Letters

Throughout the year, the AHA comments on a vast number of proposed and interim final rules put forth by the federal regulatory agencies. In addition, AHA communicates with federal legislators to convey the hospital field's position on potential legislative changes that would impact patients and patient care. Below are the most recent letters from the AHA to these bodies.

Latest

Nov 30, 2021
Twenty-five organizations, including the AHA, urge Congress to immediately extend the hold on payment cuts and private payer data reporting period under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule due to the continued COVID-19 public health emergency.
Nov 29, 2021
AHA, others urge Congress to prevent sequester, PAYGO cuts.
Nov 16, 2021
AHA’s Response to Senate Finance Committee’s Request for Information on Behavioral Health Care In the U.S.
Nov 15, 2021
Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and David McKinley, R- W.Va., urge the White House to enlist federal agencies to investigate price gouging by nurse staffing agencies, to protect patients in dire need of life saving health care treatment and prevent conduct that is exacerbating the shortage of nurses and continuing to strain our health care system. 
Nov 15, 2021
The AHA urges the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights to quickly initiate rulemaking for a legislative provision (H.R. 7898) enacted by Congress this year to recognize certain recommended security practices when making determinations related to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act audits, fines and resolution agreements.
Nov 11, 2021
As organizations representing hospitals and health systems from across the country, we are writing to ask you to remove the reductions to the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program and uncompensated care pools from H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better (BBB) Act.
Nov 2, 2021
AHA comments on recent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission discussions on possible approaches to reducing spending on Part B drugs and biologicals, improving alternative payment models, and revising the hospital wage index.
Nov 1, 2021
AHA, others urge Congress to remove the reductions to the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program and uncompensated care pools from H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better (BBB) Act.
Oct 27, 2021
The AHA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 23 other health care and business organizations express opposition to the False Claims Amendments Act (S. 2428), legislation that would make it harder to dismiss meritless lawsuits and validly terminate an employee for unrelated performance issues.
Oct 27, 2021
AHA letter to Senator Coons, Senator Booker and Senator Durbin expressing support for the Preventing and Addressing Trauma with Health Services (PATHS) Act (S. 2873).
Oct 25, 2021
In a letter to Sens. AHA expresses support for the Student Assisted Vaccination Effort Act (S. 2114).
Oct 21, 2021
The Honorable Susan M. Collins                       The Honorable Tina Smith
Oct 21, 2021
Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., introduced the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, AHA-supported legislation that would eliminate the Medicare program’s 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric days in freestanding psychiatric facilities.
Oct 20, 2021
The American Hospital Association expresses support of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 (S. 3018).
Oct 19, 2021
AHA comments on the Proposed Rule Related to Enforcement of the No Surprises Act (NSA).
Oct 18, 2021
The AHA urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to revise and reissue recent proposed regulations streamlining prior authorization requirements within certain coverage programs; consider additional regulations to limit care delays; and conduct oversight and enforcement for plans who have demonstrated problematic prior authorization usage in the past.
Oct 14, 2021
A coalition of hospital and physician organizations, including the AHA, urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to give Medicare accountable care organizations the option to use pre-pandemic spending benchmarks to set financial targets beginning in performance year 2022.
Oct 11, 2021
This letter to CMS reiterates AHA’s position that the agency’s Most Favored Nation Proposed Rule should be withdrawn.
Oct 8, 2021
AHA responds to the agency’s most recent information collection notice proposing an IRF review choice demonstration (RCD).
Oct 6, 2021
The AHA urges congressional leaders to include in year-end legislation provisions to extend the moratorium on Medicare sequester cuts and to prevent the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (Statutory PAYGO) sequester from taking effect at the end of this session of Congress.