Healthcare finance news for hospital and health system leaders

Most private equity firms that buy U.S. short-term acute care hospitals sell them within five years, and PE-owned hospitals made up less than 4% of the market in 2024, according to a study published Sept. 10 in Health Affairs Scholar.…

Michigan has erased more than $21 million in medical debt for 9,767 residents in its third round of debt relief through a partnership with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. Four things to know: 1. The latest round brings the state’s total…

A top CMS official wants provider suspensions to quadruple in the next six months as part of a broader anti-fraud push that includes new exclusion authority and AI tools, Nextgov/FCW reported Oct. 15. CMS Deputy Administrator Kimberly Brandt discussed the…

The American Hospital Association has launched a website to help hospitals and health systems prepare for electronic prior authorization requirements that take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Major provisions of CMS’ 2024 Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule begin on that…

Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital has about eight days of cash on hand and faces “a serious financial gap” that could close the hospital within six to 12 months without action, according to an Oct. 15 news release shared with Becker’s. …

Finvi, a revenue cycle and collections software company, named CFO Laura Granahan its CEO, effective Oct. 15. Ms. Granahan has been Finvi’s CFO since 2024, according to an Oct. 15 news release. Since June, she has led the company alongside…

Many Texas nonprofit hospitals send patients bills before checking whether they qualify for free or discounted care, and most won’t refund what patients pay in the meantime, KFF Health News and Tradeoffs reported Oct. 15.  The outlets reviewed financial assistance…

Revenue cycle performance has long been tracked through operational metrics: denial rates, days in accounts receivable, cost to collect. In 2026, hospital and health system CEOs began discussing it as part of a broader strategy, naming it in turnaround plans…

CMS released 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings on Oct. 8, giving more insight into the MA landscape beyond health plans’ marketing materials.  Contracts receive a rating each year, ranging from one to five stars. The ratings help beneficiaries compare plans,…

While many hospitals and health systems are zeroing in on expanding their use of AI, Jason Hinkle, CFO of Marion-based Deaconess Illinois, said some finance leaders are not focused enough on the work that determines whether these tools can succeed. …