Nick Hut
About the Author
Nick Hut
Latest Work
Latest financial metrics for hospitals show reasons for optimism but also persistent challenges
Hospital financial performance partially recovered in March as patient volumes returned to something closer to normal after a significant downturn during the omicron wave.
OIG calls out issues with denials of payment and services in Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage processes related to prior authorization hamper beneficiaries’ access to medically necessary care, according to a new report from the HHS Office of Inspector General.
Under Karen DeSalvo, Google Health has big ideas for bolstering public health
Google Health is working to improve the lives of “hundreds of millions” of users while also enhancing operations for healthcare providers.
M&A update: A quiet quarter for hospital deal-making reflects the ongoing consequences of the pandemic
Merger-and-acquisition activity among hospitals and health systems remained well under pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2022.
Tentative deal to provide pandemic funding won’t replenish the COVID-19 Uninsured Program
A bipartisan Senate bill would pay for additional vaccines and therapeutics but wouldn’t restore funding to a program that reimburses providers for furnishing COVID-19-related services to the uninsured.
News Briefs: Biden administration will apply closer scrutiny to healthcare billing practices
A monthly roundup of top news for healthcare finance professionals.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: CMS seeks to bolster maternal health through a new public-facing hospital designation
Hospitals could attain the “Birthing Friendly” designation by attesting to having implemented best practices in maternal health.
IPPS FY23 proposed rule: Medicare proposes changes to methodology for determining graduate medical education payments to teaching hospitals
The biggest change is an effort to comply with a court ruling on weighted FTE slots, while another change affects sharable slots for certain rural hospitals.
Medicare’s proposed increase for inpatient payments in FY23 doesn’t meet hospitals’ expectations
The hospital industry expressed disappointment with the proposed increase for inpatient payments in FY23.
HHS policy update: Recent developments include an extension of the public health emergency and notable progress in reducing the Medicare appeals backlog
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra signed a 90-day extension of the COVID-19 public health emergency, ensuring the PHE will last until at least mid-July.