/ en Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:15:15 -0500 Tue, 05 Aug 25 14:39:31 -0500 /news/headline/2025-08-05-new-aha-vizient-report-shows-better-outcomes-hospitalized-surgical-patients <p>Patients in the hospital for surgeries had better outcomes in 2024 than they did in 2019, according to a <a href="/guidesreports/2025-08-05-new-analysis-connects-better-outcomes-hospitalized-surgical-patients-improvements" title="surgical outcomes">new report</a> released today by the AHA and Vizient. </p><p> </p><p>The significant improvement aligned not only with better performance on patient safety metrics — such as reductions in infections and falls — but also with marked declines in three major surgical patient safety indicators: severe bleeding, sepsis and respiratory failure.</p><p>“The safety and quality improvements in surgical outcomes underscore the resilience and unwavering commitment of hospitals and health systems — and the millions of hospital team members across the country — to delivering better care to the patients and communities they serve,” <a href="/press-releases/2025-08-04-new-data-show-better-outcomes-hospitalized-surgical-patients" title="Rick quote">said</a> AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “While hospitals are proud of these efforts, we know there is always more work to do to deliver the highest quality care possible.”</p><p>The new findings build on a report AHA released in collaboration with Vizient <a href="/guidesreports/2024-09-12-new-analysis-shows-hospitals-performance-key-patient-safety-measures-surpassing-pre-pandemic-levels" title="2024 Vizient report">last year</a> showing that hospitals and health systems performed better on key patient safety and quality measures in the first quarter of 2024 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, hospitals’ efforts to improve safety led to 200,000 Americans hospitalized between April 2023 and March 2024 surviving episodes of care they wouldn’t have in 2019. <br><br> </p> Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:39:31 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-05-study-finds-increase-colorectal-cancer-detection-among-people-aged-45-49 <p>A JAMA <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2837232" title="JAMA study">study</a> published yesterday found that more adults age 45-49 have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a finding that coincides with recommendations by the American Cancer Society in 2018 and the United States Preventive Services Task Force in 2021 to lower the screening age from 50 to 45. Researchers found that the incidence of colorectal cancer detection increased steadily 1.1% per year for individuals aged 45-49 from 2004-2019, before a sharp increase of 12% per year from 2019-2022, likely due to earlier screening. Meanwhile, the incidence increased 1.6% per year since 2004 among adults 20-39 years old and 2%-2.6% per year since 2012 among adults 40-44 and 50-54 years old.</p> Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:36:01 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-05-aha-defends-hhs-decision-reject-340b-rebate-models-drug-companies <p>The AHA today filed an <a href="/amicus-brief/2025-08-05-aha-others-defend-hhs-decision-reject-340b-rebate-models-drug-companies" title="brief link">amicus brief</a> in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, defending the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to prevent drug companies from implementing a 340B rebate model. The brief was filed in a consolidated appeal involving five drug companies. The AHA said such models from drug companies would devastate hospitals financially.  </p><p> </p><p>“In a world of finite resources, 340B hospitals will have no choice but to divert funds away from patient services and towards burdensome compliance,” the AHA wrote. “All of these consequences ‘frustrate’ the goal of the 340B statute.” <br><br>Authored in-house by Chad Golder, AHA general counsel, the AHA was joined in the filing by the Children’s Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges and America’s Essential Hospitals.</p> Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:31:35 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-04-fda-issues-most-serious-recall-certain-ventilators <p>The Food and Drug Administration has identified a Class I <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/continuous-ventilator-correction-philips-respironics-updates-use-instructions-bipap-a30-a40-and-v30">recall</a> of Philips Respironics V30, A30 and A40 ventilators due to the potential for serious injury or death. The company is updating use instructions due to the risk of failure in the ventilator inoperative alarm, which can cause therapy interruption or loss. The recall involves correcting the devices and does not call for removing them from where they are used or sold. </p> Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:49:39 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-04-report-nearly-57-new-mothers-did-not-attend-postpartum-follow-visits <p>Nearly 57% of mothers did not attend a postpartum follow-up visit three to eight weeks after giving birth, according to a <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/29/3123232/0/en/Cedar-Gate-Data-Finds-Nearly-60-of-New-Mothers-Miss-Essential-Postpartum-Follow-Up-Care.html">report</a> published July 29 by Cedar Gate Technologies. The rate was higher for younger mothers, as nearly 61% of those aged 20-24 did not attend follow-up appointments. Cedar Gate analyzed a national database of millions of commercially insured patients from July 2022 to June 2023. Previous <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/05/optimizing-postpartum-care">estimates</a> from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested nearly 40% of women did not attend postpartum visits. </p> Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:41:53 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-04-cdc-data-finds-kindergarten-vaccination-rates-declined-during-2024-25-school-year <p>Kindergarten vaccination rates declined during the 2024-25 school year, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html">data</a> released July 31 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, among others, declined in more than half of all states compared to the previous school year. Additionally, exemptions from one or more vaccines among kindergartners in the U.S. increased to 3.6% from 3.3% in 2023-2024. <br> <br>As of July 30, there have been 1,333 confirmed cases of measles reported by 39 states, with 29% in children under five years old, according to CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html">data</a>. Total cases in 2025 are more than four times higher than last year’s total of 285. The vaccination status of 92% of all 2025 cases is classified as “unvaccinated or unknown.” </p> Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:33:25 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-01-cms-releases-final-rule-ipf-payments-fy-2026 <p>The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Aug. 1 issued a final rule for the inpatient psychiatric facility <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-14781/medicare-program-fy-2026-inpatient-psychiatric-facilities-prospective-payment-system--rate-update">prospective payment system</a> for fiscal year 2026. CMS will increase <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fy-2026-medicare-inpatient-psychiatric-facility-prospective-payment-system-ipf-pps-and-quality">IPF payments</a> by a net 2.4%, or $70 million, in FY 2026 compared to FY 2025. The payment update reflects a market-basket update of 3.2% minus a productivity adjustment of 0.7 percentage points, as well as an additional cut of 0.1% due to the updated outlier threshold. In addition, the agency will increase the adjustment factors for IPFs with teaching status and in rural locations and recognize increases to IPF teaching caps as required by law. For the IPF Quality Reporting Program, CMS will remove three measures related to health equity and one on COVID-19 staff vaccination and revise the reporting period for its emergency department visit following IPF discharge measure. AHA members will receive a Regulatory Advisory with more details. </p> Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:10:24 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-01-cms-finalizes-26-payment-update-irfs <p>The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Aug. 1 released the fiscal year 2026 final rule for <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-14780/medicare-program-inpatient-rehabilitation-facility-prospective-payment-system-for-federal-fiscal">inpatient rehabilitation facilities</a>. The rule will increase <a href="https://v">payments</a> by 2.6% overall, which includes a 3.3% market basket update reduced by a 0.7 percentage point productivity adjustment. CMS also finalized a decrease in the outlier threshold, from $12,043 to $10,062. For the IRF Quality Reporting Program, CMS finalized removal of four patient assessment data elements and removed the COVID-19 vaccination measures for both patients and health care personnel. Payment changes are effective Oct. 1, 2025. AHA members will receive a Regulatory Advisory with additional information.</p> Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:10:49 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-01-fda-announces-labeling-changes-opioid-pain-medications <p>The Food and Drug Administration July 31 <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-requires-major-changes-opioid-pain-medication-labeling-emphasize-risks">announced</a> that it is requiring safety label changes to all opioid pain medications to further emphasize and explain the risks associated with long-term use. The updates include presenting clearer risk information, stronger dosing warnings, clarified language on use limits, treatment guidance and more. Manufacturers were given 30 days to submit their labeling updates to the FDA for review.</p> Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:46:44 -0500 Headline /news/headline/2025-08-01-senate-committee-advances-appropriations-bill <p>The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy26_lhhs_senate_report.pdf">appropriations bill</a> for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and other agencies by a bipartisan 26-3 <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings/full-committee-markup-of-defense-and-labor-health-and-human-services-and-education-appropriations-acts">vote</a>. The bill provides approximately $197 billion in discretionary funding. It includes funding to programs the AHA requested in <a href="/news/headline/2025-06-18-aha-urges-lawmakers-support-key-areas-health-care-fy-2026-appropriations-bill">June</a>.   <br><br>The committee approved $309 million — an increase of $4 million — for Health Care Readiness and Recovery, formerly the Hospital Preparedness Program. It also provided $390 million for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program, a $21 million increase from FY 2024 enacted. The bill also includes some moderate funding increases for rural health, behavioral health, workforce, and maternal and child health programs. In addition, the bill <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy26_lhhs_senate_bill_summarypdf.pdf">provides</a> $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $400 million, and rejects the initial White House proposal to cut $18 billion in funding. The bill also rejected the administration’s proposal to cap indirect cost rates for NIH grants at 15%.   <br><br>The House is expected to consider the bill in September.</p> Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:43:19 -0500 Headline