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The latest stories from AHA Today.
The House today voted 242-174 to approve the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act of 2017 (H.R. 3922), legislation that includes a five-year extension of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and two years of relief from Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts.
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted 307-111 to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board. The 15-member board was created by the Affordable Care Act to make recommendations on Medicare payment policy if the projected five-year average growth in per capita Medicare spending exceeds…
The House of Representatives yesterday passed by unanimous consent the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medicines Act (H.R. 304). The AHA-supported legislation clarifies that medications governed by the Controlled Substances Act may be administered by emergency medical services practitioners…
The AHA today released a guide to help hospital and health system board members and leaders implement an urgent care center strategy to maintain an access point for urgent medical conditions that can be treated on an outpatient basis, without having to maintain emergency medical services or…
The AHA and the National Urban League hosted a two-day educational event on “The Role of the Trustee in the Face of Rapidly Changing Trends in Healthcare.” During the event, which took place yesterday and today in New Orleans, NUL Affiliate CEOs received an overview of health care governance, as…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week approved a waiver allowing Utah to expand Medicaid services to up to 6,000 low-income adults without children. Adults with incomes up to 5% percent of the federal poverty line who are chronically homeless or suffer from substance use issues…
CMS issues final rule for CY 2018 MACRA physician QPP
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued its final rule for the physician fee schedule for calendar year 2018. CMS estimates a 0.41% increase in physician payment rates for 2018 compared to 2017, after applying a 0.5% payment increase required by the Medicare…
Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) today unveiled House Republican leaders’ proposal to reform the tax code. Among other changes, the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act would eliminate hospitals’ ability to access low-cost capital financing through tax-exempt private activity bonds. In addition, the…
Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced the EHR Regulatory Relief Act (S. 2059), legislation that would provide regulatory flexibility and hardship relief to hospitals and eligible…