Articles
COVID-19: Caring for Patients and Communities, Uncompensated Care, Drug Prices, Medicare, Medicaid, 340B Drug Pricing Program
PhRMA report misleads on drug costs
By Tom Nickels
America’s hospitals and health systems, and our heroic caregivers, have been on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 for the past year, working tirelessly to provide needed care to patients and communities.
340B Drug Pricing Program
AHA Statement on Most Favored Nation Model Interim Final Rule
By Tom Nickels
America’s hospitals and health systems have very deep concerns about the substance and legality of today’s Most Favored Nation Model interim final rule. Instead of holding drug companies accountable for drug prices, it slashes reimbursement to hospitals for drugs.
Rural issues, Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Coverage and Reimbursement
What’s next for rural hospitals? Additional COVID-19 relief and beyond
By Tom Nickels
In this AHA blog, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels discusses the resources hospitals and health systems need and what additional relief Congress should deliver during the COVID-19 public health emergency and beyond.
Drug Prices
Another day, another misleading PhRMA-funded study
By Tom Nickels
Tom Nickels, AHA executive vice president, responds to a PhRMA-funded study that attempts to deflect blame for a growing crisis of their own making – the skyrocketing costs of drugs.
Drug Prices, 340B Drug Pricing Program
Latest PhRMA “report” attempt to divert attention away from skyrocketing drug prices
By Tom Nickels
The pharmaceutical industry’s latest “report” is an obvious attempt to divert attention away from a problem of their own making: skyrocketing drug prices.
340B Drug Pricing Program, Drug Prices
Report misrepresents 340B program to deflect from sky high drug prices
By Tom Nickels
The latest report from AIR340B continues to misrepresent a program with a more than 25-year history of helping hospitals stretch scarce financial resources to expand and improve access to lifesaving prescription drugs and comprehensive health services for the many patients served by participating hospitals.
Drug Price Transparency, Drug Prices
Flawed Report on Specialty Drug Spending Fails to Place Blame on Drug Companies
By Tom Nickels
A recent report from UnitedHealth comparing specialty drug spending in hospitals and independent physician offices fails to account for critical differences between these two settings while also ignoring the chief culprit in the growth in drug spending – the drug companies themselves.
Price Transparency
Brief on hospital prices paints misleading picture
By Tom Nickels
UnitedHealth Group’s brief on hospital prices uses cherry-picked data and omits important facts to paint a misleading picture.
Finance & Budgeting
Axios' misleading report on hospital finances
By Tom Nickels
It is simply not true that hospital operating margins have been growing. Numerous studies and reports have been consistent that operating margins have decreased in recent years, as Medicare and Medicaid underpayments have continued to grow. Medicare payment-to-cost ratios have decreased in recent years, as well.
Drug Price Transparency
Article misleads on price transparency
By Tom Nickels
A recent Health Affairs blog post (April 19) on hospital price transparency argues that chargemaster data can be confusing to consumers. We agree, and have encouraged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus, instead, on the information that really matters to patients – expected out-of-pocket costs.