The AHA today urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to immediately withdraw the new condition of participation that threatens to expel hospitals from the Medicare program if they fail to comply with “frequently changing and confusing” COVID-19 data collection efforts.

“CMS’ decision to threaten hospital Medicare participation is a direct rebuke of the clear willingness displayed by America’s hospitals and health systems to provide all relevant data to the federal government,” AHA said today in comments on the agency’s Aug. 25 interim final rule. “It threatens not only to negatively impact the collaborative work in which our members have engaged, but also needlessly jeopardizes the financial viability of hospitals across the country on which millions of Americans rely. The previous success of COVID-19 data reporting was built on partnerships not mandates; the agency should continue along this path and reject pursing this unnecessary approach to COVID-19 data reporting. In moving forward with this interim final rule, the agency is abandoning collaboration and teamwork for a heavy-handed regulatory approach.”

In addition, the AHA said it opposes CMS’ policy of making the reporting of COVID-19 testing data a CoP for laboratories and urged the agency “to rescind this CoP, or at a minimum, to rescind the rule’s provisions imposing civil monetary penalties on labs for non-compliance.”

The AHA also commented on provisions in interim final rule related to changes to quality measurement requirements; nursing home provisions and limits on COVID-19 testing.

Related News Articles

Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced it has identified a fraud scheme targeting Medicare providers and suppliers. CMS said scammers…
Headline
A report released June 17 by NORC at the University of Chicago, commissioned by the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, found that patients enrolled…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services May 30 released a notice requesting comments on a proposed Medicare Advantage service level data collection…
Headline
The AHA commented to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services June 10 on the fiscal year 2026 inpatient prospective payment system proposed rule (https…
Headline
The AHA expressed concerns (LINK) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today on payment updates for the fiscal year 2026 proposed rule for the…
Headline
The AHA commented on proposed changes to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, a new, mandatory, episode-based payment model scheduled to begin Jan. 1…