Finance: Page 2

Kaufman Hall: Hospital revenue, margins improved in 2019, but warning signs ahead

The consultancy's year in review report also noted rising expenses, and said the modest gains came amid a rosy economy and before the 2020 election and coronavirus outbreak.

By Ron Shinkman • Feb. 28, 2020

'Feeding the flywheel': Teladoc sees opportunity in coronavirus

Though the global telehealth vendor did not quantify expected tailwind from the novel coronavirus, its CEO noted: "We do benefit from people becoming new users."

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 27, 2020

Cleveland Clinic's 2019 topline jumps on record patient visits

The system also reported a 50% year-over-year rise in income, coming as nonprofit providers face scrutiny over their tax free status.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 27, 2020

Corporate watchdog pegs Centene, CVS CEOs as among most overpaid

With healthcare costs rising faster than inflation, industry executives are ripe targets for criticism over compensation. The payer defended the figure and said it's based on industry standards.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 26, 2020

Tenet closes out 2019 at $243M loss

Volume growth in the fourth quarter was a bright spot for the for-profit hospital operator. Tenet has now reported hospital adjusted admissions gains for four consecutive quarters.

By Rebecca Pifer • Feb. 25, 2020

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 Dive

Will 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