News

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack and hospital and health system leaders met with top Administration officials at the White House to discuss the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Internal Revenue Service have released a number of new information resources related to COVID-19.

Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica health system will receive the $100,000 Foster G. McGaw Prize for its leadership in addressing community health needs.

Medicare Part D plans and drug makers may apply to participate in a new payment model starting in January, which will allow plan sponsors to offer benefits that limit cost sharing for a 30-day supply of insulin to no more than $35.

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved 13 health care bills, including legislation that would reauthorize the AHA-supported Healthy Start program and codify Medicaid coverage for non-emergency medical transportation.

In light of the latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) developments and the unprecedented and still growing demand for health care, construction and architecture organizations at this time, the American Society for Health Care Engineering said it has made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel its 2020 PDC Summit.

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare will donate $1 million to assist those affected by the March 3 tornadoes in middle Tennessee, which damaged about 2,000 homes and buildings.

In response to questions from stakeholders, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a calendar of key dates for the Medicare Direct Contracting Model.

The FTC's decision to challenge the proposed union of Thomas Jefferson University hospital network and Albert Einstein Healthcare Network frustrates the ability of these two non-profit hospital systems to “bring about higher quality, greater access and more stability of health care services to some of the most vulnerable patient populations in the Philadelphia region,” AHA told congressional leaders.

Members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus introduced a package of bills supported by the AHA and its American Organization for Nursing Leadership to prevent maternal mortality and racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said the agency is in the process of setting up a public tracker for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) tests, and it could be available this week.  

Accelerating investment in physician practices by nontraditional players offers hospitals and health systems opportunities to develop thoughtful, targeted physician alignment strategies, writes Mital Patel, senior director, market research and intelligence, at the AHA Center for Health Innovation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for evaluating and testing patients for novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and for assessing and managing health care personnel with potential exposure to patients with the virus.  

Wade Mountz, who led Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare and its predecessor organizations for 30 years and was a past AHA chair and president of the Kentucky Hospital Association, died March 5.

In light of the latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) developments and the need for nursing leaders to remain onsite in their essential roles, the AHA and its American Organization for Nursing Leadership subsidiary made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel AONL’s March conference, the groups have announced. 

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized rules to promote electronic health information exchange.

Hospitals and health systems are working to address their patients’ social needs and the broader social determinants of health in the communities they serve. This includes societal and environmental conditions such as food, housing, transportation, education, violence, social support, health behaviors and employment. 

Health care is a team sport. Patients benefit when health care teams work together to enhance care coordination. This has taken on an even greater urgency as our country prepares for and responds to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. 

Employment at the nation's hospitals rose by 0.15% in February to a seasonally adjusted 5,257,900 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Hospitals and health systems are using telehealth services to connect patients to care and health professionals to each other in ways that improve value for patients, communities and regions, according to a new issue brief by AHA’s the Value Initiative.

America’s Health Insurance Plans said it is taking action to make sure plans cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing and reduce service barriers, such as prior-authorization and cost-sharing. AHIP also is encouraging the use of telehealth and at-home care to widen access.