Rennova Health saw revenue drop last year and is struggling to stay afloat, according to an April 15 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

In recent years, flurries of digital tools hit the market promising to optimize the payment collections process for healthcare providers. However, they're not all created equal, and providers must consider which part of their revenue cycle they want to improve and why before adopting such tools.

Providers and insurers not meeting Massachusetts' 3.1 percent healthcare spending growth cap will likely face more aggressive oversight from a state health policy panel.

Citing a need to ensure future success, Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, N.Y., will lay off 11 nurses, according to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News. 

Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital decided not to seek forgiveness of an $8.2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan because it does not meet forgiveness requirements, The Aspen Times reported April 15.

Erratic and unpredictable workload was the most common effect the pandemic had on revenue cycle operations, according to a recent survey of 587 hospital finance leaders. 

St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., plans to wind down COVID-19 inpatient services by the end of May, affecting 325 jobs, according to the Star Tribune. 

Ten hospitals and health systems recently posted job listings seeking revenue cycle management expertise.

Fourteen healthcare organizations wrote a letter to HHS urging it to extend the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization model through 2022 instead of letting it expire at the end of 2021.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are urging HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to conduct "vigorous oversight" of the CMS rule on hospital price transparency that went into effect Jan. 1. 

Farmington, Conn.-based UConn Health asked for a three-year, $174 million bailout during an April 13 hearing in front of the state legislature's budget-writing appropriations committee, the Hartford Courant reported.

The House passed legislation April 13 that will delay $18 billion in Medicare payment cuts through the end of the year.

Amid the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more crucial than ever that hospitals and health systems collect payments from patients in a timely and efficient way. Creating success in this area requires a more humanized revenue cycle and a focus on helping patients afford their medical care.

A recent study looked at the websites of 102 hospitals in 50 states between January and March to see how they were complying with the CMS price transparency rule that took effect Jan. 1.

The financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced hundreds of hospitals across the nation to furlough, lay off or reduce pay for workers, and others have had to scale back services or close.

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

Although urgent care centers deter some lower-acuity patients from a costly emergency department visit, they are not associated with a drop in total healthcare spending, according to a study published in Health Affairs in April.

Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif., will lay off 10 employees, according to The Napa Valley Register. 

President Joe Biden has released his $1.52 trillion budget plan for fiscal year 2022.

The CMS price transparency rule that took effect Jan. 1 is presenting new competitive opportunities for health systems, according to research released April 9 by actuarial firm Milliman.