AHA submits comments to House hearing on Medicare legislative proposals

In a statement submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for a hearing Oct. 19 on legislative proposals to increase access to care and reduce administrative burden in the Medicare program, AHA voiced support for legislation that would streamline prior authorization and certain alternative payment model requirements in the Medicare Advantage program; update payment and ease reporting for Medicare clinical diagnostic laboratory services; streamline Medicare quality reporting; and prevent Medicare from publicizing a telehealth provider’s home address. 
 
However, AHA strongly opposed any legislation that would ease growth restrictions on physician-owned hospitals, which tend to select the most profitable patients and services, jeopardizing communities’ access to full-service hospital care. The association voiced support for extending incentive payments for Advanced APMs, but opposed imposing a five-year cap on qualifying for the payments.