'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

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

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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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 Parduhn • 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

AHA appeals price transparency case after judge sides with HHS

In its appeal, the hospital lobby characterized HHS' latest interpretation of the section on price disclosures as "obscure" and "far fetched."

By Samantha Liss , Hailey Mensik • Updated July 20, 2020

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

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 Parduhn • June 19, 2020