News

A bipartisan group of senators Feb. 2 released for stakeholder feedback a discussion draft of legislation to clarify in statute Congress’ intent for the 340B program to help safety net providers maintain, improve and expand patient access to health care services by requiring drug manufacturers that participate in Medicaid and Medicare Part B to provide discounts and rebates to covered entities that serve a disproportionate share of low-income and underserved patients. 

The AHA, joined by five other national associations representing hospitals, Feb. 2 urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case challenging how the Department of Health and Human Services applies Congress’ formula for calculating Disproportionate Share Hospital payments.

Violence in health care settings should never be accepted as “part of the job.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Jan. 31 updated its Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit.

AHA Feb. 1 released its 2024 advocacy agenda, which details the association’s key priorities for Congress, the Administration, regulatory agencies and courts.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will accept comments through March 1 at 6 p.m. ET on its advance notice of proposed changes to Medicare Advantage plan capitation rates and Part C and Part D payment policies for calendar year 2025, which the agency estimates will increase MA plan revenues by an average 3.70%.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has issued a final rule updating regulations for Opioid Treatment Programs and standards for opioid use disorder treatment.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency and FBI Jan. 31 urged small office and home office router manufacturers to eliminate exploitable defects in their products and integrate security into their product design and development, citing recent reports that threat actors known as “Volt Typhoon” and associated with the People’s Republic of China are exploiting defects in these products to compromise networks across U.S. critical infrastructure.

The Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, which seeks to increase access to treatments for Medicaid enrollees with rare and severe diseases, will initially focus on sickle cell disease, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.

Chris Barber, president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, discusses the problems certain MA plan practices can create for patients and their caregivers, especially for rural hospitals and health systems that face a unique set of challenges in caring for their communities.

U.S. syphilis cases surged 80% between 2018 and 2022, with congenital syphilis cases nearly tripling to 3,755, over 10 times the number in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Jan 30.

In a statement submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health for a hearing Jan. 31 on national health expenditures, AHA urged the subcommittee to prevent certain Medicare Advantage plans from engaging in tactics that restrict and delay access to care while adding burden and cost to the health care system.

A record 480 accountable care organizations will participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2024, including 19 that will participate in the new permanent payment option, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Jan. 29.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently required federal agencies to take emergency action to protect against actively exploited vulnerabilities in the Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure remote access gateways.

AHA Jan. 30 voiced support for bipartisan, bicameral legislation to reauthorize through 2029 the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which provides grants to help health care organizations offer behavioral health services for front-line health care workers.

Members of Congress and hospital and physician leaders Jan. 30 highlighted at a Capitol Hill briefing how the bipartisan Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768) would help protect health care workers from violence, alleviate workforce challenges and sustain quality patient care.

America’s Blood Centers and ADRP, the Association of Blood Donor Professionals, last week released a guide highlighting changes in U.S. blood donation and use between 2019 and 2021, including donor and recipient demographics.

Paxlovid may no longer be distributed with an emergency use label after March 8, the Food and Drug Administration announced.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) last week recommended seven changes to Medicaid managed care policy to better monitor denials and improve the appeals process.

Joining me for the first dialogue in 2024 is Janice Nevin, M.D., president and CEO of ChristianaCare, based in Wilmington, Del., and a former member of the AHA Board of Trustees.