News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Friday issued a national decision to cover diagnostic laboratory tests using next generation sequencing for certain Medicare patients with advanced cancer.

Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees Friday asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide more information on how the agency is implementing the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, an initiative to improve the scope and quality of state-reported Medicaid data.

More than nine in 10 physicians say health plan prior authorization requirements have a negative impact on patient clinical outcomes.

Hospitals and health systems across the country are collaborating with organizations in their communities to address food insecurity and housing, the opioid epidemic and other challenges that influence health and well-being.

Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Ami Bera (D-CA) yesterday launched the Health Care Innovation Caucus, which will work to advance a legislative agenda that encourages innovative policy ideas to improve quality of care and lower costs for consumers.

The flu hospitalization rate rose last week to 89.9 per 100,000 people, although outpatient visits for flu-like illness peaked in early February and are on the decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today.

A record 31,899 medical school seniors and graduates were matched to U.S. residency positions today through the National Resident Matching Program, 1,421 more than last year.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a March 20 conference call to answer health care providers’ questions about preparing for the new Medicare beneficiary identifier.

Patient Safety Awareness Week is an opportunity for hospitals and health systems to reflect on their patient safety journey and share their progress. 

AHA yesterday submitted policy recommendations to House Ways and Means Committee leaders as they begin developing Medicare-related legislation to address the opioid crisis.

We applaud the announcement of the Health Care Innovation Caucus led by Representatives Kelly (R-PA), Kind (D-WI), Mullin (R-OK), and Bera, M.D. (D-CA) to encourage innovative policy ideas to improve the quality of care and lower costs for patients. America’s hospitals and health systems are leading the path to transform health care in new ways that improves health and reduces costs

In a statement submitted for the hearing, AHA highlighted how hospitals are using savings from the 340B program to provide access to critical services to their communities.

Unplanned hospital readmissions fell by 70,000 for Medicare Part C patients between 2011 and 2015, avoiding more than $1 billion in health care costs.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission today released its March report to Congress, which focuses on Medicaid managed care, telehealth in Medicaid, and disproportionate share hospital allotments to states.

Use the hashtag #PSAW18 to join the conversation from 12-1 p.m. ET.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last month extended to March 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT the Medicare deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals to submit electronic clinical quality measure data and to attest to meaningful use of electronic health records for calendar year 2017.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a March 20-21 workshop in Washington, D.C., on engaging the health care system in building capacity to respond to public health and national security threats.

Republican leaders of the House Energy & Commerce Committee last week asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and four hospital accrediting organizations to provide certain information about the hospital survey process and CMS oversight of the organizations by March 23.

Congressional proposals to appropriate $10 billion a year from 2019 to 2021 to extend cost sharing reductions and reinsurance for the individual health insurance market would expand health coverage to an additional 3.2 million people and lower premiums by at least 40%.

The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum yesterday presented 2018 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards to a health system, network of children’s hospitals, and physician at the NQF annual conference in Washington, D.C.