MS medications increased by more than 600% in the decade from 2006 to 2016, while the typical list price quadrupled.
By Andrew Dunn • Aug. 27, 2019 -
SponsoredFinance essentials: Capital options for growing medical practices
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