News

The Food and Drug Administration April 3 announced that it will require manufacturers of opioid analgesics used in outpatient settings to modify their Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy within 180 days to make prepaid mail-back envelopes and educational materials on safe opioid disposal available to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers.

Costs incurred after the public health emergency ends May 11 will not be eligible for funding under the COVID-19 Public Assistance Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced March 30.  

Commenting April 4 on topics discussed by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission in March, AHA said it continues to strongly oppose additional site-neutral payment cuts to hospital outpatient departments, which need stable and adequate government reimbursements to ensure access to care in this highly challenging financial environment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Friday issued a waiver permitting most health care facilities to use emergency power sources authorized by the 2021 edition of the National Fire Protection Association Health Care Facilities Code, including a microgrid system.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 3 released the fiscal year 2024 proposed rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, which would update IRF payments by an estimated 3.7% overall (or $335 million) in FY 2024

Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, have introduced the Rural Hospital Support Act (S.1110), AHA-supported legislation that would make permanent the Medicare-dependent Hospital program and enhanced low-volume Medicare adjustment for small rural prospective payment system hospitals.

Mandating federal staffing ratios for nursing homes would accelerate the labor shortage across the continuum of care and reduce access to care for America’s seniors, AHA and the American Health Care Association told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on April 3.

No other part of the health care sector does more than our nation’s hospitals and health systems to support patients and communities. Our doors are always open, 24/7, and ready to serve patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued its proposed rule updating hospice payments for fiscal year 2024. CMS proposes a 2.8% ($720 million) estimated net increase to payments compared with FY 2023 payments.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today finalized proposed changes to Medicare Advantage plan capitation rates and Part C and Part D payment policies for calendar year 2024, which the agency estimates will increase MA plan revenues by an average 3.32% from 2023 to 2024.

New results from an ongoing clinical trial provide strong evidence that emergency departments can safely start buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder without triggering withdrawal in people who use fentanyl, the National Institutes of Health reports.

The Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will have sufficient funds to pay full benefits until 2031, according to the latest annual report by the Medicare Board of Trustees.

If President Biden signs as expected Congress’ joint resolution ending the COVID-19 national emergency immediately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ COVID-19 waivers and flexibilities will remain in place through May 11 as planned.

One year ago, we asked hospitals and health systems to participate in an important effort – AHA’s Health Equity Roadmap.

Health care leaders should consider what they can do to create more opportunities for women throughout the field, particularly for women of color, writes Stacy Garrett-Ray, M.D., Ascension’s senior vice president and chief community impact officer.

The Environmental Protection Agency this week presented AHA’s American Society for Health Care Engineering with a 2023 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award, the program’s highest honor, for its long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency.

Medicare patients who have access to telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder have lower risk of fatal drug overdose, according to a study reported yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry.

Effective today under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, medical devices seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration must meet certain cybersecurity requirements if they connect to the internet and contain software and technological characteristics vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.

A district court judge in Texas today vacated nationwide an Affordable Care Act requirement that most group and individual health plans cover certain preventive health services without cost sharing. The Biden Administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday released FAQs on COVID-19 coverage after the public health emergency ends.