Here are six issues dealing with Medicare or Medicaid that occurred in the past week, starting with the most recent.

In fiscal year 2012, total Medicaid spending increased by only 2 percent on average across all states — a near-record low as the economy showed some signs of improvement and enrollment growth slowed, according to a study from the Kaiser…

LifePoint Hospitals said its third quarter profit fell 51 percent due to acquisition expenses, higher operating costs, lost revenue from Hurricane Isaac and experiences with Medicare Recovery Auditors.

Hospitals may see uncompensated care costs rise by $53.3 billion by 2019 due to the Supreme Court's ruling on the Medicaid expansion within the healthcare reform law, according to a study from the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health…

The transition to ICD-10 doesn't have to be expensive, according to Phys Biz Tech.

Hays (Kan.) Medical Center covers a very broad service area, and CFO Bill Overbey has made certain the hospital's profitability and liquidity stay among the top in the state.

In 2011, New Jersey's 72 acute-care hospitals generated roughly $19.5 billion in economic activity, according to a report from the New Jersey Hospital Association (pdf).

Health insurer Aetna recorded a positive third quarter compared with its more recent second quarter, as profit crept up 2 percent year-over-year.

Early results of state government rate reviews on health insurer premium increases suggest insurers are no longer receiving rubberstamped rate hikes, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (pdf).

Centegra Health System, based in McHenry, Ill., with three main acute-care hospitals, is in a highly competitive area of Chicago's northwest suburbs, and CFO Robert Rosenberger is making sure the health system maintains a leading market share.