UHS posts $252M in income, helped by bailout funds, but withholds full-year guidance

The hospital operator, which rescinded its full-year earnings forecasts after an ominous first quarter, is continuing to withhold earnings guidance due to ongoing uncertainty as COVID-19 cases surge again in the U.S.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 28, 2020

Healthcare investment flowed freely in Q2, reaching $18B

Telehealth activity exploded, with 154 deals taking place in the second quarter — a 23% increase compared to the first quarter and a record number, according to a new report from CB Insights.

By Ron Shinkman • July 27, 2020

6 months in: What will the new normal look like for hospitals?

Whether there is a nationwide second wave or smaller surges in regions at different times, hospitals will need to remain vigilant and in an effective state of emergency until there is a cure or vaccine for COVID-19.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 27, 2020

6 months in: The COVID-19 crisis

This series of stories examines how healthcare has changed during the course of the novel coronavirus in the United States, half a year after HHS declared a national public health emergency.

July 27, 2020

6 months in: Following the flow of CARES hospital funding

Congress has allocated $175 billion to help providers respond to the COVID-19 crisis, but HHS has been hit with multiple complaints about distribution as that money goes out the door.

By Samantha Liss • July 27, 2020

After 6 months of darkness, primary care practices see little light ahead

"You have to dig yourself out of a financial hole — it's not a hole, it's a crater — created by the pandemic," said Gary LeRoy, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 27, 2020

Why COVID-19's biggest impact on healthcare may not be until 2022

This perfect storm of a shift in payer mix, the impending insolvency of Medicare and the inability of states to absorb the growing costs of Medicaid represent a tsunami of challenges, former VA Secretary David Shulkin writes.

By David Shulkin • July 23, 2020

M&A volume in health services for H1 was lowest since 2015, PwC finds

The subsector with the most deals in terms of volume was long-term care, continuing a trend since 2014, followed by other services, physician medical groups, hospitals and home health, according to the analysis.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 23, 2020

Hospitals facing depleted volumes beg for more funds, advanced Medicare loan forgiveness

About half of the country's hospitals could be operating on negative margins by the end of 2020, according to a new industry analysis funded by the American Hospital Association.

By Hailey Mensik • July 21, 2020

Big hospital groups ramp up lobbying for additional relief funds with new polling

Three-fourths of Americans support $100 billion in additional congressional funds for hospitals, the industry-sponsored polling found. Hospitals are hoping Congress will grant them more funds in a fourth round of relief legislation.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 17, 2020

UnitedHealth doubles profit in Q2 as MLR plummets to 70.2% amid pandemic

CEO David Wichmann pushed back against proposals for a Medicare-like public option, noting: "We believe there's a near-universal coverage system in America today," despite rampant loss of insurance during the crisis.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 15, 2020

Digital health funding shatters records with $6.3B in 1st half of 2020

Telehealth received the most money as the COVID-19 pandemic drove unprecedented virtual care adoption, with $1.7 billion in funds.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 14, 2020

Shares in Oak Street Health soar 90% in market debut

Oak Street's IPO priced at $21 a share, but rose almost 90.5% in its first day of market trading Thursday, closing at $43.47.

By Shannon Muchmore • Updated Aug. 7, 2020

UHS finalizes DOJ fraudulent billing case for $122M

The hospital operator continues to deny the allegations and does not admit guilt. Criminal charges were dropped when the settlement was first announced roughly a year ago.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 13, 2020

As FCC taps out its coronavirus telehealth program, major nonprofits like Providence cash in

West Coast powerhouse Providence got almost $2 million, raising concerns the money went to systems "with the capacity to write an application for the money rather than the providers who needed it most," one health policy expert said.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 9, 2020

Providence, Humana back ad campaign urging patients to stop 'medical distancing'

Since the pandemic's onset in the United States, health officials have been concerned about the consequences of routine and preventive care being delayed or put off entirely. Providers also fear continued revenue loss.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 8, 2020

Here are doctors' offices, hospitals that got COVID-19 paycheck protection loans over $150K

"Had we not gotten paycheck protection, with the decrease in patient volume we saw, we would have had to terminate employees," Beverly Jordan, a physician at a small rural practice in Enterprise, Alabama, told Healthcare Dive.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated July 8, 2020

Novartis to pay $678M to settle claims over 'sham' doctor events

The Swiss drugmaker admitted to hosting lavish dinners and events that were intended to convince doctors to prescribe Novartis heart and diabetes drugs.

By Ned Pagliarulo • July 2, 2020

Teladoc closes InTouch acquisition to round out provider offerings

Virtual care player Teladoc closed its acquisition of provider telehealth business InTouch Health for $150 million in cash and 4.6 million shares of common stock on Wednesday.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 1, 2020

Hospitals see fuzzy future for patient volume, predict an additional $120B in losses this year

American Hospital Association members said they don't think they will see typical volumes this year, while 30% said the timeframe was unknown or that they never expect to return to baselines.

By Hailey Mensik • June 30, 2020

Quorum completes bankruptcy process, taps new CEO

The health system also announced a new board of managers, including Joey Jacobs, former head of Acadia Healthcare, as the new CEO. He will succeed Bob Fish.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated July 8, 2020

US hospitals saw some recovery in May but distress 'far from over'

Median operating margins were back in the black and operating minutes almost doubled from April, but figures were still significantly down year over year, according to Kaufman Hall's latest flash report.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 24, 2020

Medicare Advantage plans could see payments drop in 2021 due to COVID-19, analysis finds

A new analysis by Avalere Health concludes that multiple Medicare Advantage claims dropped dramatically in April due to COVID-19, a trend that could depress payments to insurers in 2021.

By Ron Shinkman • June 23, 2020

Medicare claims data for COVID-19 highlights stark racial, economic disparities

Fee-for-service payments for related hospitalizations totaled $1.9 billion for the first months of the pandemic, with Black Americans four times more likely to end up in the hospital from the coronavirus.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 23, 2020

Recovery of medical staffing firms will lag behind hospitals, analysts say

The "pace of recovery will not be linear" and depends on the mix of service lines and geography, S&P Global analysts said in a Thursday note. Analysts also expect hospitals to aggressively renegotiate contracts later in the year.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 19, 2020