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
Healthcare M&A update: A quiet 2021 could give way to strategic shifts in 2022
The year 2021 was one of the least busy on record for healthcare mergers and acquisitions, but volume should pick up in 2022.
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers can take effect nationwide, Supreme Court says
The court lifted injunctions that had halted implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in half the country, leaving hospitals and other affected providers with likely only a few weeks to begin complying.
Research seeks to pinpoint health system characteristics associated with the tendency to ‘overuse’ healthcare
Higher bed counts, fewer primary care physicians and investor ownership are among the characteristics of health systems that tend to overuse healthcare, according to a new study.
Coverage denials based on medical necessity are far more likely to arise from Medicare FFS rules than from MA plan policies
Coverage rules stemming from Medicare national and local determinations were the most likely cause of claim denials in one Medicare Advantage plan.
CMS proposes to restrict Medicare coverage of a high-profile new Alzheimer’s drug
Medicare will pay for use of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease only for patients in approved clinical trials, CMS said in a proposed coverage determination.
Healthcare labor update: Employment data and research findings underscore ongoing challenges
As highlighted in new employment data and new studies, the healthcare labor market continues to constrain hospitals.
Hospital margins increased in November, but labor expenses remained a drag on finances
A skewed labor market continued to affect hospital finances in November even as operating margins improved from October.
New surprise billing regulations: Assessing a patient’s network status will be a key challenge
With new surprise billing regulations in place, providers should seek to implement efficient processes for gauging whether a patient is in-network.
CMS now says hospitals in half the country must abide by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate starting in late January
The status of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers took another twist, with CMS stating it will look to enforce the mandate within a month in 25 states and Washington, D.C.
Supreme Court agrees to review the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in upcoming weeks
The nation’s highest court is being asked to clarify whether implementation of CMS’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate can proceed.