Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers tentatively reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit that accuses the companies of conspiring to divide markets and avoid directly competing with each other, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Private hospitals in California's Santa Clara County will be fined up to $5,000 if they fail to speed  COVID-19 testing under a new county order, according to the San Jose Spotlight.

Springfield (Vt.) Hospital and its associated health center network have filed plans to split when they emerge from bankruptcy, according to Valley News.

CMS accelerated payments to hospitals and other healthcare providers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to help temporarily relieve financial strain. Hospitals that received the loans are unsure of when they'll need to begin repayment, according to NPR. 

The Healthcare Financial Management Association voluntarily published best strategies to fairly resolve patient medical bills Sept. 17.

Most Americans don't expect to pay anything out of pocket for a COVID-19 vaccine, according to results from an Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index survey published Sept. 22.

Llano (Texas) County Memorial Hospital is applying for a critical access designation that would allow the rural hospital to reduce its financial vulnerability through increased Medicare reimbursement, according to DailyTrib.com.

Long Branch, N.J.-based Monmouth Medical Center, part of RWJBarnabas Health, received a $50 million donation to support construction of a new medical campus. 

The House unanimously approved a short-term funding bill Sept. 22 to avert a government shutdown next week. Relaxed terms for Medicare accelerated loan repayments are included in the bill.

More than 20 Beaumont donors sent a letter to the Southfield, Mich.-based health system's board requesting immediate action on concerns raised by physicians and nurses, according to Crain's Detroit Business.