News

The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today held the first in a series of hearings on how to reduce health care costs, which will examine administrative costs and waste, how to improve transparency, private sector solutions and other issues.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today approved for Oklahoma the first state Medicaid plan amendment to allow supplemental rebate agreements involving value-based purchasing arrangements with drug makers.

Hospitals and health systems are invited to apply for the 2019 AHA Quest for Quality Prize, which recognizes extraordinary health care leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health in communities.

The Senate Finance Committee today held a hearing on strategies to reduce prescription drug costs and encourage innovation and competition in the market.

AHA today expressed substantial concerns with proposed reforms to the inpatient rehabilitation facility patient assessment process and case-mix systems for fiscal year 2020 included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ FY 2019 proposed rule for the IRF prospective payment system.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed patient-driven payment model for skilled nursing facilities would increase overall payment accuracy, especially for the medically complex patients treated by hospital-based providers, but needs refinement.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced several new Medicaid program integrity initiatives.

Markets that are less consolidated or less aligned vertically tend to have higher costs, while markets with well-organized provider networks tend to have lower costs, according to a new study.

The AHA today submitted comments on the long-term care hospital payment and quality reporting provisions included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for the hospital inpatient and LTCH prospective payment system for fiscal year 2019.

AHA today recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services convene a multi-stakeholder process to advance price transparency in health care.

AHA today voiced support for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposals to remove certain quality measures from the inpatient psychiatric facility quality reporting program in fiscal year 2019.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Friday signed legislation that would require able-bodied adults aged 19 to 62 to work or participate in training or community service an average 80 hours per month to continue qualifying for Medicaid under the Healthy Michigan program.

The AHA today submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2019, offering key recommendations with respect to Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital payment, CAR T-cell therapy, rural hospitals, the wage index, hospital quality reporting and value programs, and electronic health information exchange.

The AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust is partnering with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, with leadership and funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation, to create age-friendly health systems.

The House of Representatives today voted 396-14 to approve bipartisan legislation (H.R. 6) that will serve as a Senate vehicle for many of the House-passed bills to combat the opioid crisis and includes a number of AHA-supported provisions. 

The House Budget Committee yesterday voted 21-13 to approve a fiscal year 2019 budget resolution that would balance the budget within nine years.

The AHA yesterday urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to offer two additional start date options for the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced model in 2019 – Jan. 1 and April 1.

AHA and three member hospitals today recommended to a federal district court four non-deadline remedies to reduce the backlog of Medicare billing appeals awaiting adjudication at the Administrative Law Judge level.

The FDA yesterday approved the first continuous glucose monitoring system with a fully implantable sensor, designed to measure glucose levels in adults with diabetes for up to 90 days.

The California Hospital Association and other partners this week launched Behavioral Health Action, a statewide effort to engage candidates and highlight the importance of addressing behavioral health issues in 2018 elections.