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
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.
A White House plan to combat the omicron variant includes support for hospitals
The Biden administration announced several provisions to bolster hospitals as efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic enter a third calendar year.
Key takeaways from HFMA’s latest Outlook Survey: Healthcare finance professionals anticipate technology-driven changes
HFMA’s most recent Outlook Survey of healthcare finance professionals highlights the potential of technology to usher in big changes in upcoming years.
Studies find glaring issues with federal price transparency requirements
The first year of federal price transparency regulations for hospitals hasn’t had high rates of compliance, nor has it consistently led to actionable information for consumers, according to two new studies.
2 new studies illustrate the burden of healthcare costs in the pandemic era
An annual report by CMS actuaries quantified the extent to which healthcare costs accelerated during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a separate survey looked at affordability.
Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments will be transmitted starting later this week, HHS announces
Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments will be made starting Dec. 16 to providers that applied and were deemed eligible.
New surprise billing regulations: How providers should be preparing to fulfill the pending requirement about good-faith estimates
Providers have had a mere three months to implement the processes needed to comply with a new requirement to provide uninsured patients with good-faith estimates in advance of services.