News

Few — if any — can say they benefit the community as much as America’s hospitals and health systems.  On top of delivering around-the-clock care to all who come to us, hospitals and health systems of all types are providing a wide range of comprehensive benefits, activities and services tailored to meet the specific needs of their patients and communities. 

Leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions today released the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 – bipartisan discussion draft legislation focused on reducing health care costs. Among other areas, the bill would take steps to end surprise medical bills, reduce the prices of prescription drugs, improve transparency in health care, boost public health, and improve the exchange of health information technology.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said today that it will hear oral arguments July 9 in the appeal of a district court decision that struck down the entire Affordable Care Act.  

Reps. Bradley Schneider, D-Ill., Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, yesterday introduced a House companion to AHA-supported legislation that would improve and extend the Conrad State 30 program until 2021.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a request for applications from Medicare-enrolled ambulance suppliers and providers to participate in its new payment model for emergency ambulance services beginning in 2020.

The Joint Commission yesterday recommended that health care organizations review cleaning and disinfection instructions for tonometers and other ophthalmology devices to ensure that they are reprocessed appropriately.

A federal court in Texas yesterday ordered Pharm D Solutions to stop producing or distributing compounded drugs intended to be sterile until the company complies with federal law and other requirements, the Food and Drug Administration announced.

The House Budget Committee today held a hearing on the Congressional Budget Office’s recent report on key design components and considerations for policymakers interested in establishing a single-payer system.

Tax-exempt hospitals and health systems provided $95 billion in community benefits in 2016, almost 11 times the value of their federal tax exemption.

The Department of Health and Human Services aims to release proposed rules amending the physician self-referral (Stark law) regulations and safe-harbors under the anti-kickback statute by July.

Around one in seven immigrant adults or their family members did not participate in a government benefit program in 2018 for fear of risking future green card status.

Hospitals and health systems are committed to protecting patients from surprise medical bills and support a federal legislative solution to do so, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said today during a House Committee on Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing examining the issue.  

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health today held a hearing on seven bills aimed at improving transparency in the drug supply chain to lower prices.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights today published in the Federal Register its final rule concerning federal health care-related conscience protections applicable to programs funded or administered by HHS.

The Government Accountability Office yesterday named two new members to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission.

Organizations that provide palliative or end-of-life care may apply through Aug. 16 for the 2020 Circle of Life Awards.

Despite some progress in transparency related to the process for Section 1115 Medicaid waivers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ “approach to ensuring transparency when states propose major changes to their demonstrations has significant gaps.”

The Department of Homeland Security has released a new resource to help hospitals and health systems prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident.

Last week, Microsoft released security updates to fix a critical vulnerability in older versions of its Windows operating system.

Hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations can sign up this week to host an intern for this year's Institute for Diversity and Health Equity's Summer Enrichment Program.