News

AHA yesterday submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in response to a request for information on the Medicare Advantage program. AHA in its letter raised concerns over certain Medicare Advantage organization practices and policies that restrict or delay access to care; provided considerations for health equity, behavioral health access, and post-acute care services; outlined implications for continued enrollment growth in the program; and described the unique value that integrated health systems provide in serving Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

A new Kaufman Hall analysis noted that U.S. hospitals and health systems are experiencing some of the worst margins since the beginning of the pandemic, and 2022 continues to be on pace to be the worst year of the pandemic in terms of financial performance. Expenses remain at historic highs, leaving hospitals with cumulatively negative margins.

Learn how hospital and health system leaders such as Mohiedean Ghofrani, M.D., system medical director for laboratory services, PeaceHealth, are implementing laboratory stewardship programs to track patterns in test ordering compared to accepted guidelines to help identify gaps in care.

The AHA last week encouraged the Bureau of Land Management to work with the Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Food and Drug Administration to assist in taking steps to protect access to helium prior to executing the final sale of the Federal Helium Reserve near Amarillo, Texas.

In an op-ed piece for Fierce Healthcare this past weekend, Stacey Hughes, AHA’s executive vice president for government relations and public policy, urged Congress to step up to the plate and support hospitals amid unprecedented fiscal challenges, including escalating costs and workforce issues, each compounded by inflation and the COVID-19 public health emergency.

New AHA-supported legislation was introduced today by Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., to extend the Medicare-dependent hospital program and low-volume hospital adjustment, which both serve as critical lifelines for rural hospitals. The Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act would extend each for five years. In its letter of support to the sponsors of the ARCH Act, AHA highlighted rural hospitals’ important roles in the communities they serve and the bill’s ability to support these efforts.

Medtronic's HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device system recall: Get the latest updates on controller port pin damage and pump weld defect. Stay informed.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has pushed back the start date of the radiation oncology model. Learn more from AHA 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.