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
The impact of COVID-19 further shows the need to modify federal pay-for-performance models, hospital advocate says
Quality measures derived during the COVID-19 pandemic are not an accurate gauge of hospital performance in federal programs such as Value-Based Purchasing.
The Provider Relief Fund distribution formula may have left some higher-need hospitals at a disadvantage, study finds
Critical access hospitals generally received lower allocations from a targeted distribution pool compared with hospitals that had a better asset mix.
The Medicare area wage index likely needs a revamp, MedPAC members say
Wage index adjustments leave some hospitals at a disadvantage and are costly for the Medicare program, according to policy advisers.
Hospitals and Congress propose improvements to prior authorization processes in Medicare Advantage
The American Hospital Association says pending regulations that would affect prior authorization should be expanded to include Medicare Advantage.
Research highlights ways to save more than $250 billion per year through healthcare administrative simplification
Savings can be generated at the organizational and healthcare industry levels through steps to reduce wasteful administrative processes, study authors wrote.
Accountable care models will be almost universal for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries by 2030, CMS leaders say
A forthcoming revamp of federal value-based payment models will include features designed to encourage provider participation, CMS and CMMI leaders said.
Hospital groups express concern over earlier court ruling that could expand False Claims Act liability
The groups argue that allowing FCA claims to be brought for post-termination actions would defy congressional intent and leave hospitals subject to excessive financial liability.
With substantial Medicare payment cuts pending, medical groups call for Congress to act
Payment cuts scheduled for 2022 would amount to a 9.75% reduction in Medicare revenue for medical groups, which are calling on Congress to pass legislation to stop the cuts.
Providers must furnish ‘good-faith’ price estimates to self-pay patients starting next year
A newly issued federal rule on surprise billing includes regulations designed to improve price transparency for self-pay patients.
Healthcare M&A activity for Q3 remains low in volume but high in impact, firms report
The number of M&A transactions involving hospitals and health systems remained at historically low levels, but the average revenue involved was far higher than in recent years.