AHA Sept. 20 urged leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to remove from the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Expansion Act proposals that would eliminate facility fees for telehealth and evaluation and management services, require a separate identification number for each off-campus outpatient department of a provider, and prevent providers from negotiating reasonable agreements with commercial health insurance plans.
 
“While we appreciate that the bill contains numerous policies to address health care workforce shortages, we are concerned that these investments come directly at the expense of the hospitals, health systems and caregivers that need this support in the first place,” AHA wrote . “…These policies would result in billions of dollars in additional cuts to hospitals and health systems, which would exacerbate the current challenges facing the field and reduce access to care, especially for patients in rural and other underserved areas.”
 
The committee plans to markup the legislation Sept. 21.

Related News Articles

Headline
The House Energy and Commerce Committee Sept. 18 advanced legislation on expiring telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibilities. The AHA supported the passage…
Headline
Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., Sept. 11 introduced the SEPSIS Act, legislation which would task the Centers for…
Headline
The House Education and Workforce Committee advanced several bills Sept. 11, including legislation that would empower commercial insurance companies at the…
Perspective
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., next week following the summer recess, and lawmakers can expect a busy fall as they face a full plate of issues that need…
Headline
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., Aug. 28 released an advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents. The advisory highlights stressors that…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services Aug. 27 announced it will award more than $558 million to support maternal health initiatives. The Health Resources…