Capital Finance

Facing a $170 million budget shortfall, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy and other lawmakers are floating a raft of ideas to save money, including an increase in the state hospital tax, Medicaid funding cuts, limits on hospital tax credits and a new way for municipalities to tax hospital property.

Ventas, a Chicago-based healthcare real estate investment trust, is set to acquire Ardent Medical Services and its Ardent Health Services affiliates for $1.75 billion in cash.

Importance chief financial officers are placing on investments represents a major shift in the past 10 years, experts say.

According to the nonprofit healthcare provider, operating revenue was $4.3 billion in the second quarter compared to $3.5 billion in the prior period.

Much of the turnaround can be attributed to expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and to a lesser extent, an improved economy,

Fitch also raised concerns about the deal coming at a time when Tenet is still integrating Vanguard Health Systems, which it acquired for $4.3 billion in 2013.

A number of big deals, involving both for-profit and nonprofit health systems, have recently fallen apart amid pushback from regulators and skepticism from researchers, who note a lack of evidence about long-term quality and cost impacts.

The deal comes five years after Humana spent $790 million to buy Concentra, a network of 300 urgent care and physical centers and 245 work-site clinics in 38 states.

Banner finished 2014 with $8.8 billion in total assets.

Many startups aimed at bringing hospitals and physicians software and management services to adapt to new Medicare and insurance payment models.