Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center billed two patients a Level 4 emergency room fee of $4,328, the second most severe charge. One of the patient's insurers, UnitedHealthcare, paid the full fee. The other patient's Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi-administered state health plan covered $544.19 of the fee, according to the Clarion Ledger.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/2/18

Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital in Green Valley, Ariz., previously Green Valley (Ariz.) Hospital, laid off 60 employees July 31, less than a week after it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Green Valley News.  By Ayla Ellison - 8/1/18

Acurity, a group-purchasing organization, has agreed to provide its members with ezDI's clinical document improvement, computer-assisted coding, and coding audit solutions.  By Kelly Gooch - 8/1/18

A Senate panel tackled administrative spending in healthcare during a hearing July 31, the third in a series of hearings focused on reducing healthcare costs.  By Emily Rappleye - 8/1/18

  The following hospital and health system ratings, outlook changes and affirmations took place in July, starting with the most recent.  By Alia Paavola - 8/1/18

Let’s look at generating hospital revenue like how an engine produces horsepower. I use the term “financial horsepower” here to describe the amount of revenue you achieve from providing patient care services.  By Jim Burnette, Founder and CEO, HospitalMD - 8/1/18

Risk-based contracts currently represent a small percentage of revenue for the average provider. However, as healthcare policies push hospitals and physicians to assume more accountability for care, the widespread adoption of value-based reimbursement appears inevitable.  By Alia Paavola - 8/1/18

The American Hospital Association is standing by its recommendations on reducing a backlog of Medicare appeals and suggests that critics of the recommendations may benefit from the backlog.  By Kelly Gooch - 8/1/18

Here are five articles recently published by Becker's Hospital Review that offer insight on CMS' proposed outpatient payment rule for 2019, hospital closures and more.  By Ayla Ellison - 8/1/18

Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Care will offer a 70 percent discount on outstanding bills at High Point (N.C.) Regional Health before it transfers ownership of the hospital to Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.  By Morgan Haefner - 8/1/18

Here are five articles recently published by Becker's Hospital Review on medical debt, insights into improving point-of-service collections and more.  By Kelly Gooch - 8/1/18

The following organizations offering revenue cycle management-related services announced new hires in July:  By Kelly Gooch - 8/1/18

Here are six revenue cycle management service expansions involving healthcare vendors and providers implemented or announced in July:  By Kelly Gooch - 8/1/18

Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A1" rating on Waukesha, Wis.-based ProHealth Care, affecting $181 million of outstanding debt.  By Alia Paavola - 8/1/18

Moody's Investors Service assigned its "Baa1" rating to Louisville-based Baptist Healthcare System's proposed $130 million series 2018A revenue refunding bonds. At the same time, Moody's upgraded the health system's parity debt to "Baa1" from "Baa2," affecting $442 million of debt.  By Alia Paavola - 8/1/18

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order directing the state's health commissioner to appoint an independent monitor to oversee expenditures and the level of care provided at University Hospital in Newark, N.J.  By Ayla Ellison - 8/1/18

While the proposed changes to CMS' physician fee schedule for 2019 would be credit positive for community hospitals, the changes would be credit negative for academic medical centers and certain rural hospitals, according to a new report by Moody's Investors Service.  By Alia Paavola - 7/31/18

S&P Global Ratings assigned its "BBB+" long-term rating on Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives' proposed $275 million series 2018A bonds.  By Alia Paavola - 7/31/18

S&P Global Ratings placed its "A" underlying rating on Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health on credit watch with negative implications.  By Alia Paavola - 7/31/18

S&P Global Ratings affirmed its "A-" long-term rating on Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Halifax Hospital Medical Center's revenue bonds and revised the outlook to negative from stable.  By Alia Paavola - 7/31/18