A No Surprises Act rule requiring providers to offer a good faith estimate for the cost of items and services provided to uninsured and self-pay patients slows access to timely care, the American Medical Group Association said in a June 6 letter to CMS. 

The healthcare financial environment was already complex, with changing payer requirements and mergers and acquisitions taking place. Then COVID turned healthcare organizations' finances upside down. In this environment, cost accounting is more important than ever.

Healthcare stocks saw the worst median annualized returns during inflation spikes, according to an analysis by George Mason finance professor Derek Horstmeyer, PhD, published June 5 in the Wall Street Journal. 

Below are 10 hospitals and health systems that recently posted job listings seeking CFOs.

Chibueze Okey Agba, Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare's executive vice president and CFO, discussed the lessons he's learned during the pandemic and changes the healthcare industry needs to make on a recent episode of "Becker's Healthcare Podcast."

Several philanthropic gifts have recently been made to healthcare organizations for capital projects, to establish centers and more. Here are seven reported on by Becker's since May 23.

Patient engagement platform Luma Health launched a new payment service June 6. 

A growing number of adults 55 and older have debt that could adversely affect their health, the New York Times reported June 5. 

10 hospitals or health systems recently posted job listings seeking revenue cycle management expertise.

The Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project received a $1.75 million donation from berry seller Driscoll's to help save Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital, Santa Cruz Sentinel reported June 2.

HHS is giving states an extra year, through March 31, 2025, to use funding from the American Rescue Plan to improve home- and community-based services.

The medical care industry is not yet seeing the rising prices that have affected other parts of the U.S. economy, according to a June 2 Kaiser Family Foundation report. 

Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine has received a $25 million donation to create the Armellino Center of Excellence for Williams Syndrome.

Union workers rallied outside the struggling Kent Hospital in Warwick, R.I., pressing state officials for pandemic relief funding to save it, ABC 6 reported June 1.

Handling patient billing inquiries and payments can be challenging for call center representatives.

The federal rule requiring hospitals to post prices online that took effect in January 2021 has not yet lived up to its promise of lowering healthcare costs, Roll Call reported June 2.  

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford has received a $100 million gift from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to advance its obstetric and neonatal facilities.

Here are 11 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

A 6 percent rate increase for University of Iowa Health Care has been approved by the university's board of regents, The Gazette reported June 1. 

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare is selling $2 billion in senior secured first lien notes due on June 15, 2030, which will have an interest rate of 6.125 percent.