Accounting & Financial Management

A surge in COVID-19 cases led to a substantial increase in the demand for related care and testing, adding to expenses, Kaiser says.

The company also saw revenue climb 11.2% over that time, hitting $76.8 billion during the quarter, according to the earnings report.

Some signs were positive, such as declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, but hospitals still have a long journey to recovery.

Insurers are now required to pass along price concessions received from pharmacies at the point of sale.

KLAS survey reveals the majority are concerned significant resource investment will be needed to sustain price transparency.

Inflation and growth in expenses for workforce, drugs and supplies continues to strain hospital resources more than two years into the pandemic.

Should the deal get court approval, Optum Care will add 645 physicians to its network.

<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">This week's top stories include Physician Partners of America agreeing to pay $24.5M to settle a number of alleged violations, including unnecessary testing, and CMS estimates that payments to acute care hospitals will increase in 2023 by $1.6B. </span></span></p>

The rate released by CMS on Monday, does not account for inflation or hospitals' labor costs, say stakeholders.

The Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule is expected to increase hospital payments by $1.6B.