Author: Patsy Newitt

Here are 10 hospitals, physician practices and health facilities that have announced plans to close, according to Becker's reported between July 30 and Aug. 8:

From potential Stark law amendments to a noncompete ban, here are four recent federal moves that are affecting physicians:

The vertical integration of physician groups and health systems is resulting in a push to procedures to hospital outpatient departments over ASCs, driving Medicare and patient out-of-pocket costs up, according to a study published July 25 in Science Direct. 

The owner of a medical supply company in Spokane, Wash., has agreed to pay $224,620 to resolve allegations he participated in a kickback scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment.

Thomas Andrew Webster, MD, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for conspiring to accept kickbacks through a fraudulent medical supply scheme. 

ASC giant United Surgical Partners International continues to grow as its parent company Tenet Healthcare reorganizes its portfolio towards ASC development. 

Demand for physician specialists is growing, according to AMN Healthcare's 2024 "Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives," report. 

MercyOne announced its plans to close a hospital in Primghar, Iowa, by Sept. 30. 

Here are five gastroenterology groups dominating the industry:

The ASC industry is largely fragmented, with roughly 68% of ASC facilities operating independently as of 2023.