Accounting & Financial Management

Changes in payment trends brought about by the Affordable Care Act, technology expenditures related to electronic health records, and fluctuations in cash flow from higher deductibles and patient copays have all impacted the need for readily available cash.

As hospitals and other healthcare facilities face tighter profit margins tied to care costs and cuts in reimbursement rates, more organizations are turning to just-in-time inventory management to keep supplies lean and costs low. But the approach comes with risks.

Organizations need to find ways to increase collections on the front end, revise charity policies and contract for shared risk to stay solvent, according to a new report from iVantage Health Analytics.

Chief financial officers must determine the best value-based care model for their healthcare organization, experts say.

The economic recovery has been a major driver, but the increase in the number of people insured through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion is likely having the biggest effect.

The health system is losing around $6 million a month, and may or may not be able to find a buyer after for-profit hospital chain Prime backed out of an $843 million takeover deal.

Tax deals and donations were not enough to keep the facility open.

Texas health system offering patients more choice and nurturing its own health plan, even while collaborating with major insurers.

Same-facility admissions at HCA's 165 hospitals increased 5.1 percent in the first quarter, same-facility equivalent admissions grew 6.8 percent, and same-facility emergency room visits increased 11.5 percent, while revenue per equivalent admission increased 1.6 percent.

Tennessee-based Iasis, which operates acute-care hospitals, said its revised 2014 revenue will be $2.5 billion, $30 million less than previously thought.