Headline
The latest stories from AHA Today.
Court proceedings got underway today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Aetna’s bid to acquire Humana. The Department of Justice filed suit July 21 to block the acquisition, along with Anthem’s proposed acquisition of Cigna, saying it would be harmful for…
Hospitals participating in the AHA’s third-quarter 2016 RACTrac survey report appealing 45% of all Recovery Audit Contractor claim denials, with 60% found to have no overpayment. Hospitals also report that RACs cite inpatient coding error as the most common reason for complex claim denials,…
People who smoke an average of less than one cigarette per day over their lifetime have a 64% higher risk of earlier death than never smokers, and those who smoke between one and 10 cigarettes a day have an 87% higher risk, according to a study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute…
The AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust affiliate was recently awarded a contract from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to work with experts in ambulatory care, patient and family engagement and care transitions to create a toolkit specific to the ambulatory care…
The AHA today thanked President-elect Trump for his interest and commitment to addressing regulatory reform, and suggested 33 actions the incoming administration could take immediately to reduce the burdens on hospitals and the patients they serve. “Reducing administrative complexity in…
U.S. spending on health care grew 5.8% in 2015, primarily due to increased use and intensity of services as millions gained health coverage, as well as continued significant growth in spending for retail prescription drugs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported today in…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued guidance to help clarify its policy regarding requests for hardship exemptions from electronic clinical quality measure reporting for calendar year 2016.
Employment at the nation's hospitals rose by 0.11% in November to a seasonally adjusted 5,120,600 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. That's 5,500 more people than in October and 133,000 more than a year ago. Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of…
Crain’s Chicago Business today named AHA Chief Medical Officer Jay Bhatt, D.O., one of 40 Chicagoans under age 40 at the top of their field. Bhatt, who joined the AHA in September, oversees the association’s clinical leadership and health activities and serves as president and CEO of…
The House of Representatives last night voted 392-26 to approve the AHA-supported 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34), which includes a number of provisions important to hospitals and health systems. The Senate could vote on the measure next week.