News

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.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released its proceedings from a workshop sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and the AHA last October on health system interventions to prevent firearm injury and death.

Nearly 72.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program in January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported last week.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States today named as its next president and CEO Sister Mary Haddad, who currently serves as vice president of sponsorship and mission services for the organization.

In my experience, health care is a team sport.  Patient outcomes and experiences improve when caregivers are expert communicators – trained on best practices for interaction not only with patients, but also with one another.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday extended to Aug. 28 the comment deadline for the risk adjustment data validation provisions in its proposed rule making changes to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit programs for contract year 2020.

Eligible hospitals, clinics and other organizations may apply through June 10 for up to $725,000 each to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders in high-risk rural communities.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will launch its revised claim-review demonstration for Medicare fee-for-service home health services June 1 in Illinois.

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday launched a campaign to help Americans understand the importance of removing unused prescription opioids from their homes and properly disposing of them.

The AHA and the Puerto Rico Hospital Association today hosted a forum where hospital and health system leaders spotlighted the connection between quality improvement efforts and value.

With our Better Health for Mothers and Babies initiative, America’s hospitals and health systems are enhancing our commitment to improving maternal health.