News

The AHA last week encouraged the Bureau of Land Management to work with the Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Food and Drug Administration to assist in taking steps to protect access to helium prior to executing the final sale of the Federal Helium Reserve near Amarillo, Texas.

In an op-ed piece for Fierce Healthcare this past weekend, Stacey Hughes, AHA’s executive vice president for government relations and public policy, urged Congress to step up to the plate and support hospitals amid unprecedented fiscal challenges, including escalating costs and workforce issues, each compounded by inflation and the COVID-19 public health emergency.

New AHA-supported legislation was introduced today by Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., to extend the Medicare-dependent hospital program and low-volume hospital adjustment, which both serve as critical lifelines for rural hospitals. The Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act would extend each for five years. In its letter of support to the sponsors of the ARCH Act, AHA highlighted rural hospitals’ important roles in the communities they serve and the bill’s ability to support these efforts.

Medtronic's HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device system recall: Get the latest updates on controller port pin damage and pump weld defect. Stay informed.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has pushed back the start date of the radiation oncology model. Learn more from AHA News.

AHA, in comments today to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, voiced support for the agency’s new rural emergency hospital designation, particularly its potential value in the area of maternal health. “It is undeniable that access to maternal and child care services is lacking in certain areas of the country, including many rural communities,” AHA wrote.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a CMCS Informational Bulletin to remind states of existing federal guidance related to reimbursement of Ground Emergency Medical Transportation services in Medicaid.

The deadline to comment on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule on Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified labs was extended through Sept. 26, according to the Federal Register.

A federal judge in Idaho Aug. 24 preliminarily enjoined an Idaho law in circumstances where it would conflict with the requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. The court concluded that the Idaho law lacks “a cutout for EMTALA-required care,” and thus “would inject tremendous uncertainty into precisely what care is required (and permitted) for pregnant patients who present in Medicare-funded emergency rooms with emergency medical conditions.”

Former AHA Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient Sister Mary Roch Rocklage passed away yesterday. She was 87. Rocklage was considered the “modern day foundress” of the Mercy health care system, serving the ministry for 65 years, including as Mercy’s first president and CEO and later its board chair.

The Institute for Diversity and Health Equity and AHA Community Health Improvement are accepting content proposals for the annual Accelerating Health Equity Conference, which will be held May 16-18, 2023, in Minneapolis.

A federal judge in Texas Aug. 23 blocked the Biden Administration from enforcing new guidance related to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which it issued following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The judge held the Department of Health and Human Services’ guidance does not preempt state law, exceeds the authority of EMTALA, and was improperly issued without notice and comment.

Pfizer yesterday announced its application for an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine booster that is designed to protect against the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. The booster is meant for the 12 and older age group.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday awarded $25 million in planning grants to expand access to home and community-based services through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person program.

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury last week issued final regulations pertaining to several provisions of the No Surprises Act. In addition, the departments released a series of resources related to the regulations.

The AHA, in a letter today to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, cautioned against softening standards designed to maintain the safety and quality of laboratory testing in the U.S., including those regulating the professionals who staff the nation’s Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified labs.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued an informational bulletin urging states to use existing Medicaid authority to drive better health outcomes for nursing home residents and improve staff pay, training and retention.

AHA today launched the Stress Meter (TM), a hub of curated, vetted resources featuring stress-relief information and techniques. Though not a diagnostic tool, the Stress Meter functions as a way for users to take a moment and evaluate their current stress level — mild, moderate or severe — and then access publicly available resources for understanding appropriate next steps.

Novavax today announced the Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for its Adjuvanted (NVX-CoV2373) COVID-19 vaccine. Under the expanded EUA, the two-dose primary series can be administered for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.

On this episode, I talk with Julie Yaroch, D.O., president of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian, Mich. Julie and I talk about the issues that rural hospitals face, including workforce shortages, increased costs of care, and an aging population.