Flu season is rapidly approaching, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, what does that mean for the nation’s hospitals? I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and we’ll put that and other big stories under the magnifying glass in this week’s Top Stories.

On October 6, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will require hospitals to include data on their influenza patients along with their daily COVID-19 reporting. According to HealthcareITNews, they have 14 weeks to comply with the requirements, and if they don’t comply it could mean being cut off from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said hospitals should opt into this reporting starting on October 19, since doing so will be mandatory in a couple of weeks. What wasn’t made readily clear was what new data elements will be added and what specifically hospitals will be required to report, which has created confusion at the hospital, state and federal levels. Hospital associations are worried that removing certification for Medicare would create financial peril, particularly during the pandemic.

Some merger news took place this week when Clover Health, an Insurtech company for Medicare Advantage plans, revealed it will become publicly traded through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings. MobiHealthNews reports that the two companies will combine through a mix of cash financing and stock. Clover will receive about $728 million of the transaction proceeds while up to $500 million in cash proceeds will go to existing Clover shareholders. It’s the second straight week that Clover made headlines; last week it partnered with Walmart to offer Medicare Advantage plans in Georgia, which marked Walmart’s first venture into the health insurance space.

Finally this week, telehealth is having a moment in the spotlight, and Healthcare Finance News reports that 46% of Americans would readily embrace the remote care platform for mental health, which has been a persistent issue during the pandemic. Telehealth has opened up new, flexible options for patients, but providers have also benefited as they look to retain service line revenues by offering virtual care. Mental health topped the list of preferred uses for telehealth in the CynergisTek poll, with Millennials, GenXers and women more receptive to the technology than other groups. There is some lingering pessimism, however: 44% of respondents said they’re concerned about their mental health data being exposed ina  data breach.

I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and this has been Top Stories.