News

Establishing a single-payer system would be a major undertaking that would involve substantial changes in the sources and extent of coverage, provider payment rates, and financing methods of health care in the United States, , according to a report released today by the Congressional Budget Office.

The House Judiciary Committee yesterday approved by voice vote the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples Act (H.R. 965).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Department of the Treasury today issued a request for information seeking ideas for additional Section 1332 waiver concepts that states could consider.

As the AHA and its members continue to address maternal mortality, the association today voiced support for the Joint Commission’s recently proposed standards for perinatal safety.

AHA today urged the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice to investigate thoroughly Centene's proposed acquisition of WellCare “because it threatens to reduce competition in delivery of Medicaid managed care and Medicare Advantage services to tens of millions of consumers across broad swaths of the country.”

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education last night approved legislation that would provide $189.8 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Labor, HHS and Education and related agencies in fiscal year 2020.

Hospitals and health systems may apply through Sept. 30 for the 2020 AHA Quest for Quality Prize.

The National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, of which the AHA is a sponsor, held a two-day meeting this week to discuss priority issues and strategies to combat the opioid crisis.

The House Rules Committee today held a hearing on the Medicare for All Act of 2019.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health today held a hearing examining the increasing cost of prescription drugs in the Medicare program and ways to improve coverage and reduce costs for seniors.

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday released draft legislation that would provide $189.8 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies in fiscal year 2020.

The Washington state legislature Saturday approved legislation to create a public option on the state’s health insurance exchange by 2021.

The Department of Health and Human Services Friday issued a notice reducing the maximum civil monetary penalty for all but the most serious violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

With 704 measles cases reported since January, Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials today urged vaccination for all eligible children and high-risk adults, including travelers and health care workers.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released its proceedings from a workshop sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and the AHA last October on health system interventions to prevent firearm injury and death.

Nearly 72.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program in January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported last week.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States today named as its next president and CEO Sister Mary Haddad, who currently serves as vice president of sponsorship and mission services for the organization.

In my experience, health care is a team sport.  Patient outcomes and experiences improve when caregivers are expert communicators – trained on best practices for interaction not only with patients, but also with one another.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday extended to Aug. 28 the comment deadline for the risk adjustment data validation provisions in its proposed rule making changes to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit programs for contract year 2020.

Eligible hospitals, clinics and other organizations may apply through June 10 for up to $725,000 each to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders in high-risk rural communities.