Nick Hut

About the Author

Nick Hut

HFMA Senior Editor

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

Healthcare industry leaders speak out against gun violence after the latest tragedy

Advocates say hospitals and clinicians have a role to play in violence intervention strategies, but federal funding is needed to ensure such measures have maximum impact.

Nick Hut May 26, 2022

Hospital prices increasingly are coming under a microscope

Newly issued reports and policy recommendations are examining hospital prices in the context of high healthcare costs.

Nick Hut May 20, 2022

Hospitalists are more likely than other physicians to choose high-intensity codes for inpatient care, study finds

The billing and coding practices of hospitalists may contribute to the rising cost of hospital care in the U.S., according to conclusions of a new study.

Nick Hut May 18, 2022

Some Medicare payments to hospitals for bariatric surgery may be inappropriate, OIG finds

Medicare could have saved nearly $48 million in bariatric surgery payments to hospitals during an 18-month period if coverage rules and guidance were better implemented at the contractor level, according to the HHS Office of Inspector General.

Nick Hut May 17, 2022

In the pandemic’s latest phase, strategic issues for healthcare providers include labor, inflation and value-based payment

The struggles of smaller providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to give way to increased merger-and-acquisition activity in 2022, according to Wall Street analysts.

Nick Hut May 12, 2022

2023 regulations for Medicare Advantage and ACA marketplaces seek to enhance network adequacy standards

HHS and CMS recently released sets of 2023 regulations that affect provider network adequacy standards in Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces.

Nick Hut May 9, 2022

Big delays could be in store for early No Surprises Act arbitration cases

The portal for payment arbitration cases taking place under the No Surprises Act is open for business but could be facing a backlog of cases.

Nick Hut May 9, 2022

IPPS FY23 proposed rule: Tweaks are in store for Medicare’s quality-reporting and pay-for-performance programs

Temporary modifications to two pay-for-performance programs would ensure hospitals don’t face penalties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nick Hut May 5, 2022

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.

Nick Hut May 4, 2022

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.

Nick Hut April 29, 2022