Capital Finance

Nonprofits had held back on issuing bonds when the Affordable Care Act took effect on 2013 over concerns that disruptions in cash flow tied to reforms would make it harder to pay back debt for capital improvements.

Standard & Poor's has changed its outlook on nonprofit healthcare from 'negative' to 'stable,' the credit agency reported this week, as a flood of mergers and increased utilization due to Medicaid expansion continues to lift the sector.

Evaluating capital expenditures is more complicated under a system focused on value, which seeks to eliminate waste and focuses on quality and outcomes rather than the number of procedures.

Companies listed in the S&P 500 Healthcare Index fell more than 4 percent at market open.

Though critical access hospitals will continue to earn less, Fitch Ratings this week said it does not expect the financial struggles to affect these hospitals' credit ratings due to their near 100 percent reimbursement from Medicare and political support that will stave off any attempt to cut payments.

Improving economy has boosted investor optimism in the market - especially in real estate.

While not as prevalent as they once were, healthcare pension plans still represent a significant fiduciary obligation.

While the role of healthcare CFO is pretty standard from one organization to another, the role of treasurer can vary from a volunteer position to a unique function of the CFO.

Capital One will take over the healthcare finance arm of GE Capital in a $9 billion deal, the financial firm announced Tuesday night, turning a company known best for its "what's in your wallet" credit card business into a powerhouse in the healthcare lending sphere.

Overall, the median for cash on hand grew to 203 days, compared to 193.9 days in 2013, driven by strong investment returns, capital expense management and an aggressive focus on cash collection, the report said.