AHA leaders discuss advocacy priorities at Rural Health Care Leadership Conference

At AHA’s Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, the association released its 2022 Rural Advocacy Agenda, which outlines key legislative and regulatory priorities for the year ahead. These include bolstering the workforce, ensuring fair and adequate reimbursement, and supporting connected care by increased investment in telehealth and expanding broadband service. Stacey Hughes, AHA’s executive vice president of government relations and public policy, and other AHA leaders shared the latest from Washington D.C., including an update on recent regulations impacting critical access hospitals and rural prospective payment system hospitals. They also discussed current AHA priorities, including urging Congress to: quickly disperse remaining funding from the Provider Relief Fund and add $25 billion; extend Medicare sequester relief; give hospitals more time to repay accelerated and advance Medicare payments; and provide relief to certain 340B hospitals so they can remain eligible for the program. Visit AHA’s webpage for more updates from the conference and see more insights on social media at #AHARuralHealth.