Finance: Page 2

Biden faces many healthcare challenges as he takes the helm at an unprecedented time

The former senator and vice president has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States while the country grapples with one of the biggest health crises in its history.

Google calls Fitbit acquisition complete despite ongoing DOJ review

The search giant closed the deal because the department's 14-month investigation period expired without any objection. However, DOJ could still sue to unwind the buy.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 14, 2021

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Trendline

The Healthcare Dive Outlook on 2021

The next steps for the explosion of telehealth, the Biden administration's efforts to roll back Trump-era policies and the road back to a new normal way of doing business for payers and providers are Healthcare Dive’s big trends for 2021.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Talkspace to go public via SPAC in $1.4B deal

The transaction, once completed, will leave the behavioral health startup with about $250 million in cash, which it plans to use to build its user base, add partnerships and expand internationally.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 14, 2021

Ascension divests handful of Wisconsin hospitals, clinics to nonprofit Aspirus Health

Completion of the transaction will almost double Wausau, Wisconsin-based Aspirus' footprint. Currently, the regional player has four hospitals in Michigan and six in Wisconsin, along with more than 50 clinics.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 13, 2021

Teladoc projects 2020 revenue doubling to $1.1B

CEO Jason Gorevic expects sustainable long-term growth for the company, with 30% to 40% average annual revenue growth expected through 2023, he said Monday at the J.P. Morgan health conference.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 12, 2021

Healthcare CFOs see fresh wave of M&A in 2021, BDO survey shows

Financial distress, a desire to expand into new service lines and efforts to close infrastructure gaps are expected to fuel deals, according to the consultants.

By Susan Kelly • Jan. 12, 2021

CommonSpirit inks letter of intent to sell Essentia 14 mostly rural hospitals

The giant nonprofit system is in talks with the Minnesota-based system to unload a 286-bed hospital in North Dakota and 13 other critical access facilities.

By Ron Shinkman • Jan. 11, 2021

Wall Street paints rosy 2021 for medtech as electives snap back

After economic challenges throughout 2020, sell-side analysts predict procedure-dependent companies like Medtronic, Abbott and Zimmer Biomet to outperform this year as procedure volumes return.

By Ricky Zipp • Jan. 11, 2021

Medicaid expansion could help hospitals financially recover from pandemic, Health Affairs study suggests

Hospitals in states that expanded the safety net program under the Affordable Care Act on average saw lower uncompensated care costs and higher Medicaid revenue compared with those in states that have not, researchers found.

By Hailey Mensik • Jan. 05, 2021

CMS should tweak wage index adjustment to help rural hospitals, OIG says

The report, issued following a federal audit, found rural hospitals had the highest concentration of low-wage providers. Of all hospitals in the bottom quartile of area wage indexes, 53% were operating in rural areas.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 04, 2021

Hospitals lose another attempt to stave off price transparency

A judge wrote that the American Hospital Association's arguments, including that some rates are unknowable, "miss the mark." Facilities are now required to disclose negotiated rates with insurers.

By Samantha Liss • Dec. 29, 2020

Hospital finances bleak as 2020 nears close, Kaufman Hall says

Even as big systems like HCA and Mayo Clinic return some federal funds, across the sector inpatient admissions were the only metric to rise, passing 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began.

By Hailey Mensik • Dec. 23, 2020

Oscar quietly readies for IPO

The startup insurer, co-founded by Josh Kushner, said the price range and size has yet to be decided. It's one of a spate of health-focused companies making the move in recent months.

By Samantha Liss • Dec. 22, 2020

After decades as a hospital operator, Tenet shifts its focus to surgery centers

The for-profit chain's ambulatory surgery centers far outnumber its hospital portfolio, and its ambulatory earnings will account for nearly half of the company's overall earnings next year.

By Samantha Liss • Dec. 22, 2020

Safety net hospitals hit particularly hard by COVID-19, will have to cut future spending

During the peak of the first surge of cases in the spring, patient discharges fell up to 36% at five facilities studied, while revenues dropped as much as 48%, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute.

By Ron Shinkman • Dec. 21, 2020

Provider-friendly surprise billing fix, more funds for hospitals in year-end spending bill

The final fix included in the legislation is almost exactly the same as the initial proposal greenlit last week by key congressional leaders, but includes additional concessions for providers.

By Rebecca Pifer • Dec. 21, 2020

Hospital costs drove 2019 health spending, CMS analysis finds

Researchers warned next year's report is expected to look quite different, as the pandemic "will certainly have profound consequences on the provision and consumption of health care in 2020 and perhaps beyond."

By Hailey Mensik • Dec. 17, 2020

HHS starts doling out $25B in third phase of CARES provider funding

The amount exceeds the original $20 billion planned for this tranche, as officials realized more would be needed to get providers close to whole from coronavirus-related losses.

By Shannon Muchmore • Dec. 16, 2020

Even with vaccine, Moody's 2021 nonprofit hospital outlook is negative

The ratings agency estimates operating cash flows will drop 10% to 15% next year, versus a prior forecast. It's a more bearish view than its take on the for-profit slice of the sector.

By Ron Shinkman • Dec. 14, 2020

Dive Awards

Finance Trend of the Year: Going public

"The wacky aspect of 2020 is we've had tons of uncertainty and we've had a really active IPO market. And I've never seen that in my 30-year career on Wall Street," Davide Ethridge, U.S. IPO services leader at PwC, said.

By Shannon Muchmore • Dec. 09, 2020

Sanford calls off Intermountain merger after CEO mask uproar

The proposed union of regional giants fell apart after Sanford's longtime chief left the company following an email to staff alleging he did not need personal protective equipment because he had immunity to COVID-19.

By Hailey Mensik • Dec. 07, 2020

MedPAC mulls cautious approach to bumping hospital pay amid pandemic

Commissioners of the influential advisory group seemed largely supportive of the draft recommendation that calls for a base payment increase of 2% for acute care hospitals.

By Samantha Liss • Dec. 07, 2020

Walgreens to launch 40 primary care clinics by third quarter of next year

Locations announced in Arizona, Texas and Florida are part of the retailer's long-term plan to open as many as 700 primary care clinics in more than 30 U.S. cities and metropolitan areas over the next five years.

By Ron Shinkman • Dec. 04, 2020

CMMI rolls out geographic model it calls among 'largest bets on value-based care to date'

The program will enlist direct contracting entities, which can include ACOs, health systems and provider groups or health plans, to take responsibility for the total cost of care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in their region.

By Shannon Muchmore • Dec. 04, 2020

Moody's boosts for-profit hospitals from negative to stable despite expected COVID-19 surge

Pre-pandemic volumes won't return until late 2021 or early 2022, though federal relief funds will continue to buoy earnings, according to the debt ratings agency.

By Hailey Mensik • Dec. 02, 2020