Contrary to the rumors, there are no plans to close Asante Ashland (Ore.) Community Hospital, a spokesperson for the hospital told Becker's. 

Employers are facing legal pushback over high healthcare costs, the Medicare Advantage landscape is getting more tricky, and alternative payment models are growing in popularity.

Phoenix-based Banner Health reported an operating income of $182.7 million (2.4% margin) for the first six months of 2024 ended June 30, compared to a $162.7 million operating gain (2.3% margin) during the same period in 2023, according to the health system's Aug. 19 financial report.

Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University, owner of Jefferson Health, reported a $1.3 million operating income (0% margin) in fiscal year 2024, up from a $78.5 million loss (-0.8% margin) over the same period last year. 

Chicago-based Ascension Saint Elizabeth will close and be repurposed as a community asset amid Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare's recent plans to acquire the hospital and eight other Midwest St. Louis-based Ascension hospitals in the first quarter of 2025.

Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health, an 18-hospital system, reported an operating income of $217 million (4.4% margin) for the nine months ended June 30, compared to an operating loss of $31.2 million (-0.7% margin) for the same period in the previous fiscal year, according to financial documents published Aug. 16. 

Portland-based Legacy Health reported a $41.7 million operating loss (‐5.9% margin) for the quarter ending June 30, compared to a $10.1 million operating gain (1.4% margin) for the same quarter in the prior fiscal year, according to financial documents published Aug. 15.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's administration has shared that deals "in principle" have been reached for four hospitals run by Dallas-based Steward Health Care to be taken over by new operators.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health reported a net income of $43 million (2.9% margin) in the second quarter, up from $33 million (2.4% margin) in the same period last year, according to financial results published Aug. 15. 

Hospital operations have stabilized after a tumultuous few years, with the chasm between revenue growth and expense growth leveling out, but headwinds remain amid ongoing staff shortages, intense wage pressure and high inflation, Fitch Ratings said in an Aug. 15 report shared with Becker's.

At a time when most states and the federal government continue to exclude millions of people from health insurance, the NYC Care health care access program offers an innovative approach for local governments. 

Medicare Advantage  has grown rapidly in recent years, with 32.8 million people (54% of the eligible Medicare population) now enrolled in an MA plan. Health systems are grappling with various challenges within the program, such as excessive prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers, but some organizations have positioned themselves for success. 

Growth is essential for hospitals and health systems, but the way executive teams think about growth has changed significantly over the last five years.

As Medicare Advantage continues to grow and health insurers prioritize their margins in the segment, hospitals are the most vulnerable healthcare provider to rising administrative and financial MA burdens, according to a new report from S&P Global.

Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham reported an operating income of $47 million (0.9% margin) during the three months ending June 30, down from a $69 million operating gain in the same quarter last year. 

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is demanding Dallas-based Steward Health Care honor severance payments for the employees of two state hospitals the health system plans to close by Aug. 31, according to an Aug. 15 news release shared with Becker's. 

Moody's downgraded New York City-based Mount Sinai's rating to "Baa3" from "Baa1" and revised its outlook to negative from positive. 

Competition is heating up in Central Virginia as Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare plans to expand into an area in which Bon Secours Mercy Health has a prominent presence. 

Cleveland Clinic saw an operating income of $45.3 million at a 1.2% margin in the second quarter of 2024 for the three months ended June 30, a 312% increase from a $21.4 million operating loss (-0.6% margin) during the second quarter of 2023, according to its Aug. 16 financial report.

Financially troubled Dallas-based Steward Health Care has once again pushed back the sale hearing date for its hospitals in Arkansas, Louisiana and Massachusetts.