News

The Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to purchase 66 million doses of Moderna’s omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine booster for use this fall if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

AHA today urged Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to renew the COVID-19 public health emergency set to expire in October.

Delaying and denying authorizations for medically necessary care. Forcing patients to try potentially ineffective treatments through step therapy, or “fail first” protocols that require patients to try and fail certain treatments before the insurer will authorize more costly treatments.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released a Request for Information seeking public comment to inform potential future rulemaking on various aspects of the Medicare Advantage program

Northwell Health’s Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Hospitals and Health Systems July 27 hosted a session on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer, participated in a U.S. News and World Report panel discussion on “How Hospitals are Taking on Shortages and Operational Challenges.”

Nursing schools and health care facilities can apply through Aug. 22 for a portion of $10 million in funding to recruit, train and support clinical nursing faculty and preceptors, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced.

The Department of Health and Human Services has secured an additional 786,000 doses of JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine.

The share of uninsured Americans fell 1.5 percentage point to 8% between first-quarter 2021 and first-quarter 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The House yesterday voted 416-12 to pass the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, legislation that would continue Medicare patient access to telehealth services, including audio-only services, through 2024 after the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Reps.

Today AHA released a report showing that commercial insurance costs are increasing at an unsustainable rate while many plan policies create dangerous delays in care, contribute to clinician burnout and significantly drive up administrative costs for the health care system.

Like many hospitals and health systems across the nation, the AdventHealth Central Florida Division is experiencing a shortage of nurses. According to the Florida Hospital Association, the state could face a shortfall of nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035 if changes aren’t made in inspiring, recruiting and supporting nursing students and nurses.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule to update hospice payment rates for fiscal year 2023.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule for the inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system for fiscal year 2023.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule for the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system for fiscal year 2023 with an estimated net increase of 3.2% ($275 million).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released a plan to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for people during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.

U.S. spending on health care declined for the first time in 60 years in first-quarter 2022, falling 1.7% year over year as health care prices fell relative to inflation, according to a report released today by Altarum.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today updated with 2021 data the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings at its Care Compare website and Provider Data Catalog.

The House Ways and Means Committee today voted to advance to the full House the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8487), AHA-supported legislation that would streamline prior authorization requirements under Medicare Advantage plans.