Hospitals to challenge loss on site neutral payments

An appeal court ruled earlier this month HHS was acting within its authority when it reduced some payments to off-campus hospital outpatient departments to make them consistent with other outpatient payments.

By Shannon Muchmore • Updated July 27, 2020

UHS partners with home health giant Bayada on at-home services

Bayada will manage post-acute home health operations, while UHS will utilize Bayada's years of expertise in the sector in tandem with UHS' capabilities and resources to further its integrated model, a system exec said.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 17, 2020

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

Embattled Arizona hospitals bring in hundreds of out-of-state nurses

The state’s largest health system Banner Health is bringing in 1,000 out-of-state nurses and respiratory therapists. The health department is also deploying 584 nurses to stressed hospitals and will absorb the cost.

By Hailey Mensik • July 16, 2020

To stay independent, Boulder Community Health inks deal with Optum

The UnitedHealth Group unit has inked another deal with a small hospital operator, this time in Colorado. BCH CEO Robert Vissers said it represents a middle path instead of having to succumb to an acquisition.

By Samantha Liss • July 16, 2020

Public health officials blast COVID-19 data reporting change imposed on hospitals

"In the midst of the worst public health crisis in a century, it is counter-productive to create a new mechanism which will be extremely complicated to build and implement," one coalition said of the abrupt change.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 16, 2020

COVID-19 causes unprecedented drop in physician demand

A new survey from Merritt Hawkins also concluded the pandemic has depressed overall physician pay, but the staffing firm said it was too early to provide specific estimates.

By Ron Shinkman • July 15, 2020

ER visits lag behind in hospital volume recovery

Adult visit volumes rebounded far more quickly by the end of June than emergency and outpatient pediatric visits, but the recovery was slower for inpatient services, according to an analysis from Transunion Healthcare.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 15, 2020

COVID-19 hospital charges vary widely by age, Fair Health study finds

The most common venue for an initial diagnosis was a doctor's office. About 33% of patients sought help from an office, while 23% went to an inpatient facility, such as an ER, according to the analysis of insurance claims.

By Hailey Mensik • July 14, 2020

Pandemic spurs national union activity among hospital workers

Striking a balance between union action and continuing care for patients could be an ongoing challenge, said Patricia Campos-Medina, co-director of New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute.

By Hailey Mensik • July 13, 2020

UHS finalizes DOJ fraudulent billing case for $122M

The hospital operator continues to deny the allegations and does not admit guilt. Criminal charges were dropped when the settlement was first announced roughly a year ago.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 13, 2020

Sutter loses bid to delay $575M antitrust settlement approval

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a plaintiff, applauded the ruling. "Sutter's practices harmed California's healthcare market ... long before the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 10, 2020

'If the public knew:' Ripple20 shows medical device software cyber weakness

Last month's discovery that Baxter and B. Braun infusion pumps face risk of remote attacks by hackers comes as a medtech effort gains momentum to track third-party components in devices.

By Greg Slabodkin • July 9, 2020

Providence, Humana back ad campaign urging patients to stop 'medical distancing'

Since the pandemic's onset in the United States, health officials have been concerned about the consequences of routine and preventive care being delayed or put off entirely. Providers also fear continued revenue loss.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 8, 2020

New hospital rankings show 'elite' facilities struggle with health equity, inclusivity

A Massachusetts-based think tank compared 3,300 U.S. hospitals on measures including commitment to equity and inclusion. It discovered smaller, lesser-known hospitals get better grades than their well-known, well-funded peers.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 7, 2020

Illinois nurses on strike after stalled contract negotiations

Nurses went on strike Saturday after contract negotiations stalled between the hospital and union. Both sides have been working on a new contract since the last one expired this May. 

By Hailey Mensik • July 6, 2020

Hospital traffic stalls as COVID-19 cases surge, analysts say

Some major chains saw volume dropping in the week ended June 28. HCA and Tenet saw 5.9% and 5.4% declines week over week when zeroing in on Texas, according to cell tower data tracked by Jefferies. 

By Samantha Liss • July 6, 2020

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 2, 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 2, 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