CMS has issued a final rule that is part of a broader effort to address suspicious billing activity in Accountable Care Organizations' financial reconciliation.

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems continues to reorganize its portfolio, offloading hospitals in multiple markets, but it remains unclear when the for-profit system will be in a position in which it can acquire hospitals again, executives said during the Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference.

Three top executives will exit Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health, effective Oct. 23, amid ongoing financial challenges, The Boston Globe reported Sept. 24.

Philadelphia-based Temple University Health System posted an operating income of $1.1 million (0% operating margin) in fiscal 2024, up from a $58.8 million operating loss (-2.3% operating margin) in 2023, according to its Sept. 24 financial report. 

West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health saw a substantial financial turnaround in the first six months of 2024, with an operating income of $106 million versus a loss of $4.7 million last year, according to its most recent financial report.  

Here are 10 health systems that recently had their outlooks upgraded by Fitch Ratings or Moody's Investors Service.

New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health had its issuer default rating and revenue bond ratings affirmed at "A-" due to its "leading market share position" in a large and competitive area  where it has an expansive presence with acute care and ambulatory footprints, Fitch Ratings said in a Sept.23 report. 

Schenectady, N.Y.-based Ellis Medicine officially laid off 33 employees after closing its nursing home and rehabilitation center, according to a WARN notice filed Sept. 23 with the New York State Department of Labor. 

HHS is providing nearly $75 million funding for rural healthcare programs to help hospitals stay open, expand access to maternal healthcare and treat substance use disorder.

St. Louis-based Mercy Health posted an operating income of $157.4 million (1.7% operating margin) in fiscal year 2024, up from an operating income of $11.8 million (0.1% operating margin) in 2023, according to its Sept. 19 financial report. 

Over the last 10 days, one acute-care hospital in Alabama suspended operations indefinitely, with another physician-owned hospital in California following suit. 

Thomasville (Ala.) Regional Medical Center has suspended operations indefinitely amid staffing shortages, with community stakeholders set to meet Sept. 23 to discuss the facility's future. 

Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine recently launched a new revenue cycle leadership development program to help address a need for adequate succession planning.

Leaders of the four major publicly traded for-profit health systems were asked about the effects of the expansion of the two-midnight rule during the Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference held in early September. 

Maryland will drop Kaiser Permanente as a Medicaid managed care organization in 2025.

The House Ways and Means Committee has delayed a markup of several healthcare bills due to scheduling conflicts and members disagreeing over legislative language, Axios reported Sept. 19.

Hospital revenue was relatively flat from June to July this year, but showed significant gains year over year, according to revenue data from Kaufman Hall's "National Hospital Flash Report" released in September.

St. Louis-based Ascension, a 136-hospital system, had its issuer default rating and long-term revenue bond ratings affirmed at "AA+" due to its strong operational profile, key leverage metrics and robust balance sheet, according to a Sept. 20 Fitch Ratings report. 

Hospital revenue cycle management has been a testing ground for automation and artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Hospitals' administrative costs are rapidly increasing as insurers increase prior authorization requirements and denials, according to Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.