CMS relaxing more value-based model requirements in wake of pandemic

The changes are aimed at minimizing reporting burden and increasing flexibilities for providers as they continue to face great financial and logistical challenges from the novel coronavirus.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 3, 2020

Medicaid expansion key indicator for rural hospitals' financial viability

Other factors that play a positive role include tax-exempt status and occupancy rates, according to a study in Health Affairs.

By Hailey Mensik • June 2, 2020

UPMC latest hospital system to report Q1 loss due to COVID-19

The Pennsylvania-based system's health insurance plan saw increased revenue due to a significant rise in its membership, but its operating income dropped by 56%.

By Ron Shinkman • June 1, 2020

Sluggish patient volume could jeopardize hospitals repaying advanced Medicare funds, report suggests

Older patients lead the pack in returning to emergency rooms while younger generations had smaller declines in visit activity overall and are returning to all care settings faster, a survey of 500 hospitals by Transunion found.

By Hailey Mensik • June 1, 2020

Public option would drive premiums down, but increase enrollments only modestly, RAND says

The California-based nonprofit explored four different scenarios in which a public option health plan could be introduced to the state and federal exchanges.

By Ron Shinkman • May 29, 2020

Hospitals to face bumpy recovery with depressed margins into 2021, S&P predicts

Federal funds are helping offset short-term health system losses, but a potential second coronavirus surge makes long-term prospects unpredictable.

By Hailey Mensik • May 28, 2020

HCA tells nurses union to give up bargained wage increases — or face layoffs

The country's largest nurses union said HCA is also threatening elimination of employer contributions to 401k plans, wage freezes and pay cuts if they do not give up contractually-promised raises.

By Hailey Mensik • May 26, 2020

Providence, 1st to treat COVID-19 patient, posts $1.1B loss

The nonprofit system saw investment losses of $763 million in the first quarter as stock market volatility followed stay-at-home orders for much of the U.S. That compared to a $582 million investment gain in the prior-year period.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 26, 2020

Ascension reports loss of $2.7B in Q1

The nonprofit system saw operating revenue decrease 2.5% year over year in the period ending March 31 to $6.1 billion. That came as expenses like salaries and supplies ticked up by more than 3% to $6.4 billion.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 26, 2020

Trinity Health joins other operators battered by pandemic, details CARES funding

The Michigan-based nonprofit reported surgical volumes alone plummeted 25% in March as significant investment losses contributed to a net loss of more than $880 million for the first nine months of its fiscal year.

By Samantha Liss • May 22, 2020

Tips for hospitals to prepare for upcoming worksheet S-10 audits

Get prepared for FFY 2018 Worksheet S-10 audits as CMS appears ready for MACs to begin the next round of audits.

By Michael Newell, Partner, Health Care Consulting Practice • May 22, 2020

COVID-19 has upended how Americans obtain healthcare

A new survey by the Alliance of Community Health Plans and the pharmacist lobby AMCP found nearly 40% of respondents plan to delay future care.

By Ron Shinkman • May 21, 2020

COVID-19 sinks Advocate Aurora's operating income in Q1

The major nonprofit system was pushed into the red for the quarter due to the pandemic. It has a large presence in the Chicagoland area, a hot spot for the virus, and has discharged more than 3,200 patients who were infected.

By Samantha Liss • May 21, 2020

April was dismal for US hospitals, with long road ahead, surveys find

Operating margins plummeted 174% last month compared to April 2019 and were down 118% from March of this year as surgeries, ER visits and outpatient appointments declined drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 21, 2020

Despite $33M in approvals, FCC has sent just 1 provider CARES telehealth funds

"We expect the number of invoices to increase steadily as more funding continues to be approved," an FCC spokesperson told Healthcare Dive.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 20, 2020

Nonprofit health systems see investments slide as COVID-19 ravages economy

Major systems like CommonSpirit Health and Kaiser Permanente posted losses of more than $1 billion in first quarter reports.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 20, 2020

COVID-19 pushes Mayo Clinic's operating income into free fall

Operating income plunged 88% while margin flatlined to 0.9% by the end of the first quarter due to the onset of the pandemic and the near closure of the health system's outpatient business.

By Samantha Liss • May 19, 2020

Cigna jumps 52 spots on Fortune 500 off Express Scripts buy

Fortune released its annual rankings based on the 2019 revenue of top-earning U.S. companies on Monday. Forty healthcare companies are in the top 500, about the same as the past few years.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 19, 2020

Knee replacements nearly halted as hospitals braced for COVID-19, data show

Even service lines involving what are often life-threatening illnesses saw large drops, with cardiac care falling 57% and cancer care decreasing 37%, according to an analysis from software company Strata Decision Technology.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 19, 2020

CommonSpirit posts $1.4B loss, says full COVID-19 impact unknown

The biggest proportion of losses were tied to investments, as the nonprofit health system's portfolio dropped in value by nearly $1.1 billion.

By Ron Shinkman • May 18, 2020

COVID-19 shreds Sutter Health's finances in matter of weeks

The Northern California nonprofit health system lost more than $1 billion in the first quarter due to the pandemic. Future finances could become even grimmer.

By Ron Shinkman • May 15, 2020

Fitch Q2 outlook for nonprofit hospitals: 'worst on record'

Moody's Investors Service also warned this week the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic will linger into next year and noted government assistance won't make up for all the financial losses.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated May 15, 2020

Front-line COVID-19 responders in middle of pack on pay

Medscape's annual survey also found men continue to earn more than women, a trend that's held now for a decade. Among primary care physicians, men earn roughly 25% more than women.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • May 14, 2020

Orthopaedic surgeons predict return to somewhat normal volumes in 6 months

While procedures are expected to steadily ramp up over the next six months, Jefferies analysts found that more will be performed outside of hospitals — a trend accelerated by the pandemic.

By Hailey Mensik • May 12, 2020

Hospitals balk as CMS doubles down on price transparency

In the draft of the Medicare payment rule posted Monday, the agency also proposed raising the rate for inpatient hospital services by about 1.6% in 2021, which would amount to nearly $2.1 billion.

By Shannon Muchmore • May 12, 2020