News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Aug. 1 released the fiscal year 2026 final rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities. The rule will increase payments by 2.6% overall, which includes a 3.3% market basket update reduced by a 0.7 percentage point productivity adjustment.

The Food and Drug Administration July 31 announced that it is requiring safety label changes to all opioid pain medications to further emphasize and explain the risks associated with long-term use.

The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and other agencies by a bipartisan 26-3 vote. The bill provides approximately $197 billion in discretionary funding.

The Trump administration July 31 announced modified reciprocal tariffs for several nations that would begin Aug. 7, updating those previously announced in April.

House members are back in their districts for the August recess and senators are likely to return to their states soon.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today finalized a 3.0% payment update for

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 31 issued a final rule that would increase Medicare inpatient prospective payment system rates by a net 2.6% in fiscal year 2026, compared with FY 2025, for hospitals that are meaningful users of electronic health records and submit quality measure data. 

The Trump administration today

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule for the

The Department of Justice July 29 released guidance for federal funding recipients on unlawful discrimination “on

The Department of Health and Human Services today issued a

The AHA released a new toolkit to improve continuity of care for patients with opioid and stimulant use disorders.

The Senate July 29 voted 51-47 along party lines to confirm Susan Monarez as the n

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and international agencies July 29 released a joint advisory on recent tactics by the Scattered Spider cybercriminal group. Scattered Spider threat actors typically engage in data theft for extortion and also use ransomware variants once in a system to steal information, along with other tactics. 

Stacy Cantu, vice president, chief governance officer and corporate secretary for Texas Health Resources, discusses the role of a chief governance officer, challenges they may face and best practices for hospitals and health systems seeking to develop this role

Shelley Hart, R.N., clinical nurse specialist at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, explores the hospital's inspiring journey toward delivering exceptional care for older adults.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 30 announced the creation of a “digital health ecosystem” that includes partnerships with health care organizations and technology companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, and OpenAI. The initiative includes an interoperability framework with a goal of making health information easier to share between patients and providers.

The Department of Health and Human Services July 28 announced the creation of a $100 million pilot program to prevent, test for, treat and cure hepatitis C for individuals with substance use disorder or a serious mental illness.

The Joint Commission July 29 announced an initiative to address “gaps” in how children’s hospitals are accredited and certified.

The AHA’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship July 29 announced its 36 fellows for the class of 2026, who will each work with mentors to address a specific challenge to their hospital or health system.