This article is written by Scott Becker, David Pivnick and Lindzi Timberlake of McGuireWoods.This article discusses 12 ideas and tactics that are critical to ASC success both today and over the next 24 to 36 months. ASCs must both block…

Large employers expect healthcare benefits to rise 7 percent next year, which could consequently leave employees bearing more costs of their healthcare premiums, according to a survey from the National Business Group on Health.

Yesterday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed the healthcare spending bill into law, and Moody's Investors Service believes the legislation is a negative credit outcome for Massachusetts hospitals because the law will "limit their revenue growth and reduce their operating flexibility."

Although adjusted admissions, surgeries and emergency department visits increased in the second quarter of 2012 for Tenet Healthcare (pdf), the Dallas-based for-profit hospital operator posted a $6 million loss, reflecting impairment and restructuring charges.

Franklin, Tenn.-based IASIS Healthcare (pdf) recorded $10.8 million in profit in the third quarter of its 2012 fiscal year, an improvement over a $463,000 loss in the third quarter of 2011, but the for-profit hospital operator's net revenue took a…

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corp. has signed a four-year contracting agreement with Humana; the agreement went into effect Aug. 1.

UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, Aetna, Cigna and Humana — the five largest commercial and investor-owned health insurers — posted a cumulative profit of $3.17 billion in the second quarter of the 2012 fiscal year.

Knoxville, Tenn.-based physician outsourcing firm TeamHealth's revenue in the second quarter of 2012 rose 18.5 percent from $427.2 million in the second quarter of 2011 to $506.3 million.

Since January 2010, Kelly Curry has overseen the financial operations of Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates as CFO, and last year alone, the 70-hospital chain grew its business at an accelerated rate.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America, the largest for-profit hospital operator in the country, reported net income of $391 million in the second quarter of 2012 — a 70.7 percent upsurge from last year's second quarter profit of $229 million.