Today's Top 20 Health Finance Stories
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Moody's affirms 'A2' rating for Hendrick Medical Center
Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A2" rating for Abilene, Texas-based Hendrick Medical Center, affecting $111 million of debt. - 11/15/18 -
Moody's affirms 'A1' rating for Beaumont Health
Moody's Investors Service affirmed its "A1" rating on Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health's outstanding revenue bonds. - 11/15/18 -
RCM tip of the day: Conduct chargemaster review to prepare for price transparency
Hospitals should conduct a comprehensive review of their chargemaster to prepare for the CMS' price transparency rule taking effect Jan. 1, advised Rebecca Marsh, vice president of advisory services at nThrive, a revenue cycle management company. - 11/15/18 -
Walmart will require workers to travel for spine surgery in effort to cut healthcare costs
Walmart is aiming to lower healthcare spending by requiring employees to travel to certain hospitals for spine surgeries, according to The Wall Street Journal. - 11/15/18 -
Fourth payroll snag in 2 months hits Pennsylvania hospital
Ellwood (Pa.) City Medical Center witnessed its fourth payroll delay in roughly two months — with latest incident occurring just two days after the hospital's owner told employees the facility's finances were stabilizing, according to the Ellwood City Ledger. - 11/15/18 -
Medicaid for rent, food? 'Stay tuned,' HHS chief says
Allowing hospitals to pay for housing and healthy food through Medicaid are among the ideas HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the federal government is considering to improve healthcare and social services, according to a briefing this week from Kaiser Health News. - 11/15/18 -
New Jersey hospital stops some ex-employees' pensions, cuts others
Some former employees of New York City-based St. Clare's Hospital said they received letters last month indicating they will no longer receive their pension, while others will see cuts to the amount they are supposed to receive, according to News 10. - 11/15/18 -
3 non-core assets health systems can tap for enhanced returns
Health systems with compressed margins are increasingly turning their attention to non-core ventures to enhance returns and grow their business. - 11/15/18 -
MidMichigan Health kicks off fiscal year with 18.8% operating revenue boost
Midland-based MidMichigan Health's operating performance increased in the quarter ended Sept. 30 as revenue improved, according to a recent financial filing. - 11/14/18 -
Moody's upgrades UAB Medicine rating to 'Aa'
Moody's Investors Service has upgraded the rating for Birmingham, Ala.-based UAB Medicine Finance Authority from "A1" to "Aa3," affecting $501 million of rated debt. - 11/14/18 -
How to tap into healthcare's hidden revenue opportunities: 3 expert insights
As payer reimbursements shrink and the number of underinsured patients increases, uncompensated care continues to challenge hospital profitability. To manage revenue recovery, executives should prioritize efforts to identify unknown revenue sources in order to protect their organization's bottom line. - 11/14/18 -
Hospital mergers often raise prices, analysis finds
Prices tend to climb when hospitals consolidate and market competition decreases, according to an analysis conducted for The New York Times. - 11/14/18 -
Private equity pushes into healthcare: 6 latest deals
Healthcare-related private equity activity broke records in 2017, and the healthcare sector continues to draw private equity investors. - 11/14/18 -
SLU physician group implements hiring freeze after EHR rollout
St. Louis University is implementing a cost-cutting initiative and a hiring freeze as it faces a projected $30 million deficit by 2023 due to lower student enrollment and less revenue from its medical practice, according to KBIA. - 11/14/18 -
California hospital seeks $20M for outpatient diagnostic center
Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital wants to raise at least $20 million to fund a new outpatient diagnostic center within the facility, according to a Sonoma Index-Tribune report. - 11/13/18 -
Oklahoma hospital closes: 3 things to know
Latimer County General Hospital, a 33-bed hospital in Wilburton, Okla., shut down last month, less than two weeks before another rural Oklahoma hospital closed. - 11/13/18 -
Ballad Health reports strong first-quarter results as combined entity
Ballad Health, a health system formed by the merger of Kingsport, Tenn.-based Wellmont Health System and Johnson City, Tenn.-based Mountain States Health Alliance, said it saw revenue increase in its first operating quarter under a combined budget. - 11/13/18 -
New Jersey health system says it can save rural hospital, bring 300 jobs
New Jersey state officials heard testimony last week supporting the acquisition of the Memorial Hospital of Salem (N.J.) County by Bloomfield, N.J.-based Community Health Care Associates, which would invest up to $60 million in the ailing hospital, according to NJ.com. - 11/13/18 -
S&P drops underlying rating for Wayne County Hospital Authority to 'A'
S&P Global Ratings lowered its underlying ratings for Wayne County Hospital Authority, which includes Jesup, Ga.-based Wayne Memorial Hospital, from "A+" to "A." - 11/13/18 -
RCM tip of the day: Take a comprehensive approach with net promoter scores
Hospitals should include both clinical interactions and nonclinical interactions, such as billing experiences, when considering net promoter scores, said Gary Long, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of R1 RCM, a provider of technology-enabled healthcare revenue cycle management services. - 11/13/18