News

AHA, in comments today to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, voiced support for the agency’s new rural emergency hospital designation, particularly its potential value in the area of maternal health. “It is undeniable that access to maternal and child care services is lacking in certain areas of the country, including many rural communities,” AHA wrote.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a CMCS Informational Bulletin to remind states of existing federal guidance related to reimbursement of Ground Emergency Medical Transportation services in Medicaid.

The deadline to comment on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule on Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified labs was extended through Sept. 26, according to the Federal Register.

A federal judge in Idaho Aug. 24 preliminarily enjoined an Idaho law in circumstances where it would conflict with the requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. The court concluded that the Idaho law lacks “a cutout for EMTALA-required care,” and thus “would inject tremendous uncertainty into precisely what care is required (and permitted) for pregnant patients who present in Medicare-funded emergency rooms with emergency medical conditions.”

Former AHA Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient Sister Mary Roch Rocklage passed away yesterday. She was 87. Rocklage was considered the “modern day foundress” of the Mercy health care system, serving the ministry for 65 years, including as Mercy’s first president and CEO and later its board chair.

The Institute for Diversity and Health Equity and AHA Community Health Improvement are accepting content proposals for the annual Accelerating Health Equity Conference, which will be held May 16-18, 2023, in Minneapolis.

A federal judge in Texas Aug. 23 blocked the Biden Administration from enforcing new guidance related to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which it issued following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The judge held the Department of Health and Human Services’ guidance does not preempt state law, exceeds the authority of EMTALA, and was improperly issued without notice and comment.

Pfizer yesterday announced its application for an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine booster that is designed to protect against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. The booster is meant for the 12 and older age group.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday awarded $25 million in planning grants to expand access to home and community-based services through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person program.

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury last week issued final regulations pertaining to several provisions of the No Surprises Act. In addition, the departments released a series of resources related to the regulations.

The AHA, in a letter today to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, cautioned against softening standards designed to maintain the safety and quality of laboratory testing in the U.S., including those regulating the professionals who staff the nation’s Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified labs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued an informational bulletin urging states to use existing Medicaid authority to drive better health outcomes for nursing home residents and improve staff pay, training and retention.

AHA today launched the Stress Meter (TM), a hub of curated, vetted resources featuring stress-relief information and techniques. Though not a diagnostic tool, the Stress Meter functions as a way for users to take a moment and evaluate their current stress level — mild, moderate or severe — and then access publicly available resources for understanding appropriate next steps.

Novavax today announced the Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for its Adjuvanted (NVX-CoV2373) COVID-19 vaccine. Under the expanded EUA, the two-dose primary series can be administered for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.

On this episode, I talk with Julie Yaroch, D.O., president of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian, Mich. Julie and I talk about the issues that rural hospitals face, including workforce shortages, increased costs of care, and an aging population.

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury late today issued a final rule updating several key regulations pertaining to the No Surprises Act, including what information certified independent dispute resolution entities (IDREs) must consider when making a payment determination under the federal arbitration process. According to the departments, these changes were made to conform with February and July 2022 rulings by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Chethan Sathya, M.D., a pediatric trauma surgeon and director of Northwell Health's Center for Gun Violence Research, talks with Laura Castellanos, associate director of AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative, about the cost of gun violence to hospitals and health systems as they treat a growing number of victims.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday proposed requiring states to report certain quality measures for children, adults and home health services in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program beginning in federal fiscal year 2024. Currently, states may choose not to report the measures.

U.S.-based Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing will fill and finish 2.5 million of the 5.5 million vials of JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine ordered by the Department of Health and Human Services to make available to individuals at high risk for the virus.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released fact sheets summarizing the current status of Medicare COVID-19 blanket waivers and flexibilities by provider type, as well as flexibilities applicable to the Medicaid community. The fact sheets include information about which waivers and flexibilities have already been terminated, have been made permanent or will end at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.