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The latest stories from AHA Today.
The proposed merger between health insurers Aetna and Humana would greatly reduce market competition for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in the markets they serve, according to a new analysis by the Center for American Progress. “The Medicare Advantage market is currently highly concentrated,” the…
In a commentary last week in Modern Healthcare, Bruce Vladeck, former head of the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), took aim at a recent study claiming to find a relationship between hospital market concentration and commercial p
The AHA seeks hospital and health system trustees to serve on its Committee on Governance, Regional Policy Boards, and other governing councils and committees beginning in 2017. Interested trustees are invited to view the Invitation for Trustee Involvement and submit an application through Feb. 24…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today posted updated hardship exception applications for eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals and providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program. According to the agency, the new applications are more…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday published its long-awaited final rule implementing Affordable Care Act changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and Medicaid reimbursement for covered outpatient drugs.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today published a notice explaining its fiscal year 2004 outlier fixed-loss threshold rulemaking for inpatient prospective payment system hospitals, as required by two federal courts last year in cases brought by hospitals challenging the…
Administrative simplification can improve the patient experience and reduce costs, but requires cultural, operational and policy changes to achieve these goals, according to an AHA Trendwatch report released today. The report provides an overview of administrative simplification and its…
Jon Skinner will lead the AHA’s Constituency Section for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation as 2016 chair of its governing council. Skinner is president of Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, a joint venture between Baylor Scott & White Health and Select Medical. Daniel Mendelson, M.D.,…
The AHA has extended to Jan. 29 the deadline for all hospitals to submit data to the quarterly RACTrac survey. The free web-based survey helps AHA measure the impact of Medicare's Recovery Audit Contractor program on hospitals and advocate for needed changes. For more information on the RACTrac…
Hospitals participating in the inpatient and outpatient quality reporting programs can preview their overall hospital quality star rating through Feb. 14 at the QualityNet Secure Portal. CMS expects to add the overall hospital star ratings and other quality data updates to the Hospital Compare…