01Oct 2026
Medicaid quality is shifting to outcomes. Expect it in plan contracts
CMS and 37 states pledged to measure Medicaid quality by outcomes. Expect the shift in managed care contracts and value-based terms.
Healthcare Leadership Blog
Saturday, October 24, 2026Vol. XIII
The Blog
The Blog
Est. 2014
Decision-ready analysis
Decision-ready analysis
Back issues
Page 3 of 1230Sep 2026
September 2026 in review: Margins slide, Minnesota consolidates further
September 2026: hospital margins slip in July, Essentia and HealthPartners plan a 22-hospital merger, and Elevance targets off-campus outpatient billing.
31Aug 2026
August 2026 in review: Fitch sees a peak, a cyber outage drags on
August 2026: Fitch warns nonprofit hospital finances may have peaked, AnMed's cyberattack recovery drags on, and Denver and Minnesota deals advance.
31Jul 2026
July 2026 in review: Provider tax limits proposed as mega-deals multiply
July 2026: CMS proposes Medicaid provider tax limits, the AHA presses for changes to the work rule, and hospital mega-mergers keep accelerating.
30Jun 2026
June 2026 in review: CMS writes the Medicaid work rules; bad debt climbs
June 2026: CMS issues the Medicaid work requirement rule, April margins tick up as bad debt rises, and CHS sells four Arkansas hospitals to Freeman.
29May 2026
May 2026 in review: CMS targets state-directed payments, work rules begin
May 2026: CMS proposes caps on Medicaid state-directed payments, Nebraska starts work requirements, margins recover and Quorum Health goes nonprofit.
30Apr 2026
April 2026 in review: FY2027 IPPS proposal, MA rates rise, M&A rebounds
April 2026: CMS proposes a 2.4% FY2027 IPPS update and mandatory CJR-X, finalizes a 2.48% MA increase, and Q1 hospital M&A hits a six-year high.
31Mar 2026
March 2026 in review: Sutter-Allina deal, Medicaid renewals, ACA results
March 2026: Sutter and Allina plan a $26B system, CMS details six-month Medicaid renewals, and ACA enrollees shift sharply toward bronze plans.
27Feb 2026
February 2026 in review: Extenders pass, margins settle, UMMC goes offline
February 2026: Congress extends hospital at home, telehealth and DSH relief; Kaufman Hall reports flat 2025 margins; ransomware closes UMMC clinics.
30Jan 2026
January 2026 in review: ACA subsidies lapse, MA rates and new GME slots
January 2026: enhanced ACA subsidies lapse, CMS proposes a 0.09% MA rate change for 2027, and 400 new residency slots go to teaching hospitals.
31Dec 2025
December 2025 in review: ACA credits lapse, rural awards land, HHS eyes AI
December 2025 recap: enhanced ACA subsidies expire, CMS awards first-year rural transformation funds to all 50 states, HHS releases AI strategy and RFI.
28Nov 2025
November 2025 in review: Shutdown ends, OPPS final rule squeezes outpatient
November 2025 recap: shutdown ends with telehealth and hospital at home extended to Jan. 30; CMS finalizes 2.6% OPPS update with site-neutral expansion.