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
UnitedHealthcare reverses course on new approach to emergency department claims, but perhaps only temporarily
UHC had announced this week that it would evaluate claims starting July 1 to determine whether ED visits were for emergent or nonemergent events.
Looming UnitedHealthcare policy on coverage of emergency department care draws opposition from hospitals, physicians
In a move strongly opposed by provider associations, UnitedHealthcare soon will start denying coverage of ED care that it deems to have been nonemergent.
CMS nearly doubles the payment rate for administering the COVID-19 vaccine in a Medicare beneficiary’s home
A payment increase for in-home COVID-19 vaccine administration is part of a strategy to improve vaccination rates, which have slowed in recent weeks.
Why fee-for-service can have a place in a reimagined healthcare system, but not as the primary mode of payment
Fee-for-service came under fire during a workshop in which prominent healthcare industry experts spoke of ways to achieve better integration of financing and care delivery.
Study quantifies the cost to physician practices of participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System
MIPS participation led to high administrative costs and a significant time drain, according to new research.
May marked the first increase in hospital employment so far in 2021
The employment picture took a positive turn for hospitals in May after the sector experienced a net loss of jobs in each of the first four months of 2021.
Why closer collaboration between healthcare providers and health plans is crucial, and where it could pay off the most
New types of provider-payer associations place an emphasis on increasing the value of healthcare rather than merely offering cost savings.
Survey data highlights shortcomings in private insurance coverage compared with Medicare
Indicators of coverage gaps were more likely to be seen among individuals with private insurance.
New research suggests there’s no need to worry that patient experience surveys lead to low-value healthcare
Findings from a new study may assuage concerns that low-value care is encouraged through the use of patient experience ratings in payment formulas.
Weeding out waste: Policy workshop examines how the healthcare industry can finance a better model
By reducing wasteful spending, the U.S. healthcare industry would have an easier time funding some of the changes needed to support whole-person health, industry experts said at a conference on how to optimize healthcare financing.