Fourteen acute-care hospitals and health systems issued tax-exempt, fixed-rate bonds from Nov. 16 to Dec. 15, according to a report by HFA Partners.

Eight acute-care hospitals and health systems received credit downgrades in the past 30 days compared with only two credit upgrades, according to a report by HFA Partners.

Nearly all the states that will have federally run health insurance exchanges will have Republican governors, citing unclear regulations or fear of economic woes from the exchanges.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) continued to champion his state's existing health insurance exchange in a statement after HHS suggested a state and federal partnership to expand the exchange's website to comply with the 2010 healthcare law.

Momentum is building for health system-run insurance policies, as more hospitals look to launch their own plans or partner with other providers to round out the insured services, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Capital financing has varying effects on hospitals and health systems, and much of that has to do with the size of the organization.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is proposing a halt on hospital provider fees across the nation, calling the funding measure a "massive bed tax gimmick," according to a Chattanooga Times Free Press report.

Boston-based healthcare giant Partners HealthCare (pdf) reported an operating loss of $2 million in its fiscal year fourth quarter ended Sept. 30 due to a $42 million tax associated with Massachusetts' recent healthcare cost containment law.

This past week was a boom-or-bust trading period for the major publicly traded for-profit hospital companies.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced the state will give NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City more than $114.6 million to help cover costs associated with Hurricane Sandy.