1. Wellstar sues Kaiser, claiming underpayments and nonpayments totaling $41.7M Full story

2. COVID hospitalizations at all-time highs in 7 states: 8 US COVID-19 trends Full story

3. Epic adds payment security platform for EHRs Full story

4. Mandatory bundles are coming. Is your team ready? Hear lessons learned from 6 years of episodic payment trial and error during this virtual session.

5. 10 hospital credit rating upgrades Full story

6. 78% of health systems report implementing RCM automation Full story

7. Former CFO of healthcare staffing firm sentenced for tax offense Full story

8. Some BCBS affiliates to entirely cover COVID-19 booster shots for members Full story

9. Your team needs radical common sense. Learn why human understanding is the key to a more responsive health system.

10. Providence's operating loss shrinks to $94M through the first half of the year Full story

11. HCA exec tapped as new clinical chief of EHR clinical surveillance company Full story

12. Regional payers' negotiating power rivals big insurers, Fitch says Full story

13. Physician profitability can be greatly improved with timely data. Click here to learn how.

14. 15 things to know about CHS, Tenet and HCA Full story

15. Daily COVID-19 stats, state-by-state:

• Test positivity rates
• Hospitalizations
• Death rates
• Vaccines administered
• Population fully vaccinated

Becker's Learning Opportunities

1. Don't let bills scare patients. Read how Banner, Methodist and others apply a healing touch to their billing.

2. Still trying to unify your ambulatory footprint and cut variation? Adventist, Banner and CoxHealth share 3 key integration tips here.

3. How are providers combatting healthcare’s affordability crisis? Check out these 11 must-reads.