Rural Health Care Leadership Conference News Coverage

35th Annual AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference. February 6-9, 2022. Arizona Grand Resort and Spa.

The American Hospital Association’s 2022 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, February 6-9, Phoenix, AZ, brings together top practitioners and thinkers to share strategies and resources for accelerating the shift to a more integrated and sustainable rural health system. We’ll examine the most significant operational, financial and environmental challenges including the post-pandemic impact on rural hospitals and their communities, and present innovative approaches that will enable you to transform your organization’s care delivery model and business practices.

Couldn’t attend AHA’s 2022 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference? No problem. Follow along here for updates, and follow along on social media using hashtag #AHARuralHealth for more.

 

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A total of 64 rural hospitals closed between 2013 and 2017, more than twice the number during the prior five-year period.
The House of Representatives last night voted 361-61 to pass legislation to provide $178.1 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal year 2019 and extend current funding levels for other federal programs until Dec. 7.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security yesterday held a hearing to examine health care experiences and costs in rural America.
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and member Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) yesterday urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to take AHA-supported action to continue to provide regulatory relief for rural providers.
The Senate today voted 93-7 to pass legislation that would provide $178.1 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal year 2019 and extend current funding levels for other federal programs until Dec. 7.
The Federal Communications Commission today agreed to seek comments for 30 days on creating a new $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program to support telehealth for low-income Americans, especially those living in rural areas and veterans.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today held a hearing examining challenges and solutions related to the issue of rural broadband.
The AHA today submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule for fiscal year 2019, offering key recommendations with respect to Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital payment, CAR T-cell therapy, rural hospitals, the wage index, hospital quality reporting and value programs, and electronic health information exchange.
The Federal Communications Commission commissioners have voted unanimously to approve Chairman Ajit Pai’s order that will increase funding for the Rural Health Care Program by $171 million, as urged by the AHA.
Eligible organizations can apply through July 30 for up to $200,000 in fiscal year 2018 funding to develop opioid use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery plans for high-risk rural communities, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today, as urged by the AHA, asked his colleagues to approve quickly an order that would increase funding for the Rural Health Care Program by $171 million.
The Bipartisan Budget Act retroactively extended the enhanced low-volume payment adjustment, which provides an add-on payment to qualifying low-volume hospitals to help improve access to care in rural areas.
The Senate Finance Committee today held a hearing on “Rural Health Care in America: Challenges and Opportunities.”
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today held a hearing on how to address the growing shortage of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, especially in rural areas, as the U.S. population ages.
Health care is changing as the march from volume to value moves forward. And hospitals and health systems are redefining the “H” to meet the demands of the moment, and of the future, in a way that is even more responsive to our patients and communities.
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government today held a hearing on the Federal Communications Commission’s and Federal Trade Commission’s budget request for fiscal year 2019.
Thirty-one senators today urged the Federal Communications Commission to “sufficiently increase” the funding cap for the Rural Health Care Program, which helps rural patients access care through telehealth and broadband services.
The Bipartisan Budget Act retroactively extended the enhanced low-volume payment adjustment, which provides an add-on payment to qualifying low-volume hospitals to help improve access to care in rural areas.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released the agency’s strategy to promote high-quality health care for all rural Americans, address the unique economics of providing rural health care, and bring a rural focus to CMS health care delivery and payment reforms.
Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Ron Kind (D-WI) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) today introduced AHA-supported legislation that would create a new Medicare facility designation to help rural communities maintain access to essential emergency and outpatient services for patients.