AHA Press Releases

America’s hospitals and health systems spend too many resources each year on regulatory requirements, forcing many of our clinicians to focus more time completing paperwork than treating patients. The AHA appreciates the Administration’s request for information on approaches and opportunities to streamline regulations and reduce burdens in the Medicare program.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and Catholic Health Association of the United States released a new report today showing the value of benefits that nonprofit hospitals and health systems deliver to their communities.

Hospital and health system patients report improvements in overall care experience and perception of safety alongside gains in key safety outcomes, while the health care workforce is experiencing a post-pandemic rebound, according to new findings from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Press Ganey.

On behalf of the hospitals, nurses, doctors and those who care for and serve the needs of the 72 million patients that rely on Medicaid, we urge you to consider the implications of hinging the budget reconciliation bill’s fate on removing health care access for millions of our nation's patients. These are hardworking families, children, seniors, veterans, and disabled individuals who rely on essential health care services.

The American Hospital Association today released a report that found rural hospitals face mounting challenges related to certain Medicare Advantage (MA) insurance plans that are affecting patient care and their sustainability as a critical health care provider.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced the team from Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH), a critical access hospital (CAH) in Astoria, Ore., as the 2024 recipient of the Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award.

As the Senate and House Budget Committees begin deliberations on their Fiscal Year 2025 budget resolutions, the American Hospital Association urges Congress to take seriously the impact of reductions in health care programs, particularly Medicaid.

The AHA appreciates the House and Senate working together on this bipartisan health care package and urges Congress to pass this health care package that will ensure hospitals and health systems can continue to care for their patients and communities

The AHA commends CMS for taking important steps to increase oversight of 2026 Medicare Advantage plans to help ensure enrollees have equal access to medically necessary health care services. The AHA has previously raised concerns about the negative effects of certain Medicare Advantage practices and policies that have the potential to directly harm patients through unnecessary care delays or outright denial of covered services.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) named Claire M. Zangerle, DNP, R.N., as senior vice president and chief nurse executive of AHA and chief executive officer of its American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).

The AHA and America’s hospitals and health systems congratulate President-elect Trump and look forward to working with him and his incoming Administration to make progress on the many critical issues facing the health care field and the patients and communities we proudly serve. We also extend our congratulations to the new and returning Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

Medicare's sustained and substantial underpayment of hospitals has stretched for almost two decades, and today's final outpatient rule only worsens this chronic problem. The agency's final increase of less than 3% for outpatient hospital services will make the provision of care, investments in the health care workforce, and addressing new challenges, such as cybersecurity threats, more difficult. These inadequate payments will have a negative impact on patient access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities nationwide.

Simply put, this framework from Senators Hassan and Cassidy will limit and eliminate critical hospital-based care, resulting in increased wait times and decreased access to care for patients. It is irresponsible to think that clawing back up to $140 billion of Medicare spending for seniors won’t destabilize access to care.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced it has been awarded nearly $1.5 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of its National Partners Cooperative Agreement. This funding will support hospitals and health systems in their efforts to address opioid use disorder (OUD) and stimulant use disorder (StUD) and infection prevention and control.

The AHA is pleased that Johnson & Johnson has decided to cease implementation of its 340B rebate proposal, which would have harmed patients and 340B providers. We are especially appreciative of HRSA’s efforts to convince J&J to put an end to this unlawful proposal and those members of Congress who demonstrated their firm support of the 340B program.

A new analysis by the international accounting firm EY (also known as Ernst and Young) for the AHA shows that tax-exempt hospitals and health systems delivered $10 in benefits to their communities for every dollar’s worth of federal tax exemption in 2020, the most recent year for which comprehensive data is available. This represents an increase from $9 in benefits the prior year despite serving on the front lines of a once-in-a-century pandemic.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today released a new report finding that hospital and health system performance on key patient safety and quality measures was better in the first quarter of 2024 than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that hospitals made these improvements while caring for patients with more significant health care needs.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today named James “Scott” Gee, deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. In his new role, Gee will work with John Riggi, AHA’s national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, to develop strategies and operating priorities to support and advance the cybersecurity and physical risk mitigation practices of the nation’s hospitals and health systems.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has elected eight members to its Board of Trustees for terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025. The Board of Trustees is the highest policymaking body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its directions and finances. In addition, Michael Ugwueke, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., will join the AHA Board immediately filling an unexpired term that extends through 2026.

CMS’ payment updates for hospitals will exacerbate the already unsustainable negative or break-even margins many hospitals are already operating under as they care for their patients. The AHA is deeply concerned about the impact these inadequate payments will have on patient access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities.