Regulatory Relief

The regulatory burden faced by hospitals is substantial and unsustainable.

Every day, hospitals, health systems and post-acute care providers confront the daunting task of complying with a growing number of federal regulations. They are constantly challenged to understand and implement new or revised regulations, while maintaining their core mission of providing high-quality patient care.

Providers appreciate that federal regulation is intended to ensure that health care patients receive safe, high-quality care, and prioritize it as a critical part of their day-to-day work.

But the scope and pace of the changes being made is out-stripping many providers’ ability to absorb them. At the same time, many of these regulations do not improve the quality of patient care or access to services.

Providers need relief now. Read on for more information and resources on the AHA's regulatory relief agenda.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late this afternoon released a proposed rule that would make programmatic and operational changes to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit programs for contract year 2019. According to the agency, the rule would revise program…
The AHA joined by the Association of American Medical Colleges and America’s Essential Hospitals today filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from reducing Medicare payments for hospital outpatient drugs under the 340B Drug Pricing Program by nearly 30%.
A new AHA report that finds non-clinical regulatory requirements cost providers nearly $39 billion a year and divert clinicians from patient care.
Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced the EHR Regulatory Relief Act (S. 2059), legislation that would provide regulatory flexibility and hardship relief to hospitals and eligible…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 1 announced it will update the hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by 1.35% in calendar year 2018 compared to CY 2017. The rule also finalizes CMS’s proposal to drastically cut Medicare payment for drugs that are acquired under…
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma today announced a “Meaningful Measures” initiative to reduce the burden of quality reporting on health care providers. “The ultimate goal of Meaningful Measures is to direct efforts on high-priority areas,” Verma said,…
The Joint Commission today issued guidance to help hospitals and surveyors determine what constitutes adequate environmental safeguards to protect patients with suicidal ideation from self-harm.
The sheer volume of regulations on the books and the scope of change required in meeting them are outstripping the hospital field’s ability to absorb them. Fortunately, there has been growing recognition of this fact from the Administration and those on Capitol Hill, along with some measurable…
AHA participated today in a stakeholder listening session hosted by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to formally launch the agency’s regulatory relief effort.