HealthSpring a value from the bottom up

By Geert De Lombaerde Posted on November 12, 2009 at 12:20 pm

The analysts at Zacks say Franklin-based HealthSpring scores well on a screen that emphasizes cash flow. The health insurer (Ticker: HS) is on track to spin off more than $150 million in cash from operations this year.

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Tags: cash flow, health insurance, HealthSpring Inc., stock valuation, Zacks Investment Research Inc.  

HCA restates cash flow numbers

By Geert De Lombaerde Posted on August 17, 2009 at 9:41 am

The hospital giant has amended its financial statements to comply with FAS 160, an accounting rule that became effective Jan. 1 and calls for a change in the way companies represent outsiders’ stakes in controlled subsidiaries. The restatement doesn’t affect net income or shareholders’ equity numbers, but does boost the company’s 2006-2008 cash flows from operations by $504 million.

HCA’s move follows that of AmSurg last week. Hmm, think there will be others?

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Tags: accounting rules, AmSurg Corp., cash flow, Financial Accounting Standards Board, HCA Inc., hospital management  

Interested in… well, interest

By Walker Duncan Posted on March 16, 2009 at 2:26 pm

An Indiana company pushing its new Medicaid payment system appeals to governors in 14 states (ours included) asking them to “lead a reform of Medicaid’s national payment system,” presumably with its product involved.

The Haley Group’s system takes two approaches: The first stretches the Medicaid payment cycle, the second would have docs take a pay cut to get their money more quickly. And we all know docs are always up for that.

“With 12.5 million people unemployed and in danger of losing their healthcare coverage and homes, we can no longer afford to pay healthcare providers in two weeks, as we do with both Medicaid and Medicare,” David Haley, CEO of Haley Group, states. “A 30-day payment cycle, like the government uses for most vendors and all Social Security recipients, would enable the government to collect interest on the additional 16 days of cash flow created.”

In addition to interest accrued from a 30-day payment cycle, Encentiv’s patent-pending payment system provides the government extra revenue by enabling healthcare providers to choose a two-day payment cycle. In exchange for Encentiv’s two-day payment cycle, healthcare providers would forgo 2% of their payment. Encentiv would put healthcare providers on a near-cash transaction basis and give them unprecedented cash flow.

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Tags: cash flow, information technology: health care, Medicaid, physicians, revenue cycle management, The Haley Group  

It’s not business, it’s strictly personal

By Kleinheider Posted on December 10, 2008 at 10:47 am

Males tend to find themselves a bit light in the discretionary income department due to pursuit of the fairer sex:

Men are hardwired after eons of evolution to overspend, a new study suggests. Their maxed-out credit cards and mega-purchases have been tied to their desire to attract mates.

The biggest male spenders in the survey were found to have the highest number of reported past partners and desired the most future partners.

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Tags: cash flow, money, personal finance