Pfizer forecasts $100B in sales, fueled by COVID-19 vaccine, pill

The company estimated revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine and new antiviral pill Paxlovid will total $54 billion this year.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 8, 2022

Along with rate increase for MA plans, CMS pitches closer look at social determinants of health

Cowen analysts said the rate increase "should support another year of benefit enhancements & strong enrollment growth," and noted that in recent years the final rate has been higher than what was first proposed.

By Shannon Muchmore • Feb. 3, 2022

Humana looks to cut costs, reinvest $1B into Medicare business

Part of the plan includes "optimizing" the workforce. Executives didn't clarify whether that would include layoffs.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 2, 2022

Hospitals felt omicron's full force in late 2021, Kaufman Hall says

A respite from treating large volumes of COVID-19 patients was short-lived last fall as people with symptoms filled hospital emergency rooms and boosted visits in December, according to a new report.

By Susan Kelly • Feb. 1, 2022

Cleveland Clinic reports COVID-spurred financial windfall in 2021

The nonprofit has yet to publicly issue a comprehensive financial statement, but some initial figures illustrate how Cleveland Clinic — like some other major hospital chains — has actually prospered financially during the pandemic.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 31, 2022

Most doctors are compensated for volume, not value of care, research finds

Health systems used financial incentives for quality and cost performance measures, but the percentage of total physician compensation based on quality and cost was just 9% for primary-care providers, according to the study.

By Hailey Mensik • Jan. 28, 2022

Staffing agencies 'exploiting' nurse shortage, hospital lobby says in letter urging White House to investigate

With nurses in high demand, hospitals and nursing homes are forced to accept "exorbitant" rates set by staffing agencies, their lobbies argue.

By Samantha Liss • Jan. 28, 2022

HCA to build 5 new hospitals in Texas

The news comes on the heels of HCA's plans to build three new hospitals in Florida, another core market for the Nashville-based health system.

By Samantha Liss • Jan. 27, 2022

Safety net hospitals report growing financial hit from loss of 340B drug discounts

Drugmakers' ability to restrict discounts is currently being litigated in court. But more companies have enacted policies limiting such discounts since the time of a new 340B Health report, so it likely underestimates hospital losses.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 27, 2022

HHS to distribute $2B in COVID-19 relief funds to providers this week to ease staffing, financial challenges

The agency is sending payments to more than 7,600 healthcare providers nationwide this week to help them as staffing shortages and heightened labor expenses pose new financial challenges.

By Hailey Mensik • Jan. 26, 2022

Mass General dinged for spending growth by state regulator

A key driver behind spending at the health system is prices, not increased utilization, according to the Health Policy Commission, which is charged with policing healthcare cost growth in the state.

By Samantha Liss • Jan. 26, 2022

Anthem doubles profit to $1.1B, issues conservative 2022 guidance

Membership targets for the coming year, for one, "look a shade light," one analyst noted, though Anthem said it expects COVID-19 to cause less of a headwind in 2022 than in prior years.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 26, 2022

Hospitals request more federal help battling rising labor expenses, staffing shortages amid omicron

The hospital lobby also is renewing its push in requesting the Federal Trade Commission investigate travel-nurse staffing firms for anticompetitive behavior as facilities have seen elevated pay rates throughout the pandemic.

By Hailey Mensik • Jan. 25, 2022

The shifting digital health investment landscape in 2022

Signs point toward another historic year in VC investment, experts say, which will benefit the medical system as it evolves to include more digital services.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 25, 2022

OIG audit targets hospital compliance with surprise billing rule

The effort aims to gauge whether providers receiving federal relief funds to help survive the pandemic complied with restrictions on unexpected bills for inpatients with COVID-19.

By Susan Kelly • Jan. 25, 2022

UnitedHealth reiterates MA growth expectations for 2022 as profits eclipse $4B

"Big picture, really positive," CEO Andrew Witty said about the fruitful MA market, despite dismal projections from some of UnitedHealth's peers about slowing enrollment.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 19, 2022

Medical cost growth trailed that of other industries in 2021

Prices for goods and services skyrocketed at the fastest pace in four decades, rising 7% between December 2020 and December 2021, according to new data. By comparison, prices for healthcare services rose roughly 2.5%.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 13, 2022

UHS details omicron's hit, shares dip

The health system has enough beds and ventilators but sometimes not enough staff, echoing concerns from other providers across the nation crushed by the latest wave of coronavirus patients with the fast-spreading omicron variant.

By Samantha Liss • Jan. 12, 2022

Teladoc ups revenue, visit expectations for 2021

Despite consistent revenue growth with an expected topline of $2.03 billion for the year, the 20-year-old vendor has not yet turned a profit and is currently facing a skeptical market.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 11, 2022

Hospitals turned to M&A to shore up core operations last year

The financial pressures, supply chain disruptions and labor challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic drove hospitals to seek out merger partners that could help expand their presence in key markets.

By Susan Kelly • Jan. 11, 2022

Digital health funding reaches record $29.1B in 2021

"The digital health market wasn't an across-the-board bubble, but it wasn't placid water either," Rock Health researchers said in a new report on investment in the space.

By Rebecca Pifer • Jan. 11, 2022

Hospitals' labor expenses rose again just before omicron arrival, report finds

Expenses outpaced revenue growth as hospitals continued grappling with nationwide staffing shortages in November, according to Kaufman Hall.

By Hailey Mensik • Jan. 5, 2022

Insurers returned $2B to consumers for 2020 under ACA

The rebates, tied to lower medical loss ratios, were triggered as utilization rates dropped at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Susan Kelly • Dec. 21, 2021

Federal COVID-19 aid fueled huge jump in national health spending last year

The pandemic accounted for major changes in who paid for healthcare as job losses spurred changes in coverage types, while people deferred care and spent less out of their own pockets.

By Shannon Muchmore • Dec. 16, 2021

HHS to funnel $9B in relief funds to providers

The federal government will reimburse smaller providers more favorably in this funding round, regulators said, acknowledging these facilities tend to operate on shakier financial footing compared to larger peers.

By Samantha Liss • Dec. 15, 2021