Nearly a quarter of rural hospitals are on the brink of closure
Twenty-one percent of rural hospitals are at high risk of closing, according to a new report. That equates to 430 hospitals across 43 states that employ about 150,000 people and generate about $21.2 billion in patient revenue.
Healthcare spending will hit 19.4% of GDP in the next decade, CMS projects
Healthcare spending growth will rise at an annual average of 5.5% over the next decade, slightly faster than in the past few years, due to the aging of the baby boomers and healthcare price growth, the CMS reported Wednesday.
Partners-Care New England deal barely bumps Mass. healthcare spending
The proposed merger of Partners HealthCare and Care New England won't have a dramatic effect on Massachusetts healthcare spending, even if care patterns significantly change, according to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.
Employer-sponsored healthcare spending reaches record high
People are essentially paying more for the same amount of care. Average utilization across all sectors only grew 0.5% from 2016 to 2017, but spending rose 4.2% led by a 3.6% hike in prices, according to a new report.
Hospital price growth driving healthcare spending
Hospital prices for inpatient care grew 42% from 2007 to 2014 while physician prices rose 18%, according to a new study. This trend should direct policy reform, researchers said.
Report: Hospitals pushed costs to privately insured patients
Colorado hospitals could have passed on savings to consumers of as much as $11.5 billion over a nine-year period if they had better contained costs and lowered their margins, according to a new state report.
Foreign cash, loose capital bolstering healthcare real estate
Foreign investment is contributing to a booming medical office sector—one of several trends changing the healthcare real estate landscape.
Q&A: CFO Karen Hanlon says Highmark is moving past the UPMC conflict
Highmark Health CFO Karen Hanlon says the integrated delivery system is focused on expanding some of its value-based initiatives.
Healthcare gains jobs in January despite government shutdown
The healthcare sector made 41,600 new hires in January, making it the third biggest job maker. Although hiring in healthcare was strong, it dropped by 15% compared with the hiring made in December.
UnitedHealth pulling out of HCCI may mean no new data after 2017
UnitedHealthcare's decision to stop sharing data with the Health Care Cost Institute could jeopardize the not-for-profit organization's ability to refresh its data for researchers beyond calendar year 2017.
Wall Street is betting on health insurance industry
Publicly traded health insurers are performing better financially than other healthcare players, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon, according to a panel of Wall Street analysts at a Nashville Health Care Council event.
Q&A: Geisinger executives talk healthcare affordability
Geisinger Health System is pushing some innovative approaches to care delivery, including offering refunds to patients dissatisfied with their experience. Interim CEO Dr. Jaewon Ryu and Chief Innovation Officer Karen Murphy talk about what's ahead for the organization.
