UNH - Hospitals seek price hikes to offset rising nursing costs - WSJ

Amid surging nursing expenses, some hospital chains are looking to introduce hefty increases to treatment costs that could lead to higher premiums for employers and workers, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:HCA) and Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) are said to be among hospital operators requesting higher payments from payors. Neither firm did not specify the level of the price hikes they seek, The Journal said. However, people familiar with the talks say that some healthcare providers are seeking a 7.5% – 15% increase in their prices compared to the 4% to 6% price increases that hospitals typically seek. Meanwhile, insurer and employer groups are pushing back as they point out that the priciest hospital operators, which are typically paid more than five times the rates paid by Medicare, can absorb the costs without price hikes. The requests for price increases come as hospital operators are grappling with rising nursing

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Hospitals seek price hikes to offset rising nursing costs - WSJ