News

More than 2.5 million students in grades 6-12 reported using electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days when surveyed this year, including 14% of high school students and 3% of middle school students, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today.

Public and private entities may apply through Jan. 6 for up to $100,000 each to plan and develop integrated health care networks to expand access to basic health care services, coordinate and improve care and outcomes, and advance health equity for rural underserved populations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today issued an advisory to remind U.S. clinicians of best practices for evaluating patients for suspected Ebola in the wake of the recent outbreak in Uganda.

The COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy Evusheld may not prevent COVID-19 caused by certain variants of the virus, the FDA announced this week.

Increasing bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccinations this year to 2020-2021 flu vaccination rates could prevent an additional 75,000 deaths and 745,000 hospitalizations and avert $44 billion in medical costs over the next six months, researchers estimate in a Commonwealth Fund blog post.

Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and tribal organizations can apply though Jan. 6 for up to $6 million each to retrain current and former nurses and frontline health care workers.

CMS seeks comments through Dec. 6 on creating a National Directory of Healthcare Providers and Services to help patients locate providers and compare health plan networks, and reduce directory maintenance burden on providers and payers. 

Effective Oct. 1 for five years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will pay Average Sales Price plus 8%, rather than ASP plus 6%, for biosimilars whose average sales price does not exceed the price of the reference biological product. The payment increase was included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Operating margins for U.S. hospitals and health systems were down 24% in August compared to a year ago, driven in large part by a 7.2% increase in labor expenses, according to data from over 900 hospitals reported yesterday by Kaufman Hall.

The Department of Health and Human Services will begin restoring a payment rate of average sales price plus 6% for 340B drug claims in about two weeks, the department told a United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The AHA’s American Organization for Nursing Leadership affiliate has elected four new members to its board of directors effective Jan. 1.

Nancy Myers, AHA’s vice president of leadership and system innovation, and Marisa Scala-Foley, director of the Aging and Disability Business Institute, discuss how hospitals and health systems are partnering with their Area Agencies on Aging to address the health and social needs of older community members.

Price increases for over 1,200 drugs exceeded inflation between July 2021 and July 2022, including many drugs used to treat cancer and other chronic conditions, the Department of Health and Human Services reported Friday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra yesterday declared a public health emergency for South Carolina to address the health impacts of Hurricane Ian, and waived or modified certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program requirements to ensure sufficient health care items and services are available.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra last week extended for 10 years his Aug. 4 public health emergency for monkeypox under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, and authorized additional providers to administer vaccines and therapeutics under the emergency declaration. The original declaration was effective through Dec. 31. 

The AHA Friday joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other national organizations in urging the Supreme Court to review a 9th Circuit decision holding that the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005 does not provide complete immunity from tort liability for health care providers and other covered entities during the COVID-19 pandemic, “upending Congress’s carefully calibrated scheme.” 

The National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience today finalized its National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, which builds on six years of work among 200 participants, including the AHA.

Each year the AHA Quest for Quality Prize recognizes hospitals and health systems that are achieving high-quality care and improving community health. The AHA heartily encourages your organization to apply for the 2023 award.

The New Hampshire Hospital Association and the Foundation for Healthy Communities Sept. 29 received a Power of Associations Gold Award for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Society of Association Executives' Power of Associations Awards recognize associations’ economic and societal contributions locally, nationally and globally.

The AHA and its Institute for Diversity and Health Equity have revised the criteria for the Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, for which applications are now being accepted. The award is given annually in recognition of outstanding efforts among hospitals and health care systems to advance equity of care to all patients and to share lessons and progress made toward diversity, inclusion and health equity.