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August 8, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Finance

Health System Revenues Climbed in 2025, But Unevenly

The nation's largest health systems kept growing in 2025, with many posting mid- to high-single-digit revenue gains, according to a Becker's Hospital Review ranking of 104 systems by annual revenue. The drivers were familiar: stronger patient volumes, improved payment rates, and continued expansion into ambulatory care and pharmacy operations.

The gains were not uniform. Some systems grew revenue by double digits, often by absorbing other organizations through mergers and acquisitions. Others saw slower growth, a sign that scale and dealmaking increasingly separate the biggest operators from the rest of the field.

For executives and investors, the rankings underscore a clear pattern in hospital finance. Top-line growth is coming less from inpatient beds and more from outpatient sites, retail pharmacy, and consolidation. Systems that can expand lower-cost service lines and integrate acquisitions are pulling ahead, while those relying on traditional hospital volumes face thinner margins for growth.

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Finance

CMS Finalizes 2.3% FY2027 Pay Bumps for Rehab, Hospices

CMS finalized fiscal 2027 payment rules giving inpatient rehabilitation facilities and hospices each a 2.3% payment increase.

Why it matters: Thin Medicare increases set the revenue baseline for rehab and hospice operators already squeezed by labor and supply costs.

Finance

Crystalys Raises $130M for Gout Drug Dotinurad

Crystalys Therapeutics raised $130 million to advance its URAT1 inhibitor dotinurad through pivotal gout trials.

Why it matters: Fresh capital and a $950M Sobi deal show pharma is finally targeting gout, a common condition with few effective treatment options.

Finance

Hospital Margins Slip 5% as Profitability Divide Widens

Hospital operating margins fell 5% nationally in early 2026, deepening a profitability divide between smaller hospitals and large nonprofit systems.

Why it matters: A widening margin gap determines which hospitals can invest, consolidate, or survive, reshaping access and competition across the industry.