Cigna wins Texas underpaid claims lawsuit

North Cypress Medical Center charged that the payer owed $50 million in unpaid claims, but Cigna said the hospitals's fee-forgiving policy for out-of-network care is illegal.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 10, 2018

CMS proposes Medicare ACO revamp to force risk

Proposed changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, a cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act, would force accountable care organizations to take on risk sooner. Critics fear this will chase participants out of the program.

By Tony Abraham • Aug. 10, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Provider burnout

Hospitals are still struggling with provider burnout, after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated underlying staffing issues and prompted workers to quit their jobs.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Scripps net income takes huge hit despite strong revenue growth

The San Diego-based nonprofit said operating revenue growth was fueled by gains in patient volumes, outpatient visits and larger provider fee revenue.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 9, 2018

Academic medical centers lag behind other facilities for cost, quality

Despite improvements on some metrics, AMCs still face more Medicare value-based program penalties, according to a Navigant report.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 9, 2018

Novel antibiotic moves closer to FDA approval

The committee voted 17-1 and 14-4 in favor of approving omadacycline for two kinds of infection.

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 9, 2018

UnityPoint's second data breach this year could prompt expanded lawsuit

The Des Moines-based nonprofit notified 1.4 million people last week that their information may have been compromised after a phishing attack similar to a separate data breach the company acknowledged in April.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 8, 2018

Fitch brightens its view on nonprofit hospitals

More than a quarter of facilities got upgrades in the latest review of issuers.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 8, 2018

Kaiser Permanente's Q2 revenue growth driven by higher premiums, new members

The Oakland-based health system also saw a 47% decrease in operating revenue that it blamed on a new accounting standard.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 7, 2018

Hospital-employed PAs earn more, see more leadership options, report finds

The American Academy of Physician Assistants' new salary study showed that overall median base salary increased from $102,000 in 2016 to $105,000 in 2017.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 6, 2018

JAMA report outlines ways to foster inclusive workplaces

Non-inclusive work environments have adverse effects on job performance and employee well-being that can eventually lead to lower-quality care, according to the report.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 6, 2018

NIST offers 'how to' for securing EHRs on mobile devices

Such devices are ubiquitous in healthcare, raising concerns about security and privacy of personal health information.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 3, 2018

CMS finalizes rule requiring hospitals to post prices online

The inpatient rule also cuts reporting periods down to 90 consecutive days, nixes the 25% threshold policy for long-term care hospitals and cuts a number of reporting measures.

By Tony Abraham • Aug. 3, 2018

Healthcare M&A remains hot, but value fell in Q2

Despite the activity, there was only one industry megadeal in the quarter — KKR's $10 billion buy of Envision.

By Les Masterson • Aug. 3, 2018

Geisinger, AstraZeneca roll out apps to improve asthma care

The digital suite combines EHR and patient-reported data feeds to track and monitor symptoms and attacks and then triages patients.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 1, 2018

Provider consolidation outpacing payer in most of US, study shows

Nearly 90% of metropolitan statistical areas have highly- or super-concentrated provider markets, according to The Commonwealth Fund.

By Meg Bryant • Aug. 1, 2018

Less than half of Americans worry about personal health data security

In contrast, nearly 70% of adults surveyed said they were extremely or very concerned about the security of their financial data.

By Meg Bryant • July 31, 2018

Patients often choose higher-cost locations for MRIs, study finds

Referring physicians have more influence over a patient's decision than out-of-pocket costs, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research report.

By Les Masterson • July 31, 2018

Industry split on CMS site neutrality proposal

Hospitals and health systems say site-neutral payments would hinder access for patients. Doctors and some policy experts argue that access shouldn't hinge on payment disparity. 

By Tony Abraham • July 31, 2018

Centene, Ascension joining forces for Medicare Advantage plan

Though there are few specifics about the plan, the companies said it would be a preferred model for the systems and affiliates in multiple markets.

By Les Masterson • July 31, 2018

ACOs may affect physician employment patterns, JAMA study finds

The report showed an increase in ACO enrollment was connected with fewer physician work hours per week and fewer doctors choosing self-employment.

By Les Masterson • July 30, 2018

CHS beats Q2 expectations despite drops in revenue, admissions

The 119-hospital system is working on paring down its massive long-term debt through divestiture and cost management efforts.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 27, 2018

UHS revenue up 2.6% to $2.68B in Q2

The company's reserve for a federal fraud settlement now totals $43 million.

By Meg Bryant • July 27, 2018

Despite higher medical spending, older Americans have less debt, study finds

The average size of medical debt dropped by nearly 40% between the ages of 27 and 64, according to a new Health Affairs study.

By Meg Bryant • July 27, 2018

How providers are working to stem missed appointments

Millions of patients cancel, skip or reschedule appointments with their clinicians every year, creating vacant schedules and expenses that can cost the industry $150 billion annually.

By Tony Abraham • July 27, 2018

HCA revenue, admissions up in strong Q2

Compared to the same quarter last year, the health system's revenues increased 7.4% to $11.5 billion and admissions increased 2.8%.

By Tony Abraham • July 25, 2018