CMS set to bump MA rates for 2022 in win for payers

The agency is also proposing to rely entirely on encounter data to calculate patient risk scores in 2022, a move that has been opposed by commercial insurers.

By Samantha Liss • Nov. 2, 2020

Physician pay growth pushed down amid COVID-19. Women bear the brunt, survey finds

The study by Doximity concludes compensation barely budged this year compared to 2019, an apparent victim of the economic fallout from the pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 30, 2020

Allscripts Q3 revenue misses Wall Street forecasts amid sustained COVID-19 headwinds

Management noted the third quarter is typically seasonally weaker, and that's being compounded by the pandemic. The vendor is still holding back guidance in the wake of volatility.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 30, 2020

Molina saw members return to care in Q3, braces for curtailment as cases spike again

The payer reported it spent $35 million on COVID-19 care in the quarter. But as cases reach new heights in the U.S., it expects members to again defer care as virus costs are likely to increase.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 29, 2020

Teladoc's $18.5B Livongo acquisition closes in just under 3 months

Shareholders of both companies overwhelmingly approved the megadeal on Thursday, clearing the way for its final consummation.

By Rebecca Pifer • Updated Oct. 30, 2020

Teladoc ups guidance for third quarter in a row as telehealth use holds steady

Jefferies analyst David Windley called the results "robust overall but mixed in the details," calling membership growth underwhelming, and shares dipped.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 29, 2020

Cerner revenue up slightly in Q3, CFO announces departure

The EHR vendor's health system clients are especially warming up to its data tools that can help streamline their own workflows during the COVID-19 pandemic, President Don Trigg said during a Wednesday call with investors.

By Hailey Mensik • Oct. 29, 2020

Anthem beats in Q3, but profit plummets amid rising costs

The payer also reported a $594 million payment toward a federal antitrust settlement reached with Blue Cross Blue Shield plans that is still awaiting approval by a judge.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 28, 2020

Community Health swings to Q3 profit, even as COVID-19 cases swelled

The pandemic and flu season haven't stopped the hospital chain from shifting into the black. CHS also said COO Tim Hingtgen will replace long-time Wayne Smith effective January.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated Oct. 28, 2020

Centene Q3 profit skyrockets on WellCare close, ACA settlement

Lower utilization of healthcare services during the quarter was partially offset by higher testing and treatment costs for COVID-19, the payer said. Analysts called the results "good enough."

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 27, 2020

After hospital volumes plummeted due to COVID-19, full rebound not likely soon

Researchers writing in JAMA Internal Medicine suggested patients may be avoiding the hospital or may have lost health insurance as a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 26, 2020

COVID-19 cases could be 5% of 2021 admissions, HCA says amid rising Q3 profits

The hospital giant reported profit of $668 million in the third quarter, up 9% from the same time last year. Results come weeks after it said it would return millions in government grants early and as COVID-19 surges in key markets.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 26, 2020

AHA, AMA ask Congress to extend suspension of Medicare sequester

The 2% payment cut was suspended under the CARES Act, but providers say the ongoing financial pain they are feeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic means it should continue to be on hold well into next year.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 23, 2020

HHS walks back CARES fund reporting requirement hospitals feared

The department said it had earlier concerns that some providers would wind up more profitable than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Samantha Liss • Updated Oct. 23, 2020

Robotic surgery startups help drive Q3 medical device funding over $5B, an all-time high

CB Insights also tracked funding records in digital health and telehealth, largely due to a jump in the number of companies raising megarounds worth upward of $100 million.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Oct. 22, 2020

'In many ways more challenging:' Tenet loses $197M in COVID-19-slammed Q3

Strong results in Tenet's ambulatory and Conifer segment offset a worse-than-expected hospital segment performance. The chain was also surprised by a Trump administration methodology change for reporting CARES funding.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 21, 2020

From back-to-work to telehealth to retail rebranding: HLTH 2020 takeaways

Trump administration officials also provided an update on value-based care models, teased details of the coronavirus vaccine's approval and hinted at a coming reimbursement plan.

Oct. 21, 2020

COVID-19 has sparked more concerns about healthcare costs, insurance, TransUnion says

More people, especially those in younger generations, are using insurer websites to conduct cost research, the annual survey found.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 21, 2020

CMS approves controversial Medicaid waiver in Nebraska, creating 2-tiered system

The expansion is a more creative way to implement work or job training requirements, but opponents argue it will deprive some enrollees of benefits.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 21, 2020

Providers' rocky road to recovery could last into 2022

About 20% of hospital executives told Kaufman Hall they were "extremely concerned" about their financial viability, as the Midwest reports rising COVID-19 caseloads and providers prep for the pandemic to collide with flu season.

By Shannon Muchmore • Oct. 20, 2020

Retail's role, focus on equity, value-based pay amid COVID-19: takeaways from HLTH 2020

Back-to-work products, coronavirus vaccine distribution and telehealth ROI were also hot topics at the conference's third year.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 19, 2020

The hazy post-pandemic future of telehealth

"The effective application of technology and data to healthcare is the foundation for efficient healthcare, but has so far failed to deliver on its potential," the managing partner of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners said Thursday.

By Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 16, 2020

CMS grants Medicaid waiver to Georgia; exchange opt-out remains on table

The agency has approved a modest Medicaid expansion waiver for Georgia, and is apparently nearing OK of a second waiver that would allow the state to stop using the Healthcare.gov insurance exchange.

By Ron Shinkman • Oct. 15, 2020

UnitedHealth says Q3 volume rebounds, net income down on consumer price breaks

Still, the first payer to report quarterly earnings bested Wall Street expectations and saw a lower-than-expected medical cost ratio of 81.9% for the third quarter.

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 14, 2020

Hospitals warn of 'devastating' impact from CARES funds reporting change

The problem centers on how the agency is now defining "lost revenue." AHA bashed the change as "simply unfair and unrealistic" and added it would create an "administrative and accounting disaster."

By Samantha Liss • Oct. 14, 2020