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The latest stories from AHA Today.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission today discussed a draft recommendation that would update payments for hospital inpatient and outpatient services in 2017 as outlined under current law, that is, an estimated 1.65%. In addition, MedPAC discussed a draft recommendation that would reduce Part B…
As congressional leaders continue to negotiate an omnibus spending package, the Senate today approved by voice vote a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government funded through Dec. 16. The House is expected to approve the measure tomorrow, which is when funding for the government is…
U.S. mortality rates fell 2.3% for infants and 1% for the overall population in 2014, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infant mortality rate, considered a good indicator of the overall health of a population, fell to a record low 582.1 deaths per…
The uninsured rate declined in 42 states in 2014, and adults in 21 states were less likely to go without care due to cost, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. The share of low-income adults who were uninsured dropped at least three percentage points in every state except…
AHA is preparing to launch its fifth Schedule H Project to help the association advocate for needed improvements to the form and support hospitals’ commitment to providing community benefits. Tax-exempt hospitals will be encouraged to submit a copy of their 2013 (and 2014, if available)…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a video reviewing ICD-10-CM coding basics. On the video, Nelly Leon-Chisen, director of coding and classification at the AHA, and Sue Bowman, senior director of coding policy and compliance at the American Health Information Management…
Hospitals this week joined in celebrating National Influenza Vaccination Week, created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to highlight the importance of flu vaccination into the holiday season and beyond.
The recent wave of increases in the cost of prescription drugs is straining hospital budgets and squeezing patients, hospital and other health care witnesses Dec. 9 told the Senate Aging Committee at a hearing on “sudden price hikes” in off-patent drugs.Witnesses cited huge cost…
The House of Representatives last night passed by unanimous consent AHA-supported legislation (S. 1461) that would delay through December 2015 enforcement of direct supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services provided in critical access hospitals and certain small, rural hospitals…
The AHA, Catholic Health Association of the United States and Association of American Medical Colleges today urged the Internal Revenue Service to publicly confirm that hospitals may report expenditures for clean and safe housing on Part I of their 2015 Schedule H forms. “We are aware of the…