Molina controls costs in Q1 but future Medicaid spending in doubt

The insurer beat analyst expectations for adjusted earnings in the first quarter. But steeper Medicaid membership losses than expected could saddle Molina with higher costs down the line.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 23, 2026

Flagging first-quarter volumes dragged CHS’ earnings

Executives said consumer fears and aggressive denials from payers fueled declining volumes in the quarter, leading CHS to a $58 million loss. Still, the hospital operator expects volumes to pick up in the back half of the year.

By Sydney Halleman • April 23, 2026

Elevance perks up in 2026 though Medicare Advantage payout could ding profits

The Indianapolis-based insurer raised its 2026 earnings guidance after posting a better first quarter than Wall Street expected. Still, Elevance lodged a $935 million expense to cover what it might owe the CMS over faulty data reporting.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated April 22, 2026

UnitedHealth hikes profit outlook after better-than-expected first quarter

Premium hikes, plan redesigns and other efforts from the Minnesota-based company to wrangle medical spending bore fruit in the first quarter. UnitedHealth’s stock jumped accordingly.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 21, 2026

More employers considering medical, pharmacy vendor switch amid rising healthcare costs, survey finds

Healthcare affordability continues to keep employers up at night. More businesses are shopping for new healthcare vendors as a result, according to the Purchaser Business Group on Health.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • April 16, 2026

Fix operations, not contracts: How to make value-based care work

Value-based care isn’t just a payment shift—it requires a new operating model.

April 13, 2026

Standing up to rising prescription drug costs increases access to breakthrough medications

For millions of Americans, accessing the medications they need at prices they can afford has gotten increasingly difficult.

By Dr. Michelle Gourdine, Senior Vice President, CVS Health; Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark • April 7, 2026

Digital twins for spend are changing how finance teams monitor and optimize performance

Utilizing AI to structure all contract and invoice data, healthcare leaders are creating digital twins for spend to create a permanent advantage.

By Shannon Copeland, CEO, SIB Fixed Cost Reduction • March 23, 2026

Hospitals’ financial performance off to a shaky start in 2026: report

Rising bad debt and expenses challenged hospitals in January — and those pressures aren’t likely to abate, according to consultancy Kaufman Hall.

By Emily Olsen • March 20, 2026

Providence considering sale of health plan

The Catholic nonprofit continues to search for new ways to cut costs, including a potential sale of Providence Health Plan, the company disclosed Thursday.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • March 20, 2026

How healthcare leaders are building procurement interoperability

Lessons from top health systems on improving care, efficiency and procurement performance.

March 9, 2026

Mayo Clinic rides admissions gains to higher net revenue in 2025

The Rochester, Minnesota-based nonprofit health system said increases in outpatient, hospital and surgical volumes boosted revenue for the year.

By Sydney Halleman • March 6, 2026

UHS eyes rising admissions targets this year despite headwinds

The for-profit hospital operator said on a call with investors that it hopes its behavioral health facilities will hit a long-term goal of 2% to 3% growth in adjusted patient days.

By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 27, 2026

Teladoc projects lower integrated care membership amid ACA subsidy lapse

The company’s U.S. integrated care membership could decline by nearly 5% at the high end of its projections, management said during an earnings call Wednesday.

By Emily Olsen • Feb. 26, 2026

CHS could slow pace of divestitures as it makes progress paying debt

Executives on an earnings call said CHS would be less “programmatic” about divestitures moving forward. The hospital operator has divested 35% of its hospital portfolio since 2019.

By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 20, 2026

Veradigm cut 15% of its workforce in 2025

The health IT firm is also cutting back on offices and “low revenue” products as it works to get up to date on its financial filings with regulators, executives said during a call this week.

By Emily Olsen • Feb. 19, 2026

Ascension posts net profit as it looks to outpatient growth

The Catholic health system continues to realign its portfolio as it divests inpatient facilities and grows its ambulatory care and outpatient operations.

By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 17, 2026

Why every practice should simplify billing – and how

All providers share an ethical obligation to help their patients avoid unnecessary delays in care, but for small and independent practices the impact can be particularly significant.

Feb. 17, 2026

Tenet expects $250M hit from loss of ACA subsidies this year

Still, the for-profit hospital operator’s projected loss is less than some of its peers, and Tenet said it expected to grow its earnings in 2026.

By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 12, 2026

Humana could end 2026 as the largest Medicare Advantage insurer

Humana is nabbing MA members while UnitedHealthcare sheds lives. That leaves the companies neck and neck when it comes to MA enrollment, though Humana’s growth is a gamble at a time of elevated medical spending.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 11, 2026

CVS holds 2026 guidance steady as turnaround plan bears fruit

The healthcare giant outperformed to close out 2025, and expects its finances to improve further this year. Still, proposed Medicare Advantage rates could be an issue moving forward.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 10, 2026

Kaiser increased its operating income in 2025, despite rising expenses

The integrated healthcare conglomerate nearly tripled its operating income last year compared to 2024.

By Sydney Halleman • Feb. 9, 2026

Centene swings to loss but predicts stabilization in 2026

Centene outperformed in the fourth quarter, while predicting earnings growth in 2026 — a rarity among managed care companies’ generally dour outlooks.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 6, 2026

Cigna posts ‘low-drama’ fourth quarter following major FTC settlement

Cigna is hoping the settlement it reached with regulators paired with recent legislation will mollify calls to reform PBMs — without affecting Express Scripts’ profitability.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 5, 2026

Prices rise at surgery centers acquired by Optum: study

The full financial impact of the price hikes could exceed $67 million each year in two dozen markets, according to the new study published in Health Affairs.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 3, 2026