Nick Hut

About the Author

Nick Hut

Latest Work

New CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure gets ready to tackle surprise billing, rural healthcare and much more

During her Senate confirmation hearing, Brooks-LaSure said strengthening Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to bolster quality and access while lowering costs will be paramount.

Nick Hut May 28, 2021

Democratic congressional leaders ramp up efforts to craft a health insurance public option, generating hospital pushback

Leading Democrats in the House and Senate sent out a request for information to healthcare stakeholders, seeking input as they look to establish a public option for health insurance.

Nick Hut May 26, 2021

Hospital margins continued to improve in April, but volumes and revenues fell slightly

A monthly report on hospital finances showed that margins improved from March to April even though the COVID-19 pandemic remained a factor.

Nick Hut May 25, 2021

Experts raise concerns about hospital merger-and-acquisition activity but differ on how Congress should respond

During a recent Senate hearing, a hospital advocate responded to criticism of consolidation stemming from mergers among hospitals and hospital acquisitions of physician practices.

Nick Hut May 24, 2021

FBI issues alert about ransomware threat affecting healthcare organizations

The Conti ransomware attacks have disrupted healthcare networks in the U.S. and abroad, according to an alert.

Nick Hut May 24, 2021

As the Senate Finance Committee considers telehealth expansion, payment approaches are a key talking point

A congressional hearing featured testimony about why fee-for-service is not a viable way to fund a Medicare telehealth expansion.

Nick Hut May 20, 2021

Medicaid and CHIP data show a marked decrease in behavioral healthcare utilization amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Utilization for many services plummeted during a large part of 2020, and the biggest impact was seen in services for mental health and substance-use disorders.

Nick Hut May 19, 2021

Looming changes to quality reporting in the Medicare Shared Savings Program draw strong pushback from healthcare providers

Healthcare provider organizations are petitioning the Biden administration to slow recently finalized quality-related changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Nick Hut May 18, 2021

CMS increases the payment rate for administering authorized monoclonal antibody treatments to patients with COVID-19

CMS has provided a nearly 50% boost in payment to providers that administer monoclonal antibodies to beneficiaries with COVID-19.

Nick Hut May 17, 2021

Reimagining care delivery to emphasize physician-consumer relationships and the human touch

The healthcare industry needs to make changes that emphasize the physician-consumer relationship and help people take charge of their own care, says the author of a new book.

Nick Hut May 17, 2021