Here are five articles published on Becker's Hospital Review this past week that offer interesting insight on CMS' 2017 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, hospital credit downgrades and rural hospital closures.
1. CMS' 2017 IPPS proposed rule: 10 points to know
CMS released its fiscal year 2017 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, which does away with the two-midnight rule's inpatient payment cuts.
2. 10 hospitals receive credit downgrades in past month
Ten hospitals and health systems received a credit downgrade during the past month, according to a report from HFA Partners.
3. Major health systems, payers make progress toward value-based payment goal
The Health Care Transformation Task Force, a private-sector alliance aimed at accelerating the healthcare industry's transition to value-based care, reported that 41 percent of its provider and payer members' business were in value-based payment arrangements at the end of 2015, up from 30 percent from the year prior.
4. A state-by-state breakdown of 71 rural hospital closures
Seventy-one rural hospitals have closed since 2010 — and many more may be headed down the same path.
5. UnitedHealth to exit most ACA exchanges in 2017, remain in only 'handful' of states
UnitedHealth Group reported better-than-expected revenue in the first quarter of 2016, despite losses from participating in the Affordable Care Act exchanges. To limit its financial exposure in 2017, the insurer will exit all but a "handful" of ACA marketplaces next year.
More articles on healthcare finance:
4 Louisiana safety-net hospitals at risk of closure
More health systems launch insurance plans despite financial risk: 5 things to know
Hospitals praise CMS' plan to drop two-midnight inpatient payment cuts