Advocate Aurora Health and Providence are holding off on sending patients bills for testing and treatment of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

The average adjusted expenses per inpatient day for nonprofit hospitals in the U.S. was $2,653 in 2018. In four states, those expenses were more than $1,000 lower.

The San Mateo County (Calif.) Board of Supervisors voted March 10 to allocate $5 million annually over the next four years to keep Seton Medical Center in Daly City, Calif., open, according to Bay City News.

The board of Parson, Tenn.-based Decatur County General Hospital voted unanimously this week to keep the facility open, directly opposing county officials' vote to shut it down, according to The Jackson Sun.

Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan said it has laid off 55 employees and hundreds of its employees have agreed to early retirements as the nonprofit health system restructures amid financial struggles.

Cook County Health expects to provide roughly $590 million in uncompensated care this year, a reality that is "wreaking havoc" not only on the Chicago-based health system's finances, but on the county government's, according to NPR affiliate WBEZ.

Hospitals and patients are canceling or postponing elective procedures and appointments in preparation for a surge in patients infected with COVID-19, according to Market Watch.

A Brooklyn public school teacher was charged $10,382 after she visited a local emergency department for symptoms related to the new coronavirus. While her insurance is footing most of the bill, it raises questions about how uninsured Americans will be able to afford tests and treatment if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, Business Insider reports.

If out-of-network hospital payments were capped, up to $124 billion could be saved annually, according to new findings published by RAND Corp.

In response to questions from stakeholders, CMS published a calendar March 9 of key dates for the Medicare Direct Contracting Model.

Pinnacle Regional Hospital in Boonville, Mo., closed Jan. 15 with little notice to employees or the local community. It's one of several rural hospitals in Missouri that have shut down in recent years.

The average adjusted expenses per inpatient day for nonprofit hospitals in the U.S. was $2,653 in 2018. In three states, those expenses were more than $1,000 higher.

A hospital in Texas that is in court-ordered arbitration with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas said a recent fine placed against the insurer should spark a broader review of BCBS' practices.

CMS has released several fact sheets in recent weeks on billing and coding to provide guidance to healthcare organizations testing and treating patients for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The following seven hospital and health system credit rating downgrades occurred since Jan. 1. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

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

Henry Ford Health System got its biggest single donation from an individual in its 105-year history, the Detroit-based health system said March 10.

The American Medical Association is expediting the creation of a Current Procedural Terminology code for reporting tests for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare plans to donate up to $1 million to aid relief efforts after deadly tornadoes hit Middle Tennessee earlier this month. 

Hospitals in Arizona that bill the state's Medicaid program will violate federal law if they balance-bill patients for any unpaid treatment, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled March 9.