Practice Management

Telehealth claims dipped in May, but still up 5,680% from year ago: Fair Health

The latest insurance data found private claims for virtual care fell 33% from April, but are still wildly up amid lockdowns and the ongoing pandemic.

By Ron Shinkman • Aug. 07, 2020

Healthcare gains jobs in July, but still down 800K from February

The latest report shows ambulatory, outpatient and medical and diagnostic lab service jobs are creeping closer to last year's levels following the COVID-19 downturn. Hospitals added 27,000 jobs last month.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 07, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

Consumerism

Some stablished players have paying more attention to patient experience, rolling out improvements such as same-day appointments, apps the help explain coverage or health conditions and better integration with email and text messaging.

By Healthcare Dive staff

For-profits, church-run health systems dominated M&A growth from 2016 to 2018: Health Affairs

The share of physicians affiliated with vertically integrated health systems rose 11 percentage points, from 40% to 51%, the survey of 50 deals found.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 04, 2020

Nurses union survey finds most still feel unsafe at work amid pandemic

Months into the COVID-19 crisis, just 23% of nurses surveyed said they'd been tested, and only 31% said their systems screen every patient.

By Hailey Mensik • July 29, 2020

CMS to begin recouping COVID-19 Medicare loans

Hospital groups have pleaded with the Trump administration and Congress to forgive the loans, or relax repayment terms, with no relief so far.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 27, 2020

Deep Dive

After 6 months of darkness, primary care practices see little light ahead

"You have to dig yourself out of a financial hole — it's not a hole, it's a crater — created by the pandemic," said Gary LeRoy, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 27, 2020

Deep Dive

6 months in: What will the new normal look like for hospitals?

Whether there is a nationwide second wave or smaller surges in regions at different times, hospitals will need to remain vigilant and in an effective state of emergency until there is a cure or vaccine for COVID-19.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 27, 2020

6 months in: The COVID-19 crisis

This series of stories examines how healthcare has changed during the course of the novel coronavirus in the United States, half a year after HHS declared a national public health emergency.

What it's like to be a nurse after 6 months of COVID-19 response

"I think the biggest change is we always relied on science, and we have always relied heavily on infection control protocols to guide our practice," a nurse working on the frontlines said. "Now infection control is out of control, we can no longer rely on the information and resources we always have."

By Hailey Mensik • July 27, 2020

COVID-19 public health emergency extended

Extending the emergency allows several regulatory changes meant to help providers manage outbreaks of the novel coronavirus to continue, including the rollback of telehealth restrictions and Medicare add-on payments.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 23, 2020

Walmart to expand health centers to Florida next year

The retail giant, which has been expanding its healthcare presence during the COVID-19 pandemic, also plans to open additional clinics in Georgia this year and is eyeing an expansion into Chicago.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 22, 2020

Home healthcare sees surge in wake of COVID-19 nursing home fears

While nursing homes lost about 18,000 jobs last month, home healthcare services gained the same amount, a trend some industry officials say was sped up by the pandemic.

By Hailey Mensik • July 17, 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

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

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

UnitedHealth doubles profit in Q2 as MLR plummets to 70.2% amid pandemic

CEO David Wichmann pushed back against proposals for a Medicare-like public option, noting: "We believe there's a near-universal coverage system in America today," despite rampant loss of insurance during the crisis.

By Rebecca Pifer • July 15, 2020

Amazon launches primary care centers for employees

Asked if it would consider expanding to the public at large, Amazon didn't quash the idea, saying it would "evaluate how effective" the clinics are and, if successful, "consider expanding the program to other regions."

By Rebecca Pifer • UPDATED: July 15, 2020 at 8:23 a.m.

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

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 08, 2020

Walgreens invests $1B in primary care clinics with VillageMD deal

"As the first true doctor-in-a-retail-box, VillageMD Medical at Walgreens will be raising the bar, upping the ante on maintaining a robust patient panel to cover overhead," SVB Leerink analysts wrote in a Thursday note.

By Rebecca Pifer • UPDATED: July 9, 2020 at 8:24 a.m.

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 06, 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 02, 2020

With new funding, FCC rural healthcare program set to provide most money in its history

Nearly $200 million in unused funds from prior years are being carried over. The total amount now available to applicants is about $800 million.

By Shannon Muchmore • July 01, 2020

Primary care physicians could take $15 billion hit due to COVID-19 in 2020

A new study in the journal Health Affairs concludes that the nation's primary care practices have come under threat due to the financial pressures caused by COVID-19.

By Ron Shinkman • June 26, 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