AHA wants private payers to do more to help hospitals fight COVID-19. Payers say they've done a lot already

"We are working hard to offer billions of dollars of additional resources and enhanced coverage," AHIP SVP of Communications Kristine Grow told Healthcare Dive. "But these resources are not infinite."

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 2, 2020

AHA seeks $25K per hospital bed from emergency COVID-19 fund

The unprecedented package signed late last week gave wide discretion to HHS for how the $100 billion to health systems would be divided and sent to providers.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 1, 2020

Cleveland Clinic mum on COVID-19 hit, reports jump in 2019 operating income

The health system tallied across the board increases in inpatient admissions, surgical cases and emergency room visits for the year.

By Samantha Liss • March 31, 2020

'What about us?': Frontline primary care practices fear for survival amid coronavirus

Independent practices have resisted selling to hospitals amid years of provider consolidation, reimbursement cuts and more, leaving them with razor-thin margins. Now, they worry COVID-19 could send them off the financial cliff.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 26, 2020

Trump signs $2T stimulus package, clearing $100B for struggling hospitals

The bill, the largest piece of emergency aid in U.S. history, was cleared by the House of Representatives earlier on Friday.

By Samantha Liss • Updated March 27, 2020

Community health centers get $100M for COVID-19 response

Advocacy groups for community health centers welcomed the desperately needed funding, but said it's not nearly enough.

By Hailey Mensik • March 25, 2020

Even with billions from Congress, hospitals set to lose over $1K per COVID-19 case

Those hits, coupled with the loss of lucrative elective procedures — which most hospitals have halted amid the outbreak — could be catastrophic for facilities, especially those in rural areas and with little cash on hand.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 25, 2020

Coronavirus could hike premiums by double digits next year

Payers, smack dab in the middle of rate-setting for 2021, could increase premiums from 4% to more than 40% if they aim to recoup all COVID-19 costs and protect solvency, California actuaries say.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 25, 2020

Kaiser Permanente shelves $900M headquarters build

The integrated healthcare giant planned to build a 29-floor, 1.6 million-square-foot tower in what would have been Oakland's largest commercial project. The decision to stop the project was not related to COVID-19, officials said.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 25, 2020

As Congress gains ground on stimulus, healthcare workers ask people to stay home

President Donald Trump, however, said he wanted the nation to be "opened up" by Easter, despite strong advice from public health experts that the U.S. continue social distancing efforts.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 25, 2020

Ratings agencies issue foreboding reports on hospital finances as AHA seeks $100B to respond to COVID-19

"While the healthcare sector has responded extremely well to past crises, the scale of the coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented," Fitch Ratings warned.

By Ron Shinkman • March 20, 2020

Telehealth vendors scramble to hire doctors as patient volume soars amid COVID-19

"We've gotten a lot of applications, more in the past two days since we put out this temporary position than we could have imagined," 98point6 CEO Robbie Cape told Healthcare Dive. "That being said, we need 10 times more."

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 20, 2020

Block-granting Medicaid would cause program funding to plunge, Commonwealth Fund says

The funding caps created by block grants "would require states to cut coverage, reduce benefits, increase cost-sharing, lower provider payment rates" or otherwise reduce expenditures, according to a new report.

By Ron Shinkman • March 9, 2020

Payer stocks rebound as Super Tuesday results quell M4A fears

A slew of primary wins by former Vice President Joe Biden helped tamp down fears that managed care companies could be downsized or eliminated under "Medicare for All" pushed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 4, 2020

JAMA finds public insurance payments increased more than private

Lower back and neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the highest amount of spending in 2016 at an estimated $134.5 billion — 57.2% of which was paid for by private insurance, according to the research.

By Hailey Mensik • March 3, 2020

Allscripts eyes margin improvement following $182M loss in 2019

The Chicago-based EHR vendor plans to hire a financial advisory firm to create an improvement plan following what the CFO called "disappointing" margins and "pathetic" free cash flow.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 3, 2020

GAO: Number of hospitals heavily dependent on Medicare has shrunk

The agency attributed the smaller number of facilities in the Medicare Dependent Hospital Program to closures, mergers or acquisitions and changes in designation.

By Ron Shinkman • March 2, 2020

UPMC topline soars on Highmark truce

Highmark members receiving inpatient care at UPMC's facilities increased by 30% in 2019, and those receiving outpatient care increased by 26%, according to the Pittsburgh-based hospital system's financial results released Friday.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 2, 2020

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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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