Jeff Lagasse

Author's posts

Merger and acquisition revenues for health systems hit $45B in 2022

The fourth quarter of 2022 was a banner period in terms of healthcare merger and acquisition revenues, and the transactions that took place in the quarter pushed M&A revenues to $45 billion for 2022, according to a new Kaufman Hall analysis.

Suffering margins threaten credit ratings for nonprofit hospitals, finds Fitch

Credit ratings for the nation’s nonprofit hospitals will be under threat this year due to investment losses and rising expenses eating into margins, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings.

AHIP pushes education on Medicaid redeterminations

AHIP hosted a State of the Industry briefing Wednesday detailing the policies the group will be watching in 2023, as well as the challenges facing the healthcare industry. AHIP President and CEO Matt Eyles carved out time to talk about the resumption o…

Medicare Advantage tops traditional Medicare on diabetes

Medicare Advantage patients fare better on diabetes outcomes than their counterparts in traditional fee-for-service Medicare, according to new findings from Avalere Health and the Better Medicare Alliance.

Medicaid expansion resulted in decreased postpartum hospitalizations

Medicaid expansion appears to be a boon to the Biden administration’s push to improve maternal health, with a 17% decline in postpartum hospitalizations in states that elected to expand the federal program.

Medicare inpatient spending highly concentrated, finds Commonwealth Fund

As a result of the trend toward more consolidation in healthcare, Medicare inpatient spending was highly concentrated among just two health systems in most regions, according to a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.
To understand where Medicare be…

CMS awards new Medicare-funded residency slots to hospitals in underserved communities

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded the first 200 of 1,000 Medicare-funded physician residency slots meant to support the healthcare workforce and fund additional positions in hospitals serving underserved communities. 
About thr…

BCBS companies form collective to tackle medication affordability

A group of Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated companies have founded a new medication contracting organization called Synergie Medication Collective, which is designed to serve both Blues and select independent health plans.
Synergie is focused on impro…

Optum, Northern Light form strategic partnership

Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, has partnered with Northern Light Health to manage revenue cycle management, information systems, inpatient care management, analytics, project management office and supply chain for the Maine health system.

Perceived cost a barrier to health insurance coverage

Of all of the factors that determine whether a person chooses to obtain health insurance, the single biggest factor is cost, according to a new survey commissioned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.