Growth projects lead amid reduced capex
Even as health systems reduce their capital investment, they’re focusing greater shares of funds on expansion efforts, according to a recent survey. Health system and hospital capital investments are declining and few are expecting significant increases in the next two years, according to a Sage Growth Partners survey of 101 health system and hospital executives.…
Hospitals see danger to SDPs in fraud fight
Hospitals are worried that a coming Trump administration fraud-fighting effort will go after Medicaid state-directed payments (SDPs). The concern was raised by various hospital advocates responding to the administration’s solicitation for targets in its coming anti-fraud regulations, called the Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare (CRUSH). That request for information (RFI) specifically asked about fraud-fighting…
Next reconciliation bill to target healthcare
Congressional leaders said they plan to target healthcare spending as part of a new budget reconciliation bill that could be enacted by July. The chairmen of both the Senate and House budget committees said in recent weeks that they will start crafting the instructions for a new reconciliation bill, according to Congressional Quarterly reporting (subscription…
Federal scrutiny of contracting continues
A new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) task force will include healthcare contracting among its priorities, according to attorneys. The FTC Healthcare Task Force was announced in March to coordinate existing healthcare enforcement and advocacy efforts across the agency. “Consolidation and anticompetitive conduct have distorted the economic landscape in many healthcare markets,” Andrew Ferguson, chairman of…
FastFinance: Hospital non-patient revenue; ACA plan changes
HFMA’s FastFinance newsletter is now a podcast. Host Rich Daly discusses the most current and relevant healthcare news, delivered in an easily digestible format. Most hospital revenue is from non-patient-care sources, according to a new analysis. The shares of patient-care revenue vary widely by hospital type. Also, this week’s Weird Number: 40%. That’s the increase…
Hospitals object to ACA marketplace changes
Proposed changes to the rules of the ACA marketplaces will shift more costs onto hospitals, industry advocates told CMS. The comments came in response to a proposed rule for 2027 marketplace plans that aimed to stabilize enrollment from 2026 to 2027. “Hospitals are often the providers of last resort for many patients, and policies that…
Most hospital revenue is not from patient care
Hospitals derive only about one-third of revenue from patient care as low public payer rates and other factors have driven them to find other income sources, according to a new analysis. Net patient revenue was a median of 29.9% of gross revenue across nonfederal short-term acute care hospitals in 2024, according to an analysis by…
Despite delays, hospitals optimistic on SDPs
Although at least one state has waited nine months for CMS approval of its state-directed payment (SDP) plan, hospital executives said the approval process continues to churn. So far this year, CMS has approved $26.2 billion in hospital-focused SDPs, according to a FastFinance count of the list of approved SDPs. That amount includes both the…
States weigh hospital price caps
Several states are weighing legislation this year to impose various types of price caps on hospitals. The new legislation followed three states that enacted hospital price caps in 2025. Maine A price cap push in Maine appeared to stumble in recent days after legislation requiring price caps on hospital services was amended. The bill (LD…
FastFinance: Hospital building surge; AI-coding study pushback
HFMA’s FastFinance newsletter is now a podcast. Host Rich Daly discusses the most current and relevant healthcare news, delivered in an easily digestible format. Health systems will spend a record amount this year building new hospitals, with hospital and clinic construction budgets far outpacing outpatient facilities, like ASCs. Also, this week’s Weird Number: 39%. That’s…