Hospitals, PBMs say drugmaker restrictions on 340B discounts stifling finances

Four court decisions on the legality of the restrictions — two in favor of drugmakers and two against — are currently pending appeals.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 5, 2022

Hospital, payer, IT groups urge Congress to overturn ban on unique patient identifier

Industry groups are ratcheting up the pressure on Congress to nix a decadesold ban on using federal funding to create a UPI. Subcommittees, meanwhile, are continuing hearings for 2023 appropriations bills.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 5, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Payer/provider relationships

As M&A intensifies and companies embrace more holistic and value-based care models, partnerships have become more closely intertwined.

By Healthcare Dive staff

ER providers push for federal protection against rising health worker violence

Nurses have been bitten, punched and strangled with stethoscopes, "all while just trying to provide basic care to patients," Todd Haines, a member of the Emergency Nurses Association, said Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

By Hailey Mensik • May 5, 2022

Banner Health invests in surgery center firm Atlas Healthcare Partners

The investment from Banner will help Atlas scale and "grow into a larger national partner for other health systems," the companies announced Tuesday.

By Samantha Liss • May 4, 2022

Stanford nurses ratify deal, ending weeklong strike

Nurses will return to work Tuesday after ratifying a deal on new contracts that include measures to better retain and recruit nursing staff, the union said.

By Hailey Mensik • May 3, 2022

Hospital volumes, revenues rebounded as omicron cases waned in March

Many patients returned for nonurgent procedures and other non-COVID-19 care, especially outpatient, that had been previously delayed, according to a Kaufman Hall report.

By Hailey Mensik • May 3, 2022

Air ambulance provider latest to sue over surprise billing ban

The central issue of the new lawsuit is the guidance the federal government has provided to third-party arbiters.

By Samantha Liss • May 2, 2022

Labor costs unlikely to wind down soon, for-profit hospitals report in Q1

Hospital operators hoped the need for temporary nursing staff and heightened labor costs would ease alongside dwindling cases of the omicron variant, as they did during previous waves. That wasn't the case in the first quarter.

By Hailey Mensik • May 2, 2022

3 questions for Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro University President

Between new locations, expanding programs and an ever-growing list of community service initiatives, Touro University is becoming one of the nation's leaders in medical and health science education in myriad ways.

May 2, 2022

CommonSpirit names new CEO, Wright Lassiter of Henry Ford Health

Wright Lassiter will succeed Lloyd Dean, who announced his intent to retire last year, setting off a nationwide executive search.

By Samantha Liss • April 29, 2022

Molina's first-quarter COVID-19 costs reached highest peak since pandemic's start, CEO says

Still, those costs were almost entirely offset by members cutting back on healthcare visits, a common trend throughout the pandemic, CEO Joe Zubretsky said Thursday.

By Samantha Liss • April 28, 2022

Thousands of Stanford nurses in California reach deal to end strike

Nurses voted on a tentative agreement Sunday and if they ratify the deal they will return to work Tuesday under new contracts, according to the union.

By Hailey Mensik • Updated May 2, 2022

Rising expenses at hospitals are unsustainable, AHA says

Hospital labor expenses per patient alone increased about 20% from 2019 to 2021, according to a new report from the hospital lobby.

By Samantha Liss • April 26, 2022

Tenet says 'cybersecurity incident' disrupted hospital operations

Most critical functions have been restored following the incident last week, while affected facilities are starting to resume normal operations, according to the Texas-based operator.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 26, 2022

Healthcare M&A slowed in Q1 amid economic concerns, omicron impact, KPMG says

Deals across the sector fell by a third in the period from the brisk pace at the end of last year as buyers weighed an economic slowdown, the Russian-Ukraine war and the impact of the omicron variant, according to the new report.

By Susan Kelly • April 26, 2022

DOJ appeals surprise billing ruling in Texas

The Department of Justice intends to appeal a ruling siding with the Texas Medical Association, saying arbiters should not weigh any factor more heavily than others when resolving payment disputes between payers and providers.

By Samantha Liss • April 25, 2022

AdventHealth eyes new hospital near Asheville

Asheville is an area well known in healthcare circles for its previous state-sanctioned monopoly. If approved, AdventHealth's facility will be the second hospital in the area.

By Samantha Liss • April 25, 2022

HCA lowers expectations for the year, citing ongoing labor challenges

Heightened spending on salaries and benefits is primarily related to the ongoing use of contract labor, though the system is also adjusting wages to stay competitive, CEO Sam Hazen said on a Friday call with investors.

By Hailey Mensik • April 22, 2022

Trinity Health to acquire MercyOne after jointly operating with CommonSpirit for decades

The decision comes 24 years after Trinity and Catholic Health Initiatives first agreed to jointly operate the health system that provides services in Iowa.

By Samantha Liss • April 21, 2022

HHS warns providers of 'exceptionally aggressive' ransomware group

The Hive group practices double extortion — demanding payment to free data it has encrypted while also threatening to release the unencrypted data publicly.

By Shannon Muchmore • April 21, 2022

CMS underestimated hospital labor spending in payment adjustments, Premier says

Inpatient payment rates for fiscal 2023 released earlier this week also wouldn't adequately cover rising costs, according to the group purchasing organization.

By Hailey Mensik • April 21, 2022

Larger, less profitable hospitals more likely to have ownership change

In data released for the first time Wednesday, HHS also found changes in ownership over the past six years have been much more common in nursing homes than hospitals, with wide variations in ownership by state.

By Hailey Mensik • April 20, 2022

Corporate employment of physicians surged during pandemic

A study by Avalere found that hospitals or other corporate entities are buying up independent physician groups at a rapid clip, raising concerns about increasing pressures on doctors.

By Susan Kelly • April 20, 2022

Healthcare worker training org aims to root out bias in care

The heightened racial unrest of 2020 revealed unmet needs and windows of opportunity to challenge structural racism.

By Carla Bell • April 20, 2022

Surprise billing arbitration portal opens to payers, providers after delay

As a last resort, the No Surprises Act allows payers and providers to resolve payment disputes using arbitration. The online site that initiates the process is now open. 

By Samantha Liss • April 19, 2022