HCA sells 4 hospitals in Georgia as it emphasizes focus on post-acute, home-based services

The sale reduces the company's holdings in Georgia to five hospitals, including the recently acquired Meadows Regional Hospital in Vidalia.

By Ron Shinkman • May 4, 2021

State lawmakers mull out-of-state nurse licenses after pandemic rollbacks

Many tried to join the Nurse Licensure Compact before the pandemic, "but COVID was a kind of glaring example of how the compact could help," Rebecca Fotsch at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing said.

By Hailey Mensik • May 4, 2021

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

For-profit hospitals mostly managed well in Q1

Despite the rosy quarter, margins for hospitals remained narrow in March and much uncertainty remains.

May 3, 2021

Pre-pandemic, more than half of hospitals nab above-average Leapfrog safety grades

Among those getting A grades from the watchdog group founded by employers include Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital in Boston, the Mayo Clinic's hospital in Phoenix and the University of Chicago Medical Center.

By Ron Shinkman • April 30, 2021

CMS finalizes joint replacement pricing extension

Some analysts say the agency's initiative may evolve to put pricing pressure on orthopaedic devices. However, they contend companies can mitigate that threat by selling more products to customers.

By Nick Paul Taylor • April 30, 2021

Community Health swings to $64M loss in Q1

The results contrast profits reported by chains Tenet and HCA. Still, higher patient acuity and improved payer mix helped boost CHS revenues past Wall Street expectations.

By Hailey Mensik • April 29, 2021

Tenet nurse strike drags on for 8th week as talks yield no progress

Representatives for the chain's Massachusetts hospital and the union met Monday for their first bargaining session since the work stoppage began, but they accomplished little and another session has not yet been scheduled.

By Hailey Mensik • April 28, 2021

Medtech companies look to post-pandemic home testing beyond COVID-19

Abbott CEO Robert Ford told investors he envisions an "accelerated" move away from hospital lab-based testing.

By Greg Slabodkin • April 28, 2021

In big win for hospitals, CMS pitches nixing mandate to submit some payer-negotiated rates

The proposed rule would also add 1,000 graduate medical education slots over the next five years, with a priority given to facilities in rural areas and with underserved patient populations.

By Shannon Muchmore , Samantha Liss • April 28, 2021

UHS posts Q1 profit, will hand back some CARES funds

The hospital operator plans to return $188 million in grants received during the first quarter after recording more than $400 million in relief grants in 2020 that it didn't return.

By Hailey Mensik • April 27, 2021

Hospital margins remain narrow in March as COVID-19 financial strain lingers

Pandemic-related costs continue to depress hospitals' finances, though performance recuperated as outpatient activity increased, Kaufman Hall found.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 27, 2021

Enabling financial wellness for your employees doesn't have to be hard

Meet the healthcare system that rolled out an impactful financial wellness program in under a month.

By Dan Macklin, CEO, Salary Finance • April 26, 2021

Science groups urge providers not to use certain COVID-19 test data for care decisions

The Association for Molecular Pathology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America say some results run the risk of being misinterpreted due to a lack of standardization across test methods.

By Susan Kelly • April 23, 2021

Hospital M&A to proceed at a 'robust pace,' Moody's says

Larger health systems will likely seek out mergers that bulk up market share by adding new geographic locations and service lines that help diversify offerings, while small systems will look for partners offering access to more resources.

By Samantha Liss • April 22, 2021

HCA Q1 profit more than doubles to $1.4B

Execs said Thursday they expect volumes to recover throughout 2021. "We need a few more months to figure out exactly what that's going to be. But we're encouraged by March," CEO Sam Hazen said.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 22, 2021

Tenet posts Q1 profit, but suggests recovery won't be swift

Despite vaccine roll-outs, outpatient and admissions were still depressed. "We're a believer that some of that business either won't come back or will take a long time to come back from a low acuity standpoint," the COO said.

By Hailey Mensik • April 21, 2021

What to watch as health systems and insurers report Q1 results

For both payers and providers, volumes will be an important metric. The lingering question is how quickly patients will return to in-person care.

By Samantha Liss , Shannon Muchmore • April 20, 2021

J&J to resume vaccine rollout in Europe after regulator says benefits outweigh risks

The EMA, however, recommended a warning be added to highlight a rare but serious side effect. Regulators in the U.S. are expected to soon make a similar decision.

By Ben Fidler , Jonathan Gardner • Updated April 20, 2021

Healthcare employment steadily rebounding though hospitals left out

Hospital employment has sunk for three consecutive months, according to data from the Altarum Institute, and is down 37,000 jobs since the end of last year.

By Ron Shinkman • April 19, 2021

Advocate Aurora Health's new investment unit is on the hunt for deals

The Midwestern giant joins other nonprofits in launching a for-profit unit to diversify its revenue streams. Some critics question whether the strategy fits with the mission and perks enjoyed by not-for-profit entities.

By Samantha Liss • April 19, 2021

3 takeaways from CHIME21: EHRs, Big Tech and VCs look to the future of health

The public health and financial devastation of COVID-19 can't be overlooked, but the pandemic has also created new opportunities for industry to leverage technology.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 19, 2021

Lawmakers urge HHS to conduct 'vigorous oversight' of hospital price posts after reports of noncompliance

Hospitals are now required to publicly post the prices they negotiate with insurers online, but noncompliance is common. A bipartisan group from the House voiced their discontent in a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

By Samantha Liss • April 14, 2021

Patients hit with surprise medical bills paid ER docs 10 times more than others

The findings published in Health Affairs suggest why some ER groups resist coming in-network with insurers: They stand to collect more in revenue if they stay outside a network, posing a financial risk to patients.

By Samantha Liss • April 13, 2021

Intermountain buys Utah-based air ambulance company Classic

Snapping up Classic, which operates in eight western states and has a significant overlap with Intermountain's telehealth footprint, is meant to make it easier to transport high-need patients to the closest suited medical facility.

By Rebecca Pifer • April 13, 2021

Value of hospital deals soared in Q1, Kaufman Hall says

The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to recent hospital deals swelling in size and ambition, the new report found.

By Ron Shinkman • April 9, 2021