Medicare payment rules and hospital closures captured the attention of Becker's Hospital Review finance readers in November.
The following are the 10 most popular finance stories from Becker's in the past month.
1. Lawsuit: Epic's software double-bills Medicare, Medicaid for anesthesia services
Health IT giant Verona, Wis.-based Epic Systems was hit with a False Claims Act lawsuit that alleges the company's software double-bills Medicare and Medicaid for anesthesia services, resulting in the government being overbilled by hundreds of millions of dollars.
2. CMS releases final OPPS rule for 2018: 8 things to know
CMS released its final 2018 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule, which cuts payments to hospitals under the 340B Drug Pricing Program and authorizes Medicare to reimburse for knee replacement surgeries performed in outpatient facilities.
3. 93-year-old California hospital to close over inability to meet new seismic standards
Community Medical Center Long Beach (Calif.), which opened in 1924 and is part of Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare Health System, will close in the near future due to the inability to retrofit the hospital to meet California's seismic standards.
4. CMS releases physician fee schedule for 2018: 6 things to know
CMS issued its 2018 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which cuts Medicare payments for services provided by certain provider-owned off-campus hospital departments
5. California hospital suspends all services, notifies 524 employees of possible layoffs
Tulare (Calif.) Regional Medical Center shut down Oct. 29, as the local healthcare district voluntarily suspended its license with the state to operate the 112-bed hospital, as well as clinics and other outpatient facilities.
6. Colorado hospital charged $1,877 to pierce a child's ears
Margaret O'Neill's 5-year-old daughter underwent an outpatient procedure at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora two years ago. Several months after the operation, Ms. O'Neill was shocked when she received a bill for $1,877 for "operating room services" related to her daughter's ear piercing, according to ProPublica.
7. Alabama hospital to close, lay off 87 employees
Lakeland Community Hospital, a 59-bed hospital in Haleyville, Ala., plans to close by the end of 2017.
8. Healthcare bankruptcies more than triple in 2017
Regulatory changes, the rise of high-deductible health plans and advances in technology are a few of the factors that have taken a toll on healthcare companies' finances, and these challenges may lead many hospitals and other medical companies to restructure their debt or file for bankruptcy in the coming year.
9. CHS reports $110M net loss, completes 30-hospital divestiture spree
Community Health Systems, a 127-hospital chain based in Franklin, Tenn., posted a net loss of $110 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to a net loss of $79 million in the same period of the year prior.
10. Mayo Clinic's operating income more than doubles
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic recorded operating income of $182 million in the third quarter of 2017, more than double its operating income of $86 million in the same period last year.
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