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
No Surprises Act arbitration may raise premiums and healthcare costs, CBO says
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) may need to rethink its original projection that the No Surprises Act would save money for the federal government, the agency said this week in a recommendation for additional research on the issue. In 2021, the CBO estimated that the newly signed law would lower provider payments, especially out-of-network rates,…
340B rebate model pilot advances as providers warn of added costs
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) continues to take steps toward implementing a rebate model for the 340B Drug Pricing Program. After soliciting comments on a planned model over a two-month period, HRSA sent an updated notice May 27 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a review that remains ongoing. That…
Kennedy and Oz alert hospitals that penalties loom for price transparency noncompliance
The emphasis on enforcing and advancing healthcare price transparency ramped up this week in the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, made an announcement on social media, saying more than 500 hospitals have not complied with changes to price transparency requirements that took…
Annual Conference 2026, Day 4: The healthcare policy outlook is sluggish heading into the midterms
Wednesday video recap: AC26 Closing Recap: Thank You, National Harbor Included in this roundup: The healthcare policy outlook is sluggish heading into the midterms CMS official gives a primer on access Succeeding under value-based care Life lessons from a Hall of Famer See you next year At a time when care delivery pressures are intensifying,…
Annual Conference 2026, Day 3: Mehmet Oz tells attendees how ongoing improvements will bolster healthcare system sustainability
Tuesday video recap: AC26 Day 3 Recap: What’s Next for Healthcare Finance In this roundup: Mehmet Oz tells attendees how improvements will bolster the sustainability of the healthcare system Hospital strategies that don’t have a strong track record Natural disasters represent another stumbling block for hospitals Planning should be underway for responding to the OBBBA…
Annual Conference 2026, Day 2: With government retrenching, the impetus is on healthcare industry stakeholders to boost sustainability
Monday video recap: AC26 Day 2 Recap: Big Questions, Bold Conversations In this roundup: With government retrenching, the impetus is on healthcare industry stakeholders to bolster sustainability Insights from the ‘affordability czar’ Jordan reflects on HFMA’s history and what lies ahead Vitalic Health session looks at how technology can drive a better system Most health…
Annual Conference 2026, Day 1: Healthcare AI shows promise, but people come first
Sunday video recap: AC26 Day 1 Recap: Celebrating 80 Years of HFMA Despite AI’s ample potential to improve healthcare, the top investment priority should be people, according to insights at the opening session of HFMA’s 2026 Annual Conference as the Association began its 80th anniversary celebration. The best technologies won’t be optimized unless “we continue…
OBBBA Medicaid cuts increase credit risk for NFP hospitals
Looming healthcare cuts as legislated in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) constitute the biggest risk to the not-for-profit (NFP) hospital industry, according to insights from experts with the leading credit-rating agencies. The OBBBA is set to hit Medicaid over the next few years, bringing potentially sizable reductions to enrollment along with direct cuts…
340B claims data requirements put hospital discounts under stress
June 18 update Eli Lilly has followed through with cutting off 340B discounts for certain hospitals that have yet to submit the required claims data (see the original story below), provider advocacy groups said Thursday. “As a result of Lilly’s decision to deny hospitals access to 340B pricing for the company’s products unless they submit…
Medicaid work requirement rule adds significant wrinkles to program eligibility criteria
For state agencies and potentially healthcare providers, CMS’s regulatory guidance on implementing the Medicaid work requirement imposes responsibilities that go beyond language seen in the underlying statute. CMS published an interim final rule with comment period late Monday, just barely meeting the June 1 deadline established in the 2025 reconciliation law known as the One…