Issue Brief
The American Hospital Association (AHA) publishes Issue Briefs on policy and advocacy topics that are priorities for hospitals and health systems.
Hospitals and health systems have always been at the forefront of medical science, often leading in the development of new drugs, devices, digital tools and care delivery models that make care safer, more efficient and more effective.
Hospitals and health systems are working to make prescription drugs more affordable by carefully managing formularies, using biosimilars and generics where appropriate, and leveraging programs like the 340B Drug Pricing Program to stretch scarce resources for vulnerable patients.
The U.S. health care system operates with extensive compliance, reporting and documentation requirements. There is a substantial opportunity to streamline these through standardization.
Transforming how care is delivered is essential to ensuring that America’s health care system overall is high quality and affordable.
One of the most pressing opportunities to reduce health care spending is to mitigate the need for high-cost interventions by preventing the onset of illness and injury.
Because mental and physical health are intertwined, one approach to transforming care delivery is integrating behavioral and physical health care.
Health care costs can feel confusing, especially when bills arrive. Not every medical bill is hospital-related, but below are answers to some common questions about hospital care.
Technology touches virtually every part of the health care system, and new technologies are revolutionizing how hospitals provide care. This brief takes a closer look into technology-enabled care. It explores key trends, innovations and learnings, and provides considerations for how hospitals…
Hospitals and health systems are enhancing the way they deliver care to improve patient care and outcomes, prepare for the future and strengthen sustainability. One key driver to transforming care is expanding the non-clinical workforce to improve patient experience and outcomes and reduce clinical…
Fact: Medicaid chronically underpays for services. Without supplemental payments, Medicaid fee-for-services payments nationally paid 58 cents for every dollar that hospitals spent caring for Medicaid patients, and Medicaid managed care organizations paid 65 cents.