Pensacola, Fla.-based Baptist Health Care had its default and $610 million bond credit ratings affirmed Dec. 19 at "BBB" even as it struggles with what Fitch Ratings calls a "thinner financial profile."

Lawmakers rolled out a roughly $1.7 trillion year-end spending bill Dec. 20 to fund the U.S. government through most of 2023, tacking on proposals to extend telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibilities while leaving out other healthcare asks.

Becker's has reported on at least 19 hospitals or health systems in 2022 that either filed for bankruptcy, closed or announced plans to close, while a Dec. 5 report from S&P Global Market Intelligence shows 36 corporate healthcare bankruptcies as of Nov. 30.

Healthcare commercial real estate could be a popular asset class in 2023 as investors look for sectors that have traditionally been recession resistant, according to a Dec. 16 Bisnow report.

From a billing expert successfully knocking thousands of dollars off of her husband's emergency room charges, to Anthem Blue Cross' initial denial of a $40,000 cancer treatment bill, here are five medical bills that Becker's reported in 2022: 

The city of Hammond, Ind., on Dec. 19 filed for a temporary restraining order against Franciscan Alliance to prevent the closure of Franciscan Health Hammond's emergency room, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Hollister, Calif.-based Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital has issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification act to employees in case of a potential closure if it cannot acquire funding, CBS affiliate KION reported Dec.19.

Washington hospitals' challenging financial situation continues to worsen with losses on track to far exceed $3 billion for the year and showing no signs of letting up in early 2023.

CMS has proposed a rule that could save a projected $454 million a year in administrative costs by adopting standards for "healthcare attachments" transactions, such as medical charts, X-rays and provider notes that document physician referrals and office or telemedicine visits.

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma on Dec. 19 announced the sale of $92.1 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds for Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health, according to the Orange County Breeze.

Baptist Medical Center Clay opened Dec. 19 on Fleming Island, Fla., following two years of construction and a $234 million investment from Jacksonville, Fla.-based Baptist Health, WJCT News reported Dec. 19.

Richard Maiberger, MD, the former psychiatric chair at Norwalk (Conn.) Hospital, spoke out against the planned closure of the hospitals' inpatient mental health services at a Dec. 14 meeting of the state Office of Health Strategy, SFGate reported Dec. 17.

The HHS inspector general's office wants to add more oversight of nursing home discharges and medical equipment payments and recover funds from upcoding. 

Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services' financial health and relationship with the University of Minnesota, also based in Minneapolis, are being scrutinized ahead of a proposed merger with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, the Star Tribune reported Dec. 19. 

Older adults are avoiding the emergency department due to concerns about service costs, a recent study found. 

South Carolina donors have raised funds to relieve medical debt for 12,700 families in the state, the Post and Courier reported Dec. 18.  

Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope reported overall losses totaling $705 million in 2022 as the healthcare system struggled with declines in the value of its investment arm. The figure compared with a net gain last year of $787 million.

Brawley, Calif.-based Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District was downgraded three notches to "B" amid ongoing operational challenges that have resulted in its number of days of cash on hand potentially going as low as 15, Fitch Ratings said Dec. 15.

Massillon, Ohio-based Affinity Medical Center, a 156-bed hospital that closed in 2018, could soon reopen as a medical mall, The Independent reported Dec. 19.

Edinburg, Texas-based Doctors Hospital at Renaissance has received an exception from CMS to establish a new physician-owned hospital 55 miles away in Brownsville, a move heavily criticized by the Federation of American Hospitals as unlawful.