News

Following peers, Kaiser profits plunge

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

As FierceHealthFinance readers probably know, the last few weeks have been ugly for health plans, many of which announced disappointing first-quarter results. True, it's worth bearing in mind that Read more...

Tenet sees $31 million loss for Q1

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

Dogged by expenses from lawsuits, Tenet Healthcare announced a $31 million first-quarter loss. Tenet reported a net loss of $31 million for the first quarter of this year, compared with a profit of Read more...

MN bill blocks hospitals from using debt info pre-care

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Arguing that such a practice is coming, even if it isn't widely observed yet, Minnesota legislators have approved a bill forbidding hospitals from using information about a patient's medical debt Read more...

Hospital, family tussle over bills for dead patient

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Here's the kind of story that gives hospital collections departments a bad name. It seems that due to internal communication problems, a Seattle-based healthcare provider continued to bill the Read more...

Case study: SC system pulls off turnaround

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

A South Carolina health system has turned things around dramatically for its two hospitals, turning a $5.7 million profit for 2007 after languishing for years. The Sisters of Charity Providence Read more...

SPOTLIGHT: HCA on acquisition trail

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:52 -0400

HCA CEO Jack Bovender has made it official--he's on the acquisition trail. The company is looking to acquire a large, urban not-for-profit system with lead position in a fast-growing market, Read more...

ALSO NOTED: FL hospitals see dramatic growth in uncompensated care; LifePoint wants to buy; and much more...

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Costs for uncompensated care have gone through the roof in Florida, according to the state's hospital association. Read more...

Insurer troubles could mean more bad debt for providers

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

In recent weeks, health insurers have started announcing financial results, and the news hasn't been good. WellPoint, for example, Read more...

Analyst says Tenet poised for major turnaround

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

This must be satisfying for Tenet execs to see: A major healthcare analyst has turned tail and upgraded the hospital company's rating dramatically, after slamming it less than a year ago and Read more...

Trend: Hospitals requiring upfront cash payments before treatment

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Of late, a growing number of hospitals have been insisting on cash payments before they offer high-ticket services to non-emergency patients if they're not sure they'll get paid. While such Read more...

Tool could help demonstrate ROI on quality improvement

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

If you're a financial executive, you want to be sure that you're getting your money's worth on every investment--including dollars spent on quality improvement. Generally speaking, however, the ROI Read more...

Case study: FL hospitals offer online payments

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

A group of Jacksonville, FL-area hospital systems have begun letting patients pay their bills online in an effort to save time and money. The hospitals involved include St. Vincent's Medical Center, Read more...

SPOTLIGHT: EMR investment success stories

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:52 -0400

Everyone's afraid of losing their shirt if they spend big bucks on an electronic medical records system. However, at least some organizations are finding that their EMR investment is paying for Read more...

ALSO NOTED: FL bill would require hospital price disclosure; Medical property firm investing in physician groups; and much more

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Florida is considering a bill that would require hospitals to provide pricing information for 150 of the most commonly-performed medical procedures. The information would be posted on a state Read more...

Providers want another NPI implementation delay

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Groups representing a cross-section of providers have formally asked the government to delay enforcing use of the national provider identifier on claims forms, concerned that technical problems will Read more...