Statement on 21st Century Cures

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
Government Relations and Public Policy
American Hospital Association

We commend the Congress for its work on the revised 21^st Century Cures bill. We urge the House to approve this legislation tomorrow, as it helps improve hospitals’ ability to treat some of the most vulnerable patients. The bill includes important provisions related to hospital outpatient services, rural health care, a much needed socio-economic adjustment to the readmissions program, relief for long-term care hospitals, and important provisions related to behavioral health and opioids. We also look forward to continuing to work with Congress to address some outstanding issues, including the relocation of hospital outpatient departments so they can continue to improve patient access to care and making needed changes to allow for flexibility in electronic health record policies.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.