Beth Jones Sanborn

The increases come at a time when physician shortages, especially in primary care, loom large.

The call for cost estimates is getting louder, patients don't mind keeping a credit card on file, and varied payment options mean more robust collections.

Ascension will now be the first word in every facility name in a broader effort to deploy best practices and improve care delivery, CEO Joseph Cacchione says.

Companies are acquiring Sound from Fresenius Medical Care.

Every dollar a hospital spends yields roughly $2.30 of additional business activity; for every hospital job, another two are supported in the community, American Hospital Association says.

GAO reviewed 27 federal and state audits and investigations, identified roughly $68 million in overpayments and unallowable costs.

Interest in potentially disruptive technologies abound in the active M&A realm but so do security concerns and dissatisfaction from a lack of due diligence.

Paladina Health operates more than 50 physician offices in 10 states using direct primary care model.

Even after taking into account manufacturer rebates, spending still increased more than 60 percent and the ranks of beneficiaries paying $2,000 out-of-pocket a year doubled, the Office of the Inspector General says.

Program is a crucial part of operations for hospitals that serve vulnerable populations because it offsets the high costs medications.