Category: Healthcare Finance News

Rural hospital closures having an impact on mortality rates

Because access to health services can be an issue in rural locales, rural hospital closings had a profound impact.

Hospital medians show revenues topping expenses for first time in 3 years

Revenue growth remained a hurdle due to hospitals’ ongoing reimbursement challenges, but overall stability has increased.

Cigna offers new coverage program for expensive gene therapy

Employers, health plans and unions may enroll; Covered consumers have no out-of-pocket payment for medication.

When physicians integrate with hospitals, costs go up, Rice study says

In 2003, about 29% of U.S. hospitals employed physicians, a number that rose to 42% by 2012.

Women in healthcare face more harassment, have fewer opportunities and lower wages, study shows

Women believe they have fewer opportunities for leadership, with less than half feeling they have the same chances as men.

UnitedHealth’s contract dispute with Team Health has implications industry-wide

If staffing companies receive lower reimbursements from insurers, they would likely seek to increase subsidies they receive from hospitals, Moody’s says.

Medicare spends more on post-hospital care for seniors than private insurance — needlessly, says Health Affairs

Changes to Medicare’s post-hospital care payment structure, to bring it closer to that used by private insurance, might save taxpayer dollars.

How artificial intelligence can allow providers to get a better handle on social determinants of health data

AI and SDOH are developing separately, but they’re now converging as technology keeps with the need to make impactful use of data.

Federal court sides with CVS Health\Aetna on their merger

Arguments against the merger were insufficient to undermine the settlement agreement reached by the Department of Justice, judge says.

Trump Administration announces $1.8 billion in funding to states to combat opioid crisis

Drug overdose deaths dropped by 5% from 2017 to 2018 and deaths from opioids went down 2.8%.