Thirty-one senators today urged the Federal Communications Commission to “sufficiently increase” the funding cap for the Rural Health Care Program, which helps rural patients access care through telehealth and broadband services.
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The Bipartisan Budget Act retroactively extended the enhanced low-volume payment adjustment, which provides an add-on payment to qualifying low-volume hospitals to help improve access to care in rural areas.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released the agency’s strategy to promote high-quality health care for all rural Americans, address the unique economics of providing rural health care, and bring a rural focus to CMS health care delivery and payment reforms.
Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Ron Kind (D-WI) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) today introduced AHA-supported legislation that would create a new Medicare facility designation to help rural communities maintain access to essential emergency and outpatient services for patients.
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The timing of the AHA Annual Membership Meeting presents a “real opportunity to talk with yo
AHA this week urged the agency to reverse the FY 2017 cuts and permanently adjust the program’s funding cap to prevent similar cuts in the future.
AHA today urged the Federal Communications Commission to reverse the “large and unexpected” funding cuts to Rural Health Care program participants in fiscal year 2017 and permanently adjust the program’s funding cap to prevent similar cuts in the future.
President Trump today signed into law an omnibus appropriations bill funding federal discretionary programs through September.
The $1.3 trillion bill, released last night after an agreement by congressional leaders and the White House, includes $88.1 billion for Department of Health and Human Services programs, a $10.1 billion increase from fiscal year 2017.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday released a congressionally-mandated report on the public health burden of traumatic brain injury in children and policy options to support care management for these children.
House Republicans late last night introduced a stop-gap spending measure that would extend government funding until March 23, eliminate $5 billion in scheduled Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts for fiscal years 2018 and 2019, and extend several Medicare payment adjustments that support access in rural communities.
More than 850 rural health care leaders are in Phoenix this week for the 31st Annual AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference.
The Federal Communications Commission should increase the funding cap for the Rural Health Care Program to at least account for inflation since the program began, and at the rate of inflation moving forward, AHA told the agency in comments submitted today.
Critical access hospitals that did not achieve meaningful use in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program for the 2016 reporting period or receive a hardship exception will see their Medicare payments reduced to 100% of their reasonable costs in fiscal year 2018.
National hospital organizations, including the AHA, today urged Congress to include in the short-term continuing resolution under consideration this week a two-year delay in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts.
Joan Coffman, president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, IL, will lead the AHA's Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2018.
The Federal Communications Commission is accepting comments through Feb.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote this evening on a continuing resolution fun
The Federal Communications Commission this week identified unserved rural areas eligible for up to