News

The AHA yesterday announced support for the Opioid Workforce Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to reduce the nation’s shortage of opioid treatment providers by increasing the number of resident physician slots in hospitals with programs focused on substance use disorder treatment.

The AHA today voiced support for provisions in the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act (H.R. 1897/S. 916) that would improve state maternal mortality data, provide funding to promote safety practices and cultural competency, and extend health coverage and services for low-income postpartum women.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule that eliminates 2014 regulatory text allowing states to reassign Medicaid payments to third parties on behalf of certain providers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will increase the number of opportunities to apply for Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Level II codes from once per year to quarterly for new drugs and semiannually for new medical devices.

The Department of Justice yesterday told the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that it should affirm a district court decision that struck down the entire Affordable Care Act, reversing its earlier position before the lower court.

In a blog post today, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma highlights recent progress in reducing provider complaints related to the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor program and associated backlog of appeals.

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.