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Technology was the topic for the May 17 plenary session discussion between Ivor Horn, M.D., director of health equity and social determinants of health at Google, and Joy A. Lewis, AHA senior vice president for health equity strategies and executive director of IFDHE.

Across America, many girls lack access to menstrual products, facing a public health crisis known as “period poverty.” Without these products, girls can miss school, be humiliated and experience health problems. One health system is addressing the problem in its community and looking to help.

Mergers and acquisitions are a vital tool to keep financially struggling hospitals open and allow hospitals and health systems to reduce costs, improve quality and better serve patients where they live, AHA told the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee May 17 in a statement submitted for a hearing on health care costs and consolidation.

Congress should support flexible payment options and update reimbursement rates to help rural hospitals overcome the challenges that threaten access to care in rural communities, the AHA told the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care in a statement submitted for a hearing May 17 on the issue.

A qualified, engaged and diverse workforce is the heart of America’s health care system, Robyn Begley, AHA senior vice president of workforce and chief nursing officer, testified May 17 at a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittees on Health and Oversights and Investigations joint oversight hearing. 

AHA May 17 shared with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations its concern that some MA plans inappropriately restrict beneficiary access to medically necessary covered services and urged Congress to increase its oversight of these plans.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health May 17 considered a series of health care bills, including a number focused on provisions that would affect hospitals and health systems.

AHA’s 2023 Accelerating Health Equity Conference began today in Minneapolis, convening more than 800 stakeholders working at the intersection of health care and equity.

State, local, territorial and tribal jurisdictions may apply through June 30 for grants of up to $500,000 each for three years to implement interventions to address social determinants of health across four domains: the built environment, community-clinical linkages, food and nutrition security, and social connectedness.

While counseling and other services are an important part of a comprehensive treatment plan for opioid use disorder, the provision of medication should not be made contingent upon participation in such services, the Food and Drug Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration told health care providers in guidance intended to clarify buprenorphine prescribing recommendations.

Hospitals may continue to bill through calendar year 2023 for certain outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology services, Diabetes Self-Management Training, and Medical Nutrition Therapy provided by hospital staff to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes through telecommunication technology, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in an update to a FAQ on the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In a statement submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee for a hearing May 16 on health care price transparency, AHA recommended Congress and the Administration streamline existing hospital price transparency requirements to reduce potential patient confusion and unnecessary regulatory burden on providers, and refrain from advancing legislation or regulations that make it harder to provide meaningful price estimates.

A new AHA case study highlights innovative strategies from New York-Presbyterian to reduce workplace violence risk.  

The Health Resources and Services Administration announced a new toll-free number (1-833-TLC-MAMA) and promotional toolkit for its National Maternal Mental Health Hotline for pregnant and postpartum individuals with mental health concerns.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a FAQ regarding Consolidated Appropriations Act changes for states redetermining Medicaid enrollee eligibility due to the March 31 end of the COVID-19 pandemic’s continuous enrollment requirement.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced plans to start an AHA-opposed demonstration for inpatient rehabilitation facilities Aug. 21 in Alabama and expand it to additional states at an undetermined date.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily restored an Affordable Care Act requirement that most health plans cover certain preventive services without cost sharing.

Over 230 bipartisan representatives urged House leaders to prevent $8 billion in cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payments scheduled to begin Oct. 1, calling AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 2665) “a reasonable and responsible path to take in order to avoid the disastrous consequences to our safety net hospitals if the Medicaid DSH cuts were to take effect.”

Advancing health equity must be of utmost importance for all of us working in hospitals and health systems.

Aisha Syeda, a senior program manager for AHA’s Strategic Initiatives, shares how Dell Children’s Medical Center, Hand to Hold and Northwest Community Healthcare support families affected by infant loss or a neonatal intensive care unit admission.