News

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Aug. 1 issued a final rule that will increase Medicare inpatient prospective payment system rates by a net 2.9% in fiscal year 2025, compared with FY 2024, for hospitals that are meaningful users of electronic health records and submit quality measure data.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 31 issued the final rule for the inpatient psychiatric facility prospective payment system for fiscal year 2025.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 31 released the fiscal year 2025 final rule for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, which will update IRF payments by an estimated 3% overall (or $300 million) in FY 2025.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 31 issued a final rule for fiscal year 2025 for the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, which will increase aggregate Medicare spending by 4.2% or $1.4 billion compared to FY 2024.

In a new "Safety Speaks" conversation, Jamie Orlikoff, president of Orlikoff & Associates, Inc. and AHA national adviser on governance and leadership, discusses the role hospital boards can play in supporting quality and safety within their health systems, and how board members who aren't clinicians or health care administrators can make a difference in patient safety.

Mary Thompson — a member of AHA’s Committee on Behavioral Health and president of Trillium Place, a mental health and addiction recovery organization affiliated with Carle Health — explains how the Illinois-based organization works to integrate physical and behavioral health services to improve access to care among historically underrepresented communities and eliminate health disparities.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 31 updated the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings at its Care Compare website and Provider Data Catalog.

At a Capitol Hill briefing July 31, hospital and health care leaders shared strategies and stories highlighting the importance of passing the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768), bipartisan legislation that would provide federal protections against violence to hospital workers from violence.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 30 issued a final rule updating hospice payment rates for fiscal year 2025. Overall, CMS finalized a 2.9% net increase to payments compared with FY 2024.

Pennsylvania Hospital CEO Alicia Gresham takes pride in being the first African American CEO of the nation's first hospital and writes about the importance of continuing its legacy in care delivery, education and research.

The AHA along with the Federation of American Hospitals, America’s Essential Hospitals and the Association of American Medical Colleges July 29 filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in support of hospitals’ continued right to seek immediate review of any Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determination that could impact Medicare payments for providers.

The AHA and the Federation of American Hospitals filed an amicus brief in a Texas federal court July 26, asking the court to vacate the Federal Trade Commission's Non-Compete Clause Final Rule.

A fact sheet released July 29 by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare features analysis from KNG Health Consulting that shows nearly half of all hospital emergency department visits occur after-hours (between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.), when patient care options are limited.

The AHA July 29 applauded a proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to address concerns raised by the AHA and other organizations about the potential impact of significant, anomalous and highly suspect catheter billing within the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

In response to a recent Washington Post op-ed favoring site-neutral payment, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack writes in a letter to the editor published Friday that site-neutral policies "fail to recognize that not all care sites are created equal," and that "Hospitals are also held to higher regulatory and safety standards, and they provide benefits such as 24/7 capacity for emergencies."

In this conversation, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., speaks with her colleague Robert E. Brady, Ph.D., director of Anxiety Disorders Service at Dartmouth Health, about different types of anxieties and their prevalence in today’s culture.

The AHA is now accepting applications through Oct. 1 for the 2025 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Awards, which will recognize the efforts of member hospitals and health systems in advancing health equity, diversity and inclusion across three categories.

The AHA July 26 submitted a letter expressing concerns in response to the recently introduced 340B Affording Care for Communities and Ensuring a Strong Safety-Net (340B ACCESS) Act.

The Department of Justice July 25 announced the indictment of North Korean national Rim Jong Hyok for allegedly conspiring to hack and extort U.S. hospitals and health care providers.

It is important to use the August recess that begins next week as an opportunity to engage senators and representatives while they are back home. It is critical for federal lawmakers to understand the challenges hospitals and health systems face.