News

We look ahead with optimism as we advance the goals of improving health care quality, equity, access and affordability for all Americans.  

The Federal Trade Commission’s approach to reviewing hospital mergers “is overbroad, does not properly credit the many pro-consumer benefits of hospital transactions, and ignores key realities of the marketplace,” according to an analysis submitted to the agency Friday for a series of FTC hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century.

The AHA today voiced support for a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposal to require drug pricing transparency in direct-to-consumer television advertisements and encouraged the agency to “rein in skyrocketing drug prices” for patients and the providers who serve them.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released additional guidance on the physician fee schedule final rule for calendar year 2019.

The AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity today named Duane Elliott Reynolds as its new president and CEO.

A federal judge in Texas last night ruled that the entire Affordable Care is unconstitutional because Congress repealed the tax penalty enforcing the law's individual mandate.  

Hospital mergers result in even greater efficiencies and savings when the acquired hospitals are in close proximity.

Rural Americans live an average 10.5 miles or 17 minutes from the nearest hospital, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center.

As we all work to reduce cost and improve value; deliver superior outcomes; create new innovative delivery models; and develop new strategic alliances, there’s great opportunity for innovation.

The Senate yesterday passed and sent to the president for his signature AHA-supported legislation that would provide funding for states to develop maternal mortality review committees to better understand maternal complications and identify solutions.

Congress yesterday passed a farm bill conference report that authorizes assistance for rural hospitals to refinance a debt obligation as an eligible loan or loan guarantee if the assistance would help preserve access to health services in a rural community and meaningfully improve the financial position of the hospital.

The Health Resources and Services Administration has released updated national and state-level projections for the behavioral health workforce through 2030, as required by the 21st Century Cures Act.

A settlement agreement with Pagosa Springs (Colo.) Medical Center that the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced this week highlights important, but perhaps sometimes overlooked, privacy and security risk issues associated with access to electronic protected health information.

The AHA will present its 2018 Rural Hospital Leadership Award to Ronnie Sloan, president of The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head, N.C., at its Rural Health Care Leadership Conference in February.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights will accept comments through Feb. 11 on potential changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rules to promote coordinated, value-based care.

The House of Representatives yesterday voted 400-11 to pass a health care bill (H.R. 7127) that includes the ACE Kids Act.

Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday introduced legislation to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement as a condition of payment for critical access hospitals.

More than 4.1 million people selected a 2019 health plan through HealthCare.gov between Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, including more than 934,000 last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported today.

The number of drug overdose deaths involving heroin or methamphetamine more than tripled between 2011 and 2016 to 4,571 and 6,762 per year, respectively, while deaths involving cocaine nearly doubled between 2014 and 2016 to 11,316 per year.

The House of Representatives today passed AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 1318) that would provide funding for states to develop maternal mortality review committees to better understand maternal complications and identify solutions.