Economic growth remained solid as the U.S. gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, rose 2.9 percent annually in the fourth quarter, The New York Times reported Jan. 26.

Here are six health systems that have transferred revenue cycle department staff to RCM companies since July 14: 

States will be able to disenroll some Medicaid beneficiaries on April 1, which could mean higher bad debt for hospitals, according to a report from Moody's Investment Service Healthcare Quarterly report.

The most profitable of all 192 CMS 1-star hospitals in the nation is Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia, according to data from Sage Transparency, which was launched by the Employers' Forum of Indiana.

CMS updated its Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings on July 27, recognizing 192 hospitals with one star.

Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health is closing five regional outpatient clinics as part of a cost-cutting strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the health system, according to the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.

St. Louis-based BJC Healthcare has made an anchor investment in a local minority entrepreneur support company in a bid to raise generational wealth in underserved communities and reduce health disparities by doing so.

Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System, which earlier this month agreed to acquire rural hospital Habersham Medical Center, reported positive operating income of $118.2 million in 2022 even in the face of higher expenses.

St. Louis-based Ascension has completed layoffs in Texas, the health system confirmed.

The Pittsburgh City Council approved legislation to use $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds in a plan that could forgive up to $115 million in medical debt for 24,000 residents, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Jan. 24. 

Continuing labor shortages and changes to Medicaid regulations are likely to make hospital inpatient volumes uneven for much of 2023, Moody's warned in a quarterly report issued Jan. 24.

Iowa legislators are advancing proposals to set up emergency and outpatient services at rural hospitals in the state to take advantage of federal incentives, Radio Iowa reported Jan. 16.

Health systems will continue to see increased rising permanent labor costs for the next 12 months while contract labor trends down, according to a report from Moody's Investment Service Healthcare Quarterly report.

Cleveland Clinic began billing patients for electronic messages through Epic's MyChart patient portal in November. Since then, it has charged fees for responses to less than 1 percent of the 110,000 weekly emails its providers received, The New York Times reported Jan. 24.

Pittsfield, Mass.-based Berkshire Health Systems saw its credit rating affirmed at "AA-" as it continues to recover from COVID-19 pandemic effects with relatively robust results, Fitch Ratings said Jan. 24.

Consolidated health systems have led to "marginally better care at significantly higher costs," according to a study published Jan. 24 in JAMA. 

Central Health — Travis County, Texas' public hospital district — has filed a lawsuit against Ascension Texas alleging Ascension "failed to meet contractual obligations" to provide services to low-income residents." Ascension responded by filing a lawsuit against Austin, Texas-based Central Health.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is increasing salaries and starting pay at state hospitals and state-supported living centers to address staffing shortages, maintain competitive wages and bring hospital beds back online. 

The most profitable of all 192 CMS 1-star hospitals in the nation is Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia, according to data from Sage Transparency, which was launched by the Employers' Forum of Indiana.

New York holds more CMS one-star hospitals than any state, the most in the nation.