Perspective
Perspective is a weekly blog from Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, that explores the most important issues facing hospitals and health systems.
With only 11 days that the House and Senate are in session together before the fiscal year concludes, much of the attention in Washington is on how Congress will fund the government and whether there will be a government shutdown.
Fair competition has always been the driving principle of our nation’s economy. This includes health care, and it’s the reason the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act, more commonly known as the “Stark Law,” has been on the books for decades to protect the Medicare program from the inherent conflict of…
Trends in health insurance coverage are driving an increase in medical debt: these include inadequate enrollment in comprehensive health care coverage and high-deductible and skinny health plans that intentionally push more costs onto patients.
For years, many commercial health insurers treated coverage for mental health or substance use disorders (SUD) very differently than for medical and surgical benefits.
Legislators need to be aware of the work that hospitals and health systems do now more than ever because the House and Senate are considering so-called site-neutral legislation that would further reduce Medicare funding for patient services provided by hospitals.
In recent years, the dedication to innovation has been fueled in part by advancements in technology. Patients right now — and in the future — can expect more care delivery that is driven by 3D modeling; predictive analytics; advanced robotics for surgeries and treatments; and personalized therapies…
Many commercial health insurance policies and practices often disrupt, delay and deny medically necessary care to patients.
The late American economist and author Peter Drucker observed that "management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
That’s never been truer than in health care right now. Every day leaders face many serious challenges at once and make difficult decisions that will impact…
On Tuesday, we will celebrate the 247th birthday of the United States. Many people will do so with picnics, barbeques, fireworks and other hallmarks of our Fourth of July celebrations.
Hospitals and health systems provide healing, compassion and care to all people who walk through their doors.