Category Archives: Credit Ratings

14 health systems with strong finances

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Here are 14 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order.

1. Roanoke, Va.-based Carilion Clinic has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s and an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P. The health system has a leading market position, strong operating cash flow and healthy debt metrics, according to Moody’s.

2. Wilmington, Del.-based ChristianaCare has an “AA+” rating and stable outlook with S&P, and an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has excellent cash flow and a light debt burden, according to S&P. The credit rating agency expects ChristianaCare’s operational performance to remain near recent levels over the next two years, as the health system capitalizes on its cost containment initiatives and strong business position.

3. Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Cottage Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has a leading market position and strong profitability and cash flow, according to Fitch. Going forward, the rating agency expects Cottage Health to see moderate revenue growth.

4. Honolulu-based Hawaii Pacific Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has a solid market position and healthy operating profitability, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects the health system to sustain continued capital and strategic investments without the need for incremental debt in the foreseeable future.

5. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Health System has an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The six-hospital system has a national and international brand that supports resilient clinical demand, according to Moody’s. The rating agency expects the health system to continue to see benefits from its strong regional market position.

6. Philadelphia-based Main Line Health has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s and an “AA” rating and stable outlook with S&P. The health system, which operates four acute care hospitals and a rehabilitation hospital, is a leading provider in the Philadelphia suburbs, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects the health system to maintain recently improved cash flow margins, which are driven by better patient volume trends.

7. Dallas-based Methodist Health System has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has healthy balance sheet measures and operating performance as well as favorable leverage metrics, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects Methodist Health System’s expense control initiatives and revenue growth opportunities to continue to drive sustainable operating performance.

8. Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P and an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has a strong balance sheet, good market presence and a management team that continues to execute its strategic plan, according to S&P. The rating agency expects NorthShore to maintain strong balance sheet metrics and low leverage.

9. Columbus-based OhioHealth has an “AA+” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The 12-hospital system has a leading market position and solid liquidity, profitability and leverage metrics, according to Fitch.

10. Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview Health System has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P. The nine-hospital system has stable operating performance and an excellent liquidity profile, according to S&P.

11. Chicago-based Rush University System for Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has a broad reach for high-acuity services as a leading academic medical center and its operating risk profile is strong, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects Rush to maintain strong capital-related ratios over the next five years.

12. Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare has an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has a leading market position in its core service area, strong patient demand, and solid margins, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects Sentara’s liquidity and debt metrics to remain at recent levels.

13. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch and S&P. The health system has a significant market presence in several states and a strong financial profile, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects the health system’s operating margins to continue to improve.

14. Madison, Wis.-based UW Health has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. UW Health has healthy margins from a large and growing clinical footprint, according to Moody’s. The rating agency expects UW Health’s margins to remain strong.

 

Kaufman Hall: Hospital revenue, margins improved in 2019, but warning signs ahead

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https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaufman-hall-hospital-revenue-margins-improved-in-2019-but-warning-signs/573192/

Dive Brief:

  • U.S. hospital finances experienced a comparatively strong 2019, according to Kaufman Hall’s 2019 Year In Review Flash Hospital Report, which labeled the performance as “cautiously optimistic.”
  • While revenue and margins increased for the hospitals surveyed, inpatient volumes were weaker and more uneven.
  • The report from the management consultancy and data provider did unearth some potential warning signs for 2020, including a trend in rising expenses. The report also warned of a slowing economy and the potential economic impact from the coronavirus.

Dive Insight:

Hospitals are complex, high-volume and low-margin enterprises that often experience operational volatility. The latest report by Kaufman Hall confirmed the uneasy environment in which they operate.

Operating earnings were up 2% in 2019 compared to the prior year, and overall operating margin was up 7.4%. That was driven primarily by small bumps in revenue and patient volume. Net patient revenue per adjusted discharge rose 3.7%, and was up 1.5% per adjusted patient day.

Yet both pre-tax and overall operating margin were down 1.7% and 0.3%, respectively, when hospital budget forecasts were factored in. However, that drop was all attributable to hospitals in the Northeastern U.S.

Nevertheless, overall margins fell into the red in August and November, although they rebounded strongly in December, up 20% in that month compared to December 2018.

However, cost pressures were significant. Total expenses per adjusted discharge were up 3.4%, while labor expenses rose 2.6%. Non-labor expenses per adjusted discharge was up 4%. Adjusted discharges themselves were up only 0.7%, and showed year-over-year declines not only for the first quarter of 2019 but in June, August and November. And overall discharges declined among hospitals compared to budget forecasts in the Midwest and Northeast, down nearly 6% and 4%, respectively. Adjusted patient days were up 2.5%, although the average length of stay rose 1.9%.

While operating room minutes were up 2.2%, they were 0.3% below budget forecasts. Emergency department visits were down 0.4% compared to 2018, and were a full percentage point below forecasts.

“While it was good to see improvements in many financial areas, the long-term trendlines indicate that this is not a time for the C-suite to relax,” said Kaufman Hall Managing Director Jim Blake.

“These modest gains were made during a time when the economy was strong, unemployment was historically low, and government regulations favored business. There also were no existential health threats, such as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak nor the risks that come any time there is a national election,” Blake continued.

 

 

 

110 hospital benchmarks | 2020

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Hospitals across the nation compete in a number of ways, including on quality of care and price, and many use benchmarking to determine the top priorities for improvement. The continuous benchmarking process allows hospital executives to see how their organizations stack up against regional competitors as well as national leaders.

Becker’s Hospital Review has collected benchmarks related to some of the most important day-to-day areas hospital executives oversee: quality, finance, staffing and utilization.

Finance

Key ratios

Source: Moody’s Investors Service, “Not-for-profit and public healthcare – US: Medians” report, September 2019. 

The medians are based on an analysis of audited fiscal 2018 financial statements for 284 freestanding hospitals, single-state health systems and multistate health systems, representing 79 percent of all Moody’s-rated healthcare entities. Children’s hospitals, hospitals for which five years of data are not available and certain specialty hospitals were not eligible for inclusion in the medians.

1. Maintained bed occupancy: 66.6 percent

2. Operating margin: 1.8 percent

3. Excess margin: 4.3 percent

4. Operating cash flow margin: 7.9 percent

5. Return on assets: 3.6 percent

6. Three-year operating revenue CAGR: 5.6 percent

7. Three-year operating expense CAGR: 6.4 percent

8. Cash on hand: 200.9 days

9. Annual operating revenue growth rate: 5.5 percent

10. Annual operating expense growth rate: 5.4 percent

11. Total debt-to-capitalization: 33.7 percent

12. Total debt-to-operating revenue: 33.3 percent

13. Current ratio: 1.9x

14. Cushion ratio: 21.6x

15. Annual debt service coverage: 4.7x

16. Maximum annual debt service coverage: 4.4x

17. Debt-to-cash flow: 3.1x

18. Capital spending ratio: 1.2x

19. Accounts receivable: 45.9 days

20. Average payment period: 61.4 days

21. Average age of plant: 11.7 years

Hospital margins by credit rating group

Source: S&P Global Ratings “U.S. Not-For-Profit Health Care System Median Financial Ratios — 2018 vs. 2017” report, September 2019.

AA+ rating

22. Operating margin: 5.5 percent

23. Operating EBIDA margin: 12 percent

24. Excess margin: 9.2 percent

25. EBIDA margin: 14.8 percent

AA rating

26. Operating margin: 4.4 percent

27. Operating EBIDA margin: 10.1 percent

28. Excess margin: 6.7 percent

29. EBIDA margin: 12.4 percent

AA- rating

30. Operating margin: 3.4 percent

31. Operating EBIDA margin: 9.5 percent

32. Excess margin: 4.0 percent

33. EBIDA margin: 10.4 percent 

A+ rating

34. Operating margin: 1.6 percent

35. Operating EBIDA margin: 7.4 percent

36. Excess margin: 3.3 percent

37. EBIDA margin: 10.1 percent 

A rating

38. Operating margin: 2.1 percent

39. Operating EBIDA margin: 7.6 percent

40. Excess margin: 3.3 percent

41. EBIDA margin: 8.6 percent

 A- rating

42. Operating margin: 1 percent

43. Operating EBIDA margin: 7.8 percent

44. Excess margin: 2.5 percent

45. EBIDA margin: 8.3 percent

Average adjusted expenses per inpatient day

Source: Kaiser State Health Facts, accessed in 2020 and based on 2018 data. 

Adjusted expenses per inpatient day include all operating and nonoperating expenses for registered U.S. community hospitals, defined as public, nonfederal, short-term general and other hospitals. The figures are an estimate of the expenses incurred in a day of inpatient care and have been adjusted higher to reflect an estimate of the volume of outpatient services.

46. Nonprofit hospitals: $2,653

47. For-profit hospitals: $2,093

48. State/local government hospitals: $2,260

Prescription drug spending

Source: NORC at the University of Chicago’s “Recent Trends in Hospital Drug Spending and Manufacturer Shortages” report, January 2019. Figures below are based on 2017 data.

49. Average prescription drug spending per adjusted admission at U.S. community hospitals: $555 

50. Average outpatient prescription drug spending per adjusted admission at U.S. community hospitals: $523

51. Average inpatient prescription drug spending per admission at U.S. community hospitals: $756

52. GPO hospital spending on Activase:  $210 million

53. GPO hospital spending on Remicade: $138 million

54. GPO hospital spending on Humira: $122 million

55. GPO hospital spending on Rituxan: $92 million

56. GPO hospital spending on Neulasta: $92 million

57. GPO hospital spending on Prolia: $85 million

58. GPO hospital spending on Harvoni: $83 million

59. GPO hospital spending on Procrit: $80 million

60: GPO hospital spending on Lexiscan: $64 million

61. GPO hospital spending on Enbrel: $60 million

Quality and process of care 

Source: Hospital Compare, HHS, Complications and Deaths-National Averages, May 2018, and Timely and Effective Care-National Averages, May 2018, the latest available data for these measures.

Hospital-acquired conditions

The following represent the average percentage of patients in the U.S. who experienced the conditions.

62. Collapsed lung due to medical treatment: 0.27 percent

63. A wound that splits open on the abdomen or pelvis after surgery: 0.95 percent

64. Accidental cuts and tears from medical treatment: 1.29 percent

65. Serious blood clots after surgery: 3.85 percent

66. Serious complications: 1 percent

67. Bloodstream infection after surgery: 5.09 percent

68. Postoperative respiratory failure rate: 7.35 percent

69. Pressure sores: 0.52 percent

70. Broken hip from a fall after surgery: 0.11 percent

71. Perioperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate: 2.53 percent

Death rates

72. Death rate for CABG surgery patients: 3.1 percent

73. Death rate for COPD patients: 8.5 percent

74. Death rate for pneumonia patients: 15.6 percent

75. Death rate for stroke patients: 13.8 percent

76. Death rate for heart attack patients: 12.9 percent

77. Death rate for heart failure patients: 11.5 percent

Outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack

78. Median time to transfer to another facility for acute coronary intervention: 58 minutes

79. Median time before patient received an ECG: 7 minutes

Lower extremity joint replacement patients

80. Rate of complications for hip/knee replacement patients: 2.5 percent

Flu vaccination

81. Healthcare workers who received flu vaccination: 90 percent

Pregnancy and delivery care

82. Mothers whose deliveries were scheduled one to two weeks early when a scheduled delivery was not medically necessary: 2 percent

Emergency department care

83. Average time patient spent in ED after the physician decided to admit as an inpatient but before leaving the ED for the inpatient room: 103 minutes

84. Average time patient spent in the ED before being sent home: 141 minutes

85. Average time patient spent in the ED before being seen by a healthcare professional: 20 minutes

86. Percentage of patients who left the ED before being seen: 2 percent

Staffing

Source: American Hospital Association “Hospital Statistics” report, 2019 Edition.

Average full-time staff

87. Hospitals with six to 24 beds: 101

88. Hospitals with 25 to 49 beds: 176

89. Hospitals with 50 to 99 beds: 302

90. Hospitals with 100 to 199 beds: 683

91. Hospitals with 200 to 299 beds: 1,264

92. Hospitals with 300 to 399 beds: 1,789

93. Hospitals with 400 to 499 beds: 2,670

94. Hospitals with 500 or more beds: 5,341

Average part-time staff

95. Hospitals with six to 24 beds: 52

96. Hospitals with 25 to 49 beds: 84

97. Hospitals with 50 to 99 beds: 141

98. Hospitals with 100 to 199 beds: 286

99. Hospitals with 200 to 299 beds: 472

100. Hospitals with 300 to 399 beds: 604

101. Hospitals with 400 to 499 beds: 1,009

102. Hospitals with 500 or more beds: 1,468

Utilization 

Source: American Hospital Association “Hospital Statistics” report, 2019 Edition.

Average admissions per year

103. Hospitals with six to 24 beds: 408

104. Hospitals with 25 to 49 beds: 901

105. Hospitals with 50 to 99 beds: 2,097

106. Hospitals with 100 to 199 beds: 5,809

107. Hospitals with 200 to 299 beds: 11,241

108. Hospitals with 300 to 399 beds: 16,635

109. Hospitals with 400 to 499 beds: 20,801

110. Hospitals with 500 or more beds: 34,593

 

A slightly less bad year for CHS

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After the stock market closed yesterday, Community Health Systems disclosed it lost $675 million in 2019, still has $13.4 billion of long-term debt and will sell even more hospitals than it already has, Axios’ Bob Herman reports.

The intrigue: The company’s stock was up 12% in after-hours trading.

  • That’s because CHS expects 2020 to be better — but still lose upwards of $150 million.

The bottom line: CHS owns a lot of hospitals in rural and small communities. Putting aside CHS’ specific business flops, it’s become tougher to operate hospitals in areas where the population is stagnating or declining because hospitals still rely on filling their clinics and beds.

 

 

 

30 latest hospital credit rating downgrades

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https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/30-latest-hospital-credit-rating-downgrades.html

OR Efficiencies

The following 30 hospital and health system credit rating downgrades occurred in the past six months. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

1. Altru Health System (Grand Forks, N.D.) — from “A-” to “BBB” (Fitch Ratings); from “Baa1” to “Baa2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

2. Augusta (Ga.) University Health System — from “Baa1” to “Baa3” (Moody’s Investors Service); from “BBB” to “BBB-” (S&P Global Ratings)

3. Bibb County Medical Center (Centreville, Ala.) — from “BBB+” to “BB” (S&P Global Ratings)

4. Boone Hospital Center (Columbia, Mo.) — from “Baa2” to “Ba1” (Moody’s Investors Service); from “A-” to “BBB” (Fitch Ratings)

5. Covenant Health (Tewksbury, Mass.) — from “BBB+” to “BBB” (Fitch Ratings)

6. Delta (Colo.) County Memorial Hospital — from “BB+” to “BB” (S&P Global Ratings)

7. Erlanger Health System (Chattanooga, Tenn.) — from “Baa2” to “Baa3” (Moody’s Investors Service)

8. Excela Health (Greensburg, Pa.) — from “A3” to “Baa1” (Moody’s Investors Service)

9. Fairfield Medical Center (Lancaster, Ohio) — from “Baa3” to “Ba2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

10. Hospital Sisters Health System (Springfield, Ill.) — from “AA-” to “A+” (S&P Global Ratings)

11. Indiana (Pa.) Regional Medical Center — from “Ba1” to “Ba2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

12. Integris (Oklahoma City) — from “A1” to “A2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

13. Mercy Medical Center (Des Moines, Iowa) — from “A” to “A-” (S&P Global Ratings)

14. Methodist Hospitals (Gary, Ind.) — from “BBB” to “BBB-” (S&P Global Ratings)

15. Murray (Ky.) Calloway County Hospital — from “Baa3” to “Ba2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

16. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (Miami) — from “A+” to “A” (S&P Global Ratings)

17. OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.) — from “A2” to “A3” (Moody’s Investors Service)

18. Parmer County (Texas) Hospital District — from “Baa1” to “Baa2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

19. Princeton (W.Va.) Community Hospital — from “BBB+” to “BBB” (S&P Global Ratings)

20. ProMedica Health System (Toledo, Ohio) — from “Baa1” to “Baa3” (Moody’s Investors Service); from “BBB+” to “BBB” (Fitch Ratings)

21. Regional West Health Services (Scottsbluff, Neb.) — from “BBB” to “BB+” (Fitch Ratings)

22. Sanford Health (Sioux Fall, S.D.) — from “A1” to “A2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

23. South Nassau Communities Hospital (Oceanside, N.Y.) — from “Baa1” to “Baa2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

24. Southeastern Regional Medical Center (Lumberton, N.C.) — from “A-” to “BBB+” (Fitch Ratings)

25. Sparrow Health System (Lansing, Mich.) — from “A1” to “A2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

26. St. John’s Riverside Hospital (Yonkers, N.Y.) — from “B-” to “CCC+” (S&P Global Ratings)

27. St. Luke’s Hospital (Chesterfield, Mo.) — from “A+” to “A” (S&P Global Ratings)

28. Tower Health (West Reading, Pa.) — from “A” to “BBB” (Fitch Ratings); from “A3” to “Baa2” (Moody’s Investors Service)

29. University of Chicago Medical Center — from “A1” to “Aa3” (Moody’s Investors Service)

30. Winkler County Memorial Hospital (Kermit, Texas) — from “AA” to “BB+” (S&P Global Ratings)

 

 

 

7 health systems with strong finances

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Here are seven health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

1. Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Health System has an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The three-hospital system benefits from its role as the academic medical center of Duke University’s School of Medicine and is a nationally recognized and leading provider of tertiary and quaternary services, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects the health system to maintain operating cash flow margins in the double-digit range.

2. Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P and Fitch. The health system has a solid financial profile and a strong presence in a large and demographically favorable market, according to Fitch. S&P expects the health system’s depth of clinical services and operations to contribute to its stable financial performance.

3. Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch and S&P. The health system has a strong balance sheet and financial profile, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects MemorialCare’s cash flow to improve due to its market strategy, which focuses on revenue diversification.

4. Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s and an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P. OHSU, which is the only academic medical center in Oregon, has favorable operating performance, strong philanthropy and its clinical offerings draw patients from across Oregon and neighboring states, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects OHSU’s revenue to continue to grow.

5. Boston-based Partners HealthCare, which is changing its name to Mass General Brigham, has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has an excellent reputation in clinical care and research, a seasoned management team, large size and diversity of revenue sources across several locations and lines of business, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects Partners to achieve an operating surplus in fiscal 2020.

6. Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare has an “Aa2” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has a leading market position in its core service area, strong patient demand, and solid margins, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects Sentara’s liquidity and debt metrics to remain at recent levels.

7. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch and S&P. The health system has a significant market presence in several states and a strong financial profile, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects the health system’s operating margins to continue to improve.

 

Provider of the Year: Providence St. Joseph Health

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https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/provider-providence-st-joseph-health-dive-awards/566477/

The 51-hospital system, which traces its roots back to the 1850s,​ has maintained a stable ratings outlook amid industry headwinds and pursued tech partnerships this year to bolster its portfolio.

Providence St. Joseph Health, the fourth-largest U.S. nonprofit health system by number of hospitals, marked a busy 2019 with multiple efforts to dive into the tech sector and seek out partnerships to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges.

The Catholic system now operates 51 hospitals in eight states as the result of a July 2016 merger of Providence Health and Services and St. Joseph Health. While the organization is the dominant inpatient provider in all its markets, no single area accounts for more than 30% of its net operating revenue, showing good portfolio diversification, ratings agency have noted.

The system, which can trace its roots back to the 1850s when the Sisters of Providence set up hospitals, schools and orphanages throughout the Northwest, posted $24 billion in operating revenue last year. That metric has shown year-over-year increases since the $18 billion posted in 2014.

Providence CEO Rod Hochman told Healthcare Dive the health system hasn’t shied away from seeking partnerships as the industry swings toward value based care and other systemic changes.

“I think the message is: ‘You can’t do it alone,'” he said. “You can’t go out there and just do it yourself — you don’t have the scale to do it.”

In that vein, the system (which is formally rebranding to Providence over the next few years) was one of the founding members of generic drug company Civica Rx, which opened its headquarters and made its first delivery this year. That’s a coalition of hospitals working to make their own drugs, starting with antibiotics.

It’s also grouping up with One Medical to increase access to primary care and teaming with Cedars-Sinai to build a patient tower in southern California. And in February, the organization launched the population health management company Ayin Health Solutions to provide benefits management as well as risk evaluation and care coordination tools.

Providence has maintained a stable outlook from the three main ratings agencies even as other nonprofits struggled to stay above water. Kevin Holloran, senior director at Fitch Ratings, said the system has managed to think about margins the way a public company must while still adhering to the mission-driven thought process nonprofit organizations trumpet.

“Blending those two thoughts together sounds easy, but it’s not,” Holloran told Healthcare Dive. “It’s hard to do.”

Moody’s Investors Service issued a credit opinion recently on Providence, finding the system’s integrated structure that includes a health plan and 7,600 employed physicians creates “further cashflow diversification, and strengthens the organization’s competitive position.”

The analysts wrote they expect operating margins to continue to improve going into next year as it implements dozens of initiatives updating operating practices, cost structures and revenue systems. They note, however, the organization faces a challenge in transitioning disparate EHRs and its numerous joint ventures “may also entail a certain amount of execution and integration risk.”

Holloran pointed to two relatively recent hires as leading the way for Providence — both poaches from Microsoft. CFO Venkat Bhamidipati joined the organization two years ago and CIO B.J. Moore came on in January.

They migrated from the tech world to the traditionally loathe-to-change healthcare landscape, and have made a difference for Providence.

It puts the company in a strategic place for growth, Holloran said. “Now they’re sort of adding that missing piece, which is optimizing what they’ve got,” he said. “And a big piece of that is the technology, and they’re doing it in a unique and interesting way.”

This year, Providence acquired Lumedic, which uses blockchain tools for revenue cycle management, and Bluetree, an Epic consultancy. The health system also allows patients to schedule appointments through Amazon’s smart speaker Alexa.

In July, the health system announced an agreement with Microsoft to use the tech giant’s cloud and artificial intelligence tools in an effort to foster interoperability, improve outcomes and drive down costs.

The organization still has traditional struggles, however. Hochman, who is also the incoming chairman of the American Hospital Association, said the ongoing litigation surrounding the Affordable Care Act, coupled with payment changes and other CMS changes, creates a chaotic environment for providers.

“Every day they come up with something new, and it’s been the lack of predictability that’s been the biggest problem for us,” he said.

 

 

 

Health insurers stable, M&A seen diminishing in 2020: Fitch

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https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/health-insurers-stable-ma-seen-diminishing-in-2020-fitch/568859/

Dive Brief:

  • The outlook for the health insurance sector remains stable heading into 2020, Fitch Ratings reports.
  • The ratings agency maintains a stable outlook on the “vast majority” of the companies it rates within the U.S. health insurance industry, which includes UnitedHealth Group and Aetna.
  • The insurance sector continues to benefit from “low unemployment, manageable medical cost trend and solid growth in government-funded business,” Brad Ellis, senior director for Fitch, said in the report.

Dive Insight:

Even anticipating an increase in the growth of U.S. health expenditures, Fitch expects insurers to deliver solid operating results, including improved medical loss ratios, for 2020.

There is even a chance for insurers to garner positive ratings outlooks as many look to continue to execute on merger integration and deleveraging, according to Fitch.

Thanks in part to the return of the health insurance fee, Fitch expects medical loss ratios to drop to 82.5% in 2020. A decrease from the expected 83.9% for the full year of 2019 for the nation’s eight largest publicly traded insurers, which cover about 165 million people, according to Fitch.

MLR is an important measure, showing the amount an insurer spends on medical claims as a percentage of premiums. Lower MLRs leave more room for covering administration costs and garnering profit.

Even an upcoming election year and a slate of Democratic presidential hopefuls touting support to expand Medicare, the agency does not expect seismic changes to the system.

“Healthcare will certainly continue to be one of the most prevalent discussion topics among candidates for the U.S. presidency in 2020, but Fitch does not anticipate significant change in the structure of the U.S. healthcare system over the next couple of years,” the report said.

The agency also said it expects major mergers to slow significantly in 2020. The insurance sector has experienced significant M&A activity over the last few years, including CVS Health’s buy of Aetna and Cigna’s acquisition of Express Scripts. Centene is near closing on its purchase of rival WellCare.

Fitch expects consolidation activity next year to focus more on “modest build-out of care delivery opportunities in various regions or care management and technology initiatives.”

 

 

 

Nonprofit hospitals get bump in Moody’s ratings for 2020

Posted on by • Posted in ACA, Balance Sheet, Credit Quality, Credit Ratings, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Individual Mandate, Medicaid Disproportionate Share Reimbursement (DSH), Medicaid Expansion, Medicare, Medicare 340B Drug Discount Program, Price Transparency • Leave a comment

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/nonprofit-hospitals-get-bump-in-moodys-ratings-for-2020/568739/

UPDATE: Dec. 11, 2019: Fitch Ratings also changed its sector outlook for the U.S. nonprofit health systems market to stable from negative for 2020 in a report released Tuesday.

Dive Brief:

  • Next year should be kinder to nonprofit hospitals and health systems, with Moody’s Investors Service forecasting a 2% to 3% growth in operating cash flow next year, driven by stronger provider revenue due to Medicare and commercial reimbursement raises and growth in patient volumes.
  • Moody’s revised its 2020 outlook for the not-for-profit provider sector from negative to stable as a result, and expects to see increased consolidation as hospitals bid to gain “negotiating leverage with commercial insurers, achieve savings through economies of scale, and ensure a foothold in emerging offerings such as urgent care and telemedicine,” analysts wrote.​
  • That’s not to say health systems won’t continue to contend with sharp industry headwinds like rising labor costs and the aging population, along with uncertainty from up-in-the-air legislation, regulation and lawsuits.

Dive Insight:

High Medicare reimbursement rates should, along with slightly more favorable commercial reimbursements, drive sector revenue to jump 4% to 5%, Moody’s predicts. Medicare payment rates in 2020 are the most industry-friendly in a while, analysts say, at 3.1% for overall inpatient rates and 2.6% for outpatient.

Fitch Ratings, which also revised its sector outlook from negative to stable, noted balance sheet measures for the providers are now at levels not seen since before the Great Recession in 2007.

Expense management is also forecast to improve cash flow, though provider shortages will cause labor costs to grow.

A growth in the number of uninsured is projected to curb some of the gains expected under this positive forecast, however. The uninsured rate reached 13.7% at the end of 2018, ticking up from 12.2% in 2017 and a low of 10.6% in 2016, according to Gallup. Policy experts blame the elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, along with other Trump administration policies destabilizing the market.

Other regulatory waves could also impact hospital margins next year.

Cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share payments are likely to be postponed until late 2020 at least, which will help hospitals serving a large number of low-income patients. The $4 billion payment reduction was supposed to go into effect in 2014, but lawmakers have delayed the unpopular cuts annually since.

On Nov. 21, the Senate approved a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Dec. 20. The CR once again pushed back the trims to the Medicaid payments.

A Trump administration policy requiring payers and providers to post secret negotiated rates online could help some hospitals and hurt others, with some health experts arguing it would stimulate competition through transparency and others warning it could cause prices across the board to rise.

Hospital lobbies filed a lawsuit Dec. 4 to stop the rule, arguing it violates the First Amendment and would put overly onerous administrative burdens on providers.

Cuts to the 340B Drug Discount program, meant to prop up hospitals with a large amount of uncompensated care, could also hurt the sector. The program generated an average savings of almost $12 million across all U.S. hospitals last year.

In May, a federal judge struck down planned HHS cuts to 340B, arguing the change was outside of the agency’s authority. However, CMS has said it plans to go through with the payment reductions in the final outpatient rule for 2020.

On the legislative side, the Republican state-led initiative to find the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional would shear an estimated 20 million Americans from coverage and raise premiums on millions more, hitting both hospitals and the consumer hard. ​

“The fate of the ACA will likely again rest with the Supreme Court,” Moody’s analysts said. “An adverse ruling there would have painful implications for hospitals if millions of individuals lose insurance,” and “coverage gains from Medicaid expansion would likely be lost.”

 

 

 

9 health systems with strong finances

Posted on by • Posted in Balance Sheet, Credit Quality, Credit Ratings, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Industry, Net Income, Operating Margin, Operating Performance • Leave a comment

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/9-health-systems-with-strong-finances-120919.html

Here are nine health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to recent reports from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Health system names were compiled from recent credit rating reports and are listed in alphabetical order.

1. Advocate Aurora Health, a 27-hospital system with dual headquarters in Downers Grove, Ill., and Milwaukee, has an “Aa3” rating and positive outlook with Moody’s. The health system has a favorable liquidity position, low leverage, and healthy margins, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects the health system to continue to benefit from its position as a market leader within two large service areas.

2. Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The five-hospital system has healthy liquidity and solid operating margins, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects strong patient volume, low reliance on governmental funding and other factors to continue to support Atlantic Health System’s financial metrics.

3. Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch and S&P. The health system has a strong balance sheet and financial profile, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects MemorialCare’s cash flow to improve due to its market strategy, which focuses on revenue diversification.

4. Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s and an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with S&P. OHSU, which is the only academic medical center in Oregon, has favorable operating performance, strong philanthropy and its clinical offerings draw patients from across Oregon and neighboring states, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects OHSU’s revenue to continue to grow.

5. Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has strong revenue growth, good market share for acute care services and a favorable balance sheet. The credit rating agency expects the health system’s insurance plan, which is already a dominant health plan in New Mexico, to continue to grow.

6. Appleton, Wis.-based ThedaCare has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch. The health system has solid cash flow and a leading market position in a stable service area, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects ThedaCare’s operating performance to continue to improve.

7. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health has an “AA-” rating and stable outlook with Fitch and S&P. The health system has a significant market presence in several states and a strong financial profile, according to Fitch. The credit rating agency expects the health system’s operating margins to continue to improve.

8. Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina Hospitals has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. UNC Hospitals, part of UNC Health Care System, has an excellent market position and strong financial performance, according to Moody’s. The credit rating agency expects UNC Hospitals to continue to grow patient volumes and maintain strong financial performance.

9. Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Health System has an “Aa3” rating and stable outlook with Moody’s. The health system has a strong market position, and substantial investments in facilities will allow the health system to capitalize on its prominent reputation and wide patient draw, according to Moody’s.