Fact Sheets

The American Hospital Association (AHA) fact sheets on important issues facing hospitals and health systems. Fact Sheets define the terms of issues facing hospitals and health systems and provide in-depth explanations of the AHA's position on these issues.

Congress is considering several proposals that would impose additional Medicare site-neutral payment reductions for services provided in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs).
Legislative efforts to enact a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) proposal that would impose site-neutral payment cuts on hospitals for certain outpatient services — including those occurring in both on-campus and off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) — would lead to…
A per capita cap on federal Medicaid financing would be a fundamental change to how the program is financed and, specifically, would amount to a substantial cut that would grow over time.
Telehealth connects patients to vital health care services through videoconferencing, remote monitoring, electronic consults and wireless communications. By increasing access to physicians and specialists, telehealth helps ensure patients receive the right care, at the right place, at the right…
Protect Access to Care: The AHA urges Congress to reject reductions to the Medicaid program that would threaten health care access for patients.
If Congress cuts Medicaid, hospitals would see significant negative impacts that vary by policy.
Congress expanded eligibility for enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs or tax credits) to help certain individuals and families purchase insurance on the health insurance marketplaces.
Facility fees are the portion of a health care treatment bill that covers all the costs of delivering patient care, except for those that are billed by physicians and other professionals.
Budget reconciliation is an optional process under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that allows for expedited consideration of certain fiscal legislation that makes changes to mandatory spending, revenues and/or the debt limit.
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government moved quickly to ensure hospitals and health systems were able to leverage telehealth services to respond efficiently and effectively to a wave of unprecedented need.