Hospital Administration

Healthcare sector added 358K jobs, hospitals had first gains in 2 months

The unemployment rate dropped to 11.1%, but the report doesn't cover the last two weeks of June, when western and southern states reported some of their highest daily COVID-19 case numbers since the outbreak began.

By Hailey Mensik • July 02, 2020

Coronavirus didn't dramatically dampen healthcare M&A in Q2, Kaufman Hall says

Fourteen transactions were announced during the second quarter. Kaufman recorded some of the highest figures it has ever seen for average seller size at more than $800 million.

By Samantha Liss • July 02, 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

DOJ charges execs, others with elaborate $1.4B billing scheme using rural hospitals

Ten defendants allegedly took over struggling rural hospitals and used them as a front to send fraudulent, pricey testing claims to commercial payers over more than two years, reaping $400 million in profits.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 30, 2020

HHS 'expects to renew' COVID-19 emergency, spokesman says

The department did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday morning. The public health emergency is currently set to expire at the end of July.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 30, 2020

Trinity Health expects $2B revenue plunge as it cuts, furloughs more staff

The Livonia, Michigan-based hospital operator also said it's burning through federal funds provided to prop up systems, alleging they're not enough to cover operating losses.

By Samantha Liss • June 29, 2020

Hospitals in South, West gird for COVID-19 surges as states hold back limits

After Texas revived a halt in elective surgeries, other hot spots like Arizona have yet to follow suit. Still, hospital giant CommonSpirit said it will limit non-essential surgeries at its two Phoenix facilities.

By Shannon Muchmore , Hailey Mensik • June 29, 2020

Gilead sets price for COVID-19 drug remdesivir

A typical course of treatment with remdesivir will cost between $2,340 and $3,120 in the U.S., a price range that likely ensures Gilead earns a profit on sales of the drug.

By Ned Pagliarulo • June 29, 2020

AHA urges CMS to keep relaxed regulations beyond crisis

Federal and state regulators have peeled back rules to allow hospitals to effectively respond to the crisis posed by the coronavirus pandemic, including popular waivers enabling more telehealth use.

By Samantha Liss • June 29, 2020

US risks 139K physician shortage by 2033, AAMC warns

The annual report also looked at underserved populations, estimating that if they were to have the same healthcare use patterns as those with fewer barriers to access, demand could rise by another 74,100 to 145,500 physicians.

By Hailey Mensik • June 26, 2020

HCA, nurses at California hospital prep for Friday strike

While unusual for a labor union to strike just days before scheduled contract negotiations, that's what happening at Riverside Community Hospital, where the pandemic has exacerbated long-simmering staffing issues.

By Hailey Mensik • June 25, 2020

North Carolina BCBS seeks to keep primary care practices afloat, nudge to value-based care

Participating doctor's offices will get added payments to stabilize flagging revenue for primary care services at their pre-COVID-19 levels beginning in September through 2021.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 25, 2020

CommonSpirit doubles down on primary care with new direct-to-employer partnership

Employers will pay a flat fee per worker to access onsite, near-site or virtual clinics staffed by family medicine doctors and medical assistants. The nonprofit giant is partnering with ex-DaVita subsidiary Paladina Health on the model.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 25, 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

In blow to hospitals, judge rules for HHS in price transparency case

The American Hospital Association said it plans to appeal Tuesday's ruling that sided with the Trump administration in forcing hospitals to publicly disclose privately negotiated rates.

By Samantha Liss , Hailey Mensik • UPDATED: June 24, 2020 at 9:14 a.m.

HCA nurses issue 10-day strike notice at California hospital

The nurses plan to strike from Friday through July 6, prior to starting contract negotiations with the biggest for-profit hospital chain on July 7.

By Hailey Mensik • UPDATED: June 23, 2020 at 5:26 p.m.

Deep Dive

Nonprofit health systems — despite huge cash reserves — get billions in CARES funding

Healthcare Dive's findings revive concerns that greater examination of hospital finances is needed before divvying up COVID-19 rescue funding allocated by Congress.

By Samantha Liss • June 23, 2020

AHA asks for COVID-19 public health emergency to be extended

The group is requesting the emergency status be continued until multiple criteria are met regarding the availability of supplies for testing and treatment, number of patients requiring intensive care and deaths over a two-week period.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 22, 2020

Moody's: US healthcare system rebounds from COVID-19 in May, but a bumpy road lies ahead

Last month saw improvement in care volumes, but recent pullbacks in hot spots like Arizona may exemplify the rocky road ahead for hospitals and medical device companies.

By Ron Shinkman • June 19, 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 • June 19, 2020

Advocate-Aurora, Beaumont ink letter of intent to explore merger

A union would create a system with combined revenue of about $17.5 billion. The plans come soon after Beaumont, Michigan's largest health system, canceled a planned merger with Ohio-based Summa Health.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 17, 2020

Sutter, citing COVID-19 losses, seeks to delay antitrust settlement approval

The system, which reported a net loss of more than $1 billion in the first quarter of this year, warned it could be forced to shut down or divest some of its hospitals because of the pandemic.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 17, 2020

Tenet cites dramatic rebound of patient volume post COVID-19 slump

New hotspots are emerging in states in the West and South largely spared from the first coronavirus wave, posing a challenge for hospital operators with major footprints in those states, such as the Dallas-based chain.

By Hailey Mensik • UPDATED: June 17, 2020 at 11:09 a.m.

MedPAC urges MA, ACO tweaks to speed up value-based payment reform

Medicare Advantage and ACOs could be vehicles for much needed value-based payment reform, but not without better aligned incentives and improved quality assessment, the advisory commission said.

By Shannon Muchmore • June 16, 2020

Surgeons, device makers grow more confident in elective care comeback

As some medtechs indicate forecasts entering Q2 may have been too conservative, a Bain & Co. survey of physicians and administrators suggests rising capacity for elective procedures, albeit without sales reps at full force.

By Maria Rachal • June 15, 2020