Grassroots

Grassroots / en Thu, 01 May 2025 19:47:02 -0500 Wed, 02 Sep 20 11:59:22 -0500 AHA Releases Resources That Hospitals and Health Systems Can Use to Encourage Voter Registration /special-bulletin/2020-09-02-aha-releases-resources-hospitals-and-health-systems-can-use-encourage As part of AHA’s <a data-fontcolor="1" href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3D-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~%26pe%3DzTa0rVrTPiGvPScEAGKak7Qs9rgHanhc5UXUMLUiFfvmCgrLoe2PmWRR0P8hBYi2SLE_nDaklHBZTzjnY_vZuw~~%26t%3DzpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cdsamuels%40aha.org%7C22affeb59d67455ae28c08d84f60abbb%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C637346623920168735&amp;sdata=RQg%2FLgkvuPLXj%2BuHg2ykYLy36cffDKlFnvjCQyCHS%2FM%3D&amp;reserved=0" originalsrc="http://send.aha.org/link.cfm?r=-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~&amp;pe=zTa0rVrTPiGvPScEAGKak7Qs9rgHanhc5UXUMLUiFfvmCgrLoe2PmWRR0P8hBYi2SLE_nDaklHBZTzjnY_vZuw~~&amp;t=zpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~" shash="zkeleyCgkDBrYQEqrIDuuRKQY+ISnF2VMG86vgENemK46Sb2F8OrsCW/kaoVQ9mYlsNg2aAWEfOsj1MZMJlwQb1k2MdGOOs67HH5l8GFktLtD2bdZ2VQt+SlOCLTMX8XbWDI4bDFiLKgwy5pT65A9raGQ1Xaec/KibLhL/3/A3U=" target="_blank">We Care, We Vote initiative</a>, the association is releasing a new toolkit with resources that hospital and health system leaders can use to encourage their employees to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election.&nbsp; The resources, which are described below, can be used before, during and after the nonpartisan <a data-fontcolor="1" href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3D-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~%26pe%3Dp5ZhodKBfq1KxkxXLmDV8AF2TiACXQ0GdzT9u_kGxCVboAX9AXo_PEwpvD7hE49IQQygUoqiUZ9tF5j872W69A~~%26t%3DzpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cdsamuels%40aha.org%7C22affeb59d67455ae28c08d84f60abbb%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C637346623920178733&amp;sdata=fRD73h%2FYd9uXpCnehMs9R%2BeDKnIq7iB2V6A6AiS6THo%3D&amp;reserved=0" originalsrc="http://send.aha.org/link.cfm?r=-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~&amp;pe=p5ZhodKBfq1KxkxXLmDV8AF2TiACXQ0GdzT9u_kGxCVboAX9AXo_PEwpvD7hE49IQQygUoqiUZ9tF5j872W69A~~&amp;t=zpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~" shash="vWYdcOU2t319ma4R8QMR0JZurnk5ZJzPYSBJ8VuKz7KcEJ1FANLcZ1QTK2xCVEWxCvQWtDY+q8MwUyCmZfUdZV8S9Y2SK9xjhozGyFM1A+168fcksi1u3oO2T4J0WBVV0KBYP6VHaWL96/NdFHicEbgY5NXD5eofxL1EVXyU4+I=" target="_blank">National Voter Registration Day</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 22. Templates and graphics are available for hospitals and health systems to adapt and use to show health care employees’ voices matter.&nbsp; The tools include: <ul> <li>Printable, customizable posters about the importance of health care voices registering to vote; &nbsp;</li> <li>Sample CEO/leader messages and voicemail scripts to employees, each marked with where you can add your state’s voter registration deadline; &nbsp;</li> <li>Employee newsletter sample articles about why the health care workforce voice matters, with tips on how to help employees engage in the voting process; and &nbsp;</li> <li>Graphics, including Zoom backgrounds and logos, for you to use on any voter registration resources or social media.</li> </ul> All of this content, as well as legal guidance on what types of activities tax-exempt organizations can and cannot engage in around elections, is available on <a data-fontcolor="1" href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3D-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~%26pe%3D96uMMEj8wbkWXvMaG4n_-1_yXb8u_MrIiWqzXPAWzaAW3yMjvkYNPAnXK32bMjWaJt-8VN1yWLoTDsxSclmM8g~~%26t%3DzpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cdsamuels%40aha.org%7C22affeb59d67455ae28c08d84f60abbb%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C637346623920178733&amp;sdata=hz%2Bn9AT47gX0rOTOnhrPiABZziq%2FnezAZq8qBuXUflA%3D&amp;reserved=0" originalsrc="http://send.aha.org/link.cfm?r=-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~&amp;pe=96uMMEj8wbkWXvMaG4n_-1_yXb8u_MrIiWqzXPAWzaAW3yMjvkYNPAnXK32bMjWaJt-8VN1yWLoTDsxSclmM8g~~&amp;t=zpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~" shash="ZlvSkX6BDhfWBvTH4i1NLbKVJ1jIDtASDdu5rMWZivp9soQT9krrdE6IypgWxDzRZYFV/9Xn11TsYFEcQheeXeqjId/1T9N07E8YvRMQKc0Kgrx34l4TFBh2nQKdcKD5cKXIRcsWVnK0Cs9O/TqN95IOWAhSogTGMm9+qujz7To=" target="_blank">AHA’s We Care, We Vote webpage</a>. The AHA also is partnering with state hospital associations to run ads on various media platforms encouraging health care stakeholders to register to vote and cast their ballot on Nov. 3.&nbsp; See AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack’s Aug. 28 <a data-fontcolor="1" href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3D-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~%26pe%3Dw-NJgRTVqtK9kKTe5-Kex7ESKg9kkxnh0u0TBajf813hDOLbV0RSYhldOvbDWFp7ZA2FntTDsDPFndjSYMguZQ~~%26t%3DzpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Cdsamuels%40aha.org%7C22affeb59d67455ae28c08d84f60abbb%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C637346623920188723&amp;sdata=8EweEJKlVUsIMLthCi1LPaWjLgpJ80eO%2FBky4bkIRrI%3D&amp;reserved=0" originalsrc="http://send.aha.org/link.cfm?r=-AE84IntlHzsGTD1Z8Pnog~~&amp;pe=w-NJgRTVqtK9kKTe5-Kex7ESKg9kkxnh0u0TBajf813hDOLbV0RSYhldOvbDWFp7ZA2FntTDsDPFndjSYMguZQ~~&amp;t=zpxQWwygzebQKu-4ZQOylQ~~" shash="LFFVuqtX9wm/Qa0DUu0ehlB+W576ppVKbCu7GaW1+mcSU8V8ZKIq7qAbdiAICA01fbLboUcUy5ZNIv/4fBNdH+7QvLMXtjUbqmzU8rMRdU0bvb2tvVd3kGv76Vt8rqS4JiB6JtXenM3NxdM7UvOpO/IlK0RFAFDLpX9HHnw/HUM=" target="_blank">column</a>&nbsp;for more on AHA’s efforts. And watch for more tools and resources leading up to Election Day. Please email <a data-fontcolor="1" href="mailto:WeCareWeVote@aha.org?subject=We%20Care%2C%20We%20Vote%20Activities" target="_blank">WeCareWeVote@aha.org</a> to share how your organization is participating Wed, 02 Sep 2020 11:59:22 -0500 Grassroots House OPPS Site-Neutral Letter Signatures One hundred thirty-eight members of the House of Representatives Oct. 18 expressed concern with the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services' proposal to expand certain site-neutral payment policies to grandfathered off-campus hospital provider-based departments in calendar year 2019. The proposed cuts to hospital outpatient department evaluation and management services and future services from new clinical families "may run contrary to actions by Congress under Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015" and "affect efforts to move to value-based care," the representatives <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3DFobRQENCYatzOa3-hC-86A~~%26pe%3Dzk8iDS9W6QaHZGvg3sWSuEK_npSZZXhJUh6lEa2uE0lsu2l2ybZxaj79UGsqc3gHVEggIONm3K4BSbsxgZeCaw~~%26t%3DJrJixKXd3AoMUOm5UFFxAw~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Chdrevna%40aha.org%7C706f86302bfb427b562308d63601db5a%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C636755778941324602&amp;sdata=Iz8%2FYMLXSw7gMMOrSnUXnVREm53ProkWRWZVi7dJkpU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">said</a>. With respect to Section 603, the representatives said it "is unclear how CMS has deemed all of the OPD services at the grandfathered off-campus HOPDs as cause of an unnecessary increase in volume of OPD services," noting that the impacted facilities "provide care to some of the most vulnerable patient populations in difficult to serve areas." Earlier this month, 48 senators <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http:%2F%2Fsend.aha.org%2Flink.cfm%3Fr%3DFobRQENCYatzOa3-hC-86A~~%26pe%3DR0IdHNFtWg7NS0UsSL86m5pptPCLFQCq5EgaBDP_CFhljAvBtF-F41ytI3uk95cpLEqWhhV-nHKoTfr6CIw2Yw~~%26t%3DJrJixKXd3AoMUOm5UFFxAw~~&amp;data=02%7C01%7Chdrevna%40aha.org%7C706f86302bfb427b562308d63601db5a%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C636755778941334614&amp;sdata=4xa1FhiYJTb5F9po9LEYIlyKEK7tMXaUIgh%2FQLc7GiE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">urged</a> CMS to reconsider this proposal. &nbsp; <a class="btn btn-secondary btn-wide" href="/system/files/2018-10/House-OPPS-Letter-10-18-18-FINAL.pdf">List of Final House OPPS Site-Neutral Letter Signatures</a> Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:21:23 -0500 Grassroots Signatures Needed by Oct. 17 on House Letter Urging CMS to Reconsider OPPS Site-neutral Cuts Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), chair of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) are asking their House colleagues to sign on to a letter urging the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider proposals to cut payments for evaluation and management services and expand certain site-neutral payment policies to grandfathered off-campus hospital provider-based departments (PBDs). Mon, 15 Oct 2018 11:29:17 -0500 Grassroots OPPS Senate Site-neutral Letter Signatures Forty-eight senators Sept. 28 urged the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to reconsider its proposal to expand certain site-neutral payment policies to grandfathered off-campus hospital provider-based departments in calendar year 2019. The proposed cuts to hospital outpatient department evaluation and management services and future services from new clinical families “ignore the grandfathered status of these facilities” and “threaten seniors’ access to care in their own communities,” the senators wrote, noting that the impacted facilities “include those that provide care to some of the most vulnerable patient populations.” In passing Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, "Congress was clear in its intention to grandfather existing facilities, so that only new off-campus sites would have payments reduced,” the letter states. “…Therefore, we ask that CMS ensure these facilities be treated as Congress intended and protected from the proposed cuts.” The letter was spearheaded by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. <a class="btn btn-secondary btn-wide" href="/system/files/2018-10/180928-opps-letter-signatures.pdf">List of OPPS Senate site-neutral letter signatures</a> &nbsp; Wed, 03 Oct 2018 14:26:39 -0500 Grassroots