Nick Hut
About the Author
Nick Hut is a former newspaper reporter with more than a decade of experience at HFMA. His HFMA Daily reporting is considered a top benefit of membership as members have come to rely on Hut’s daily insights on policy, legal and business developments. He has been at the forefront of major industry news, garnering a following from national media. Nick has earned multiple national awards, including two first-place honors in 2024 from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for excellence in analysis and reporting.
Latest Work
Site-neutral payment debate intensifies in hospital affordability hearing
Site-neutral payment is at the forefront of the debate on policy levers to enhance affordability in the hospital industry, as indicated during a congressional hearing Tuesday. The House Ways and Means Committee hosted a panel of hospital CEOs, seeking insights on ways to tamp down spending on hospital care. Prices in the sector have risen…
ACA marketplace coverage changes reduce hospital revenue, shift payer mix
Changes to reimbursement in government healthcare programs are starting to show up in hospital financials, based on Q1 reporting from the for-profit hospital sector. Most notably, 2026 cutbacks in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage are manifesting in lower revenues, while hospitals are getting a taste of what’s to come next year in Medicaid coverage.…
CMS proposes electronic prior authorization for drugs
Amid ongoing implementation of federally required electronic prior authorization for healthcare items and services, CMS now proposes to do the same for pharmaceuticals. New regulations would apply to drugs under both medical and pharmacy benefits, according to a proposed rule published April 14. Faxes and payer portals for drug authorizations would be phased out in…
Hospital margins decline in 2026 as expenses outpace revenue
As hospitals seek to shore up their finances in a challenging environment, cost-focused initiatives are taking priority. “Organizations are saying, ‘We’ve got the revenue picture, [now] we’ve really got to get our expense picture to be sustainable with our revenue picture,’” said Steve Wasson, chief data and intelligence officer with Strata Decision Technology. “And what…
Out-of-network pricing lawsuits test MultiPlan, Zelis business models
April 27 update Zelis provided a statement to HFMA regarding the lawsuit against the company’s out-of-network pricing model (see the original story below). “Last month’s decision was procedural and does not change Zelis’s position,” a company spokesperson said. “Zelis operates with a strong commitment to integrity, transparency and full compliance with all applicable laws and…
Medicare payment policy changes for 2027: Key signals from Kennedy hearings
Amid ample rancor, some of the rhetoric during congressional appearances Thursday by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had substantive implications for healthcare industry stakeholders. During two House hearings to discuss his department’s proposed FY27 budget, Kennedy and members of the Ways and Means Committee and a subpanel of the Appropriations Committee touched on a…
H-1B visa fee strains the healthcare workforce and hospital finances
In the year after implementation of a new White House policy curtailing the pipeline for legal immigration, the healthcare industry is grappling with the implications. In September, the Trump administration announced that the H-1B visa program for skilled workers seeking to enter the U.S. would carry a $100,000 fee per application. Healthcare, along with higher…
CMS FY27 rule expands bundled payments, adjusts Medicare inpatient reimbursement rate
For the first time, a value-based payment model is set to become mandatory for almost all hospitals nationwide. The expansion of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment model is a headlining provision of the newly released Medicare FY27 proposed rule for hospital inpatient services and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). Also in the…
In a first, a drugmaker’s lawsuit challenges HRSA’s 340B patient definition
In a new chapter for litigation involving the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a drugmaker is suing the federal government over the definition of patient as it pertains to the program. AbbVie Inc. says the definition established by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 30-year-old guidance is unwieldy and enables inappropriate access to 340B…
Medicare Advantage 2027 payment update increases after a CMS revision
Belying earlier projections, CMS gave Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans a payment hike for 2027. Payments will increase by 2.48%, or more than $13 billion, according to a final rate notice published April 6. It’s a better outcome for stakeholders than was anticipated when CMS released the advance rate announcement in January. Then, the payment…