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The latest stories from AHA Today.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee today released an update to its draft legislation to accelerate and improve the discovery, development and delivery of new cures and treatments for patients. Among other changes, the updated draft replaces placeholders for sections on ensuring…
The health care sector added 226,000 jobs over the past six months, the largest increase in at least 25 years, and now employs more than 15 million, according to the latest Economic Indicators from Altarum Institute's Center for Sustainable Health Spending. Hospitals have been “a big…
The AHA’s Physician Leadership Forum will host a webinar May 20 on the changing health care landscape and new ways to engage consumers. During the complimentary webinar, at 2:30 p.m. ET, presenters from Oliver Wyman will review the changing expectations of payers, employers and consumers, and…
A day after legislation to renew expired trade promotion authority failed to gain the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle, Senate leaders May 13 reached agreement to move forward on the package of trade bills that would impose additional sequestration cuts on Medicare. 
A package of trade bills that would have imposed additional sequestration cuts on Medicare was blocked today in the Senate, where it failed to gain the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle. The legislation included language that would extend the sequester on Medicare to the last six months…
The AHA supports the intent of draft legislation to accelerate and improve the discovery, development and delivery of new cures and treatments for patients, but would strongly object to any reductions to hospital payments to pay for the proposals, AHA Executive Vice President Rick Pollack said in…
A Pennsylvania court Wednesday granted summary judgment to a dozen hospitals that sued health insurer Highmark Inc. for passing on its 2% Medicare payment cut under federal sequestration. Highmark began applying the 2% reduction in January 2014 to all claims submitted by the hospitals. “…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Friday issued guidance on annual cost sharing limitations for 2016 qualified health plans applying for certification to participate in Federally Facilitated Marketplaces. Under the 2016 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, finalized this…
A new guide by the AHA’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative and Leavitt Partners outlines the potential benefits and challenges for hospitals participating in accountable care organizations. “Large health care systems, stand-alone hospitals and integrated delivery systems all have…
The most expensive 5% of enrollees accounted for almost half of annual Medicaid expenditures for Medicaid-only enrollees in fiscal years 2009 through 2011, according to a report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office.