News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dec. 19 issued two proposed rules for implementing alternative drug pricing models. 

The Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services proposed several changes Dec.

The AHA Dec. 19 submitted comments on the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule regarding the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility, urging the department to “exclude Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from its public charge determinations.”

The AHA Dec. 18 filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in support of a district court’s dismissal of an online tracking lawsuit. Plaintiffs in the case claimed a health care provider shared protected health information following use of the provider’s website. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has allocated 400 Medicare-funded residency slots to 169 teaching hospitals.

The Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy has issued new FAQs regarding information blocking. The updates are intended to provide clarifying guidance regarding revenue sharing, the role of a “requestor” under the alternative manner condition of the Manner Exception, the scope of electronic health information to satisfy the Manner Exception, and whether interference with an automation technology’s ability to access, exchange or use electronic health information implicates information blocking regulations.

Joy A. Rhoden, AHA senior vice president and executive director of health outcomes and care transformation, shares the AHA’s top strategic goals for supporting members as they work to improve health for all and previews a plenary session at the inaugural Healthier Together Conference, taking place May 2026.

The giving spirit of the holiday season blazes brightly every day of the year in the care that hospitals and health systems provide. No one is turned away from their doors.

The House Dec. 17 passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act (H.R. 6703), legislation to expand association health plans, increase transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers, and fund cost-sharing reductions for some Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees.

The Department of Health and Human Services Dec. 18 announced three regulatory actions related to the practice of “sex-rejecting procedures” on children. 

The AHA Dec. 17 urged Elevance Health, which is the parent company of the Anthem brand of health plans, to rescind Anthem’s nonparticipating provider policy that is set to go into effect Jan. 1, citing the harm it will inflict on patients.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Dec. 18 that it will launch a voluntary payment model designed to broadly reach more health care providers who have not joined accountable care organizations, including those with specialized patient populations and others such as small, independent or rural-based practices.

The AHA has released its 2026 Environmental Scan, a comprehensive resource designed to help hospitals and health systems navigate a rapidly evolving landscape.

The American Organization for Nursing Leadership Dec. 18 announced Robyn Begley as the 2026 recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a memo Dec. 16 announcing the agency’s intent to conduct a voluntary pilot in 2026, called the Service Level Data Collection for Initial Determinations and Appeals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Dec. 16 that it adopted individual-based decision-making for parents deciding whether to give the hepatitis B vaccine, including the birth dose, to infants born to women who test negative for the virus.

Depression and anxiety can increase the risk of a major adverse cardiac event, according to an American Heart Association study published Dec. 17.

As part of the AHA’s stress and coping resources, Zelia Baugh, JPS Health Network senior vice president of behavioral health, and April Jastrzab, JPS behavioral health director, write about how self-care is vital to the health care workforce, especially during the holiday season.

The AHA, in partnership with Press Ganey, Dec. 16 released the third in a series of workbooks leaders can use to understand and overcome challenges in engaging their workforce.

An AHA blog examines new data released by the Health Resources and Services Administration on the growth of the 340B Drug Pricing Program.