/ en Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:11:38 -0500 Wed, 30 Apr 25 06:00:00 -0500 /press-releases/2025-04-30-new-aha-report-hospitals-and-health-systems-squeezed-persistent-economic-challenges <p><strong>WASHINGTON</strong> (April 30, 2025) — The ���������� Association (AHA) today released a <a href="/costsofcaring">new report</a> showing that hospitals and health systems continue to experience significant financial headwinds that can challenge their ability to provide always-there, essential care to their patients and communities. The report outlines the significant financial burden of the heightened expenses that hospitals have faced in recent years in caring for patients, as well as the increasing strain on the field.</p><p>Key findings from the <a href="/costsofcaring">report</a> include:</p><ul><li>Having the right care team available for patients has long been the single largest category of hospital spending, accounting for 56% of total costs in 2024. Amid ongoing workforce shortages, hospitals have raised wages to recruit and retain staff, adding financial pressure even as these investments are essential to maintaining care.</li><li>Medicare and Medicaid continue to underpay hospitals for patient care. Hospitals absorbed $130 billion in underpayments from Medicare and Medicaid in 2023 alone, and these shortfalls are worsening — growing on average 14% annually between 2019 and 2023.</li><li>Medicare reimbursed just 83 cents for every dollar hospitals spent caring for patients in 2023. From 2022 to 2024, general inflation rose by 14.1%, while Medicare inpatient payment rates increased by only 5.1% — amounting to an effective payment cut over the past three years.</li><li>The practices of certain Medicare Advantage (MA) plans — including increased delays, denials and underpayments — are exacerbating the financial burden faced by hospitals. This has happened while hospital reimbursement from MA plans fell by 8.8% on a cost basis between 2019 and 2024.</li><li>Tariffs on medical imports could significantly raise costs for hospitals as nearly 70% of medical devices marketed in the U.S. are manufactured exclusively overseas. A recent survey found that 82% of health care experts expect tariff-related expenses to raise hospital expenses by at least 15% over the next six months, and 94% of health care administrators expect to delay equipment upgrades to manage financial strain.</li></ul><p>At the same time, Congress is considering proposals that would cut Medicaid, Medicare and other programs that support the 24/7 care and services that hospitals provide to patients in every community across America.</p><p>“This report should serve as an alarm bell that a perfect storm of rising costs, inadequate reimbursement, and certain corporate insurer practices are jeopardizing the ability of hospitals to deliver high-quality, timely care to their communities,” <strong>said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack.</strong> “With so much at stake, policymakers must recommit to making preserving access to hospital care a national priority.”</p><p><a href="/costsofcaring">View the full report.</a> See the <a href="/advocacy-agenda">AHA’s advocacy agenda</a> for more information on the AHA's efforts to support hospitals and health systems.</p><p>###</p><h2>About the ���������� Association (AHA)</h2><p>The ���������� Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at <a href="/">www.aha.org</a>.</p> Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-04-29-house-committee-advances-reauthorization-support-act <p>The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/full-committee-markup-4" title="comm markup">markup</a> April 29 where it advanced the AHA-supported <a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/21_H_R_2483_SUPPORT_for_Patients_and_Communities_Reauthorization_Act_of_2025_12aef9578c.pdf" title="Support Act">SUPPORT Act (H.R. 2483)</a>. The legislation would reauthorize key prevention, treatment and recovery programs for patients with substance use disorder. </p> Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:42:17 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/perspective/2025-04-11-we-must-urge-congress-protect-access-medicaid-patient-care-and-247-hospital-services <p>Congressional lawmakers are heading home for a two-week district work period after both the Senate and House passed a revised budget resolution for fiscal year 2025, allowing the chambers to move forward with the <a href="/issue-landing-page/2025-02-07-budget-reconciliation-process-resource-page" target="_blank" title="Reconciliation Process">reconciliation process</a> and begin drafting the specific policies that will be included in the reconciliation bill. This is where the hard work begins.</p><p>The revised resolution still includes instructions for the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut spending by $880 billion, which means cuts to Medicaid and other health programs are very much still on the table.</p><p>However, this week’s budget action is another step in a long process and no specifics on anything have been decided. It’s important to note that the House Energy and Commerce Committee includes broad jurisdiction over many sectors of the economy beyond health care, and the Senate seems inclined to take a more modest approach. In the meantime, we have been building momentum with lawmakers and the public to demonstrate that devastating cuts to the Medicaid program — and the 72 million individuals who rely on it for coverage — should not be used to pay for the reconciliation bill.</p><p>We can use the next two weeks while representatives and senators are in their districts and states to drive this point home and explain how significant cuts to Medicaid would stress the availability of health care services for everyone and jeopardize access to the 24/7 care and services that hospitals provide.</p><p><strong>New Polling Shows Widespread Support for Medicaid.</strong> New <a href="https://modernmedicaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MMA-Poll-Memo-4-2-25.pdf" target="_blank" title="New polls show widespread support for Medicaid">polling</a> released this week from President Trump’s 2024 pollster showed that 74% of all voters and 61% of Trump voters have a favorable view of Medicaid. In addition, 70% of total voters, including a majority of Trump voters, opposed cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts. “Our recent survey shows there is no appetite across the political spectrum for cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts,” the poll memo said. “Medicaid is well-liked by most voters, in large part due to the broad impact it has across the electorate and the high level of importance voters place on as many Americans as possible having health insurance.”</p><p><strong>Advocacy Resources and Advertising.</strong> The AHA continues to share new resources that hospitals and health systems can use to assist their advocacy efforts. Visit our <a href="/advocacy/advocacy-issues/medicaid" target="_blank" title="Medicaid Advocacy webpage">Medicaid advocacy webpage</a> for fact sheets, blogs pushing back on misguided reports and other resources you can use in conversations with your lawmakers. And watch for an Action Alert soon with additional resources.</p><p>At the same time, the <a href="https://strengthenhealthcare.org/" target="_blank" title="Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare">Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare</a>, of which the AHA is a founding member, continues to run its <a href="https://strengthenhealthcare.org/coalition-launches-national-ad-campaign-to-protect-medicaid-patients-from-cuts-to-care/" target="_blank" title="Faces of Medicaid national ad compaign">Faces of Medicaid</a> national ad campaign that highlights Medicaid’s critical impact on the tens of millions of people who rely on the program for access to care. During the last two weeks, the Coalition launched two new ads, “<a href="https://strengthenhealthcare.org/coalition-launches-national-ad-highlighting-president-trumps-promises-to-protect-medicaid/" target="_blank" title="Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare Promises Ad">Promises</a>,” which underscores President Trump’s public commitments about protecting Medicaid and Medicare and calls on Congress not to cut Medicaid, and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAglo-JZzdY&t=1s" target="_blank" title="Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare 30 Million ad">30 Million</a>,” focusing on Medicaid coverage for children. The ads are running on national cable and digitally. In addition, the Coalition continues to engage its 2.6 million advocates in a grassroots campaign to send letters, make phone calls and send social media posts to their legislators urging them to protect access to care and services.</p><p><strong>Make Your Voices Heard.</strong> While the AHA and Coalition provide the air cover in Washington, nothing is more powerful than your voice — and the voices of your team members, trustees, patients and community members — with your senators and representatives. You live, work and, most importantly, vote in their districts and states. You have their attention and can explain to them the impact policy proposals would have for their constituents and your ability to provide care. Please take advantage of your legislators being home and highlight for them the need to protect Medicaid and access to the 24/7 services that hospitals and health systems provide.</p><p>In addition, if you haven’t done so yet, there’s still time to make plans to join nearly 1,000 hospital and health system leaders for the <a href="/education-events/2025-aha-annual-membership-meeting" target="_blank" title="AHA Annual Membership Meeting">AHA’s Annual Membership Meeting</a> May 4-6 in Washington, D.C. You’ll hear directly from legislators, policymakers and thought leaders, as well as have the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill to deliver our field’s message about protecting access to care and services, providing relief from burdensome regulations and policies, and strengthening and supporting the health care workforce.</p><p>We’ve seen time and time again when our field speaks with a strong and united voice, lawmakers hear us. And we get results. That unity will be more important than ever over the next few weeks and months as we stand up for patients to protect access to the care that hospitals and health systems provide in every community across America.</p> Fri, 11 Apr 2025 08:25:31 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy <div class="container"><div classs="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p>Early this morning, the Senate by a vote of 51 to 48 passed its <a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/senate_amendment_h_con_res_14.pdf" target="_blank" title="Senate.gov: H.Con.Res.14">revised budget resolution</a> for fiscal year 2025 with Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voting with Democrats in opposition.</p><p>During the six-hour “vote-a-rama session,” Sen. Ron Wyden, R-Ore., offered an amendment to strike the instructions for the House Energy & Commerce Committee to cut spending by $880 billion, citing his concerns around potential cuts to the Medicaid program. The amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 49-50. Three Republicans, Sens. Collins, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted in favor of the amendment along with Senate Democrats.</p><p>The House is expected to consider the revised resolution next week. This marks the next step toward reaching a common budget resolution that will allow Congress to move forward with the <a href="/issue-landing-page/2025-02-07-budget-reconciliation-process-resource-page">reconciliation process</a>.</p><p>The resolution is drafted to provide flexibility to Senate and House Committees when they begin drafting their individual bills. As is customary, the budget resolution does not provide details on potential cuts to Medicaid or Medicare, as well as the extension of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs).</p><h2>Key Highlights of the Budget Resolution</h2><h3>Debt Ceiling</h3><p>The resolution includes instructions to allow Congress to increase the debt limit. The House Ways & Means Committee instruction is $4 trillion, and the Senate Finance Committee’s is $5 trillion.</p><h3>Tax Policy</h3><p>The resolution assumes a budget mechanism called “current policy baseline” to set up a pathway toward making the tax cuts within the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent.</p><h3>Preserves House Instructions</h3><ul><li>The House Ways & Means Committee is instructed to increase deficits by not more than $4.5 trillion (TCJA extension).</li><li>The House Energy and Commerce Committee is instructed to reduce deficits by not less than $880 billion. The Energy and Commerce Committee has primary jurisdiction over Medicaid and other health care programs.</li><li>The resolution reflects the desire of the House-passed budget resolution to reach $2 trillion in spending cuts.</li></ul><h3>Adds Senate Health Committee Instructions</h3><ul><li>The Senate Finance Committee is instructed to increase deficits by not more than $1.5 trillion (TCJA extension and other tax policy).</li><li>The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is instructed to reduce deficits by not less than $1 billion. This is a change from the Senate’s original previous budget resolution. The HELP Committee has jurisdiction over measures relating to education, labor, health and public welfare.</li></ul><h3>Deadline for Committees</h3><p>The budget resolution gives Senate and House committees a May 9 deadline to report legislation, but this is not a binding deadline.</p><h2>Next Steps</h2><p>The resolution now moves to the House for consideration next week. Congressional leaders hope to complete work on the budget resolution before leaving for their two-week April recess (April 14-25).</p><p>Once both chambers have passed the budget resolution, committees that have received instructions in the budget resolution will begin drafting the reconciliation bill.</p><h2>AHA Take</h2><p>As the Senate and House forge ahead on the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution and reconciliation process, the AHA continues to urge Congress to take seriously the impact of reductions in health care programs, particularly Medicaid. We ask Congress to construct a path forward that protects Medicaid and patients from harmful cuts that would impact access to care for millions of Americans. The AHA will continue to keep the field updated on the latest developments and action needed.</p><h2>Resources on Protecting Medicaid, Other Health Programs</h2><p>The AHA continues to develop and share resources with hospitals and health systems on the importance of protecting Medicaid and other health programs. Please visit our <a href="/advocacy/action-center">Action Center</a> for a host of resources on key advocacy issues. In addition, the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare, of which the AHA is a founding member, continues to run advertising, share digital resources and engage in grassroots activity on the importance of protecting Medicaid. See the <a href="https://strengthenhealthcare.org/" target="_blank" title="Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare homepage">Coalition website</a> for the latest advertising and resources.</p><h2>Further Questions</h2><p>If you have further questions, please contact Rachel Jenkins, AHA senior associate director of federal relations, at <a href="mailto:rjenkins@aha.org?subject=RE: Special Bulletin: Senate Passes Revised Budget Resolution">rjenkins@aha.org</a>.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/04/Special-Bulletin-Senate-Passes-Revised-Budget-Resolution-20250405.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Special Bulletin: Senate Passes Revised Budget Resolution PDF"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-Special-Bulletin-Senate-Passes-Revised-Budget-Resolution-20250405.png" data-entity-uuid="457fa1ef-79fd-44b7-9ca9-266f7310196e" data-entity-type="file" alt="Special Bulletin: Senate Passes Revised Budget Resolution page 1." width="690" height="900"></a></p></div></div></div> Sat, 05 Apr 2025 10:50:00 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-04-04-senate-expected-vote-revised-budget-resolution-over-weekend <p><em>Story Updated April 5 at 8:30 a.m. ET</em></p><p>The Senate by a vote of 51 to 48 passed its revised <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.budget.senate.gov%2Fimo%2Fmedia%2Fdoc%2Fsenate_amendment_h_con_res_14.pdf%3Fmkt_tok%3DNzEwLVpMTC02NTEAAAGZl8RTAeR77E_lSejQRLXuYl1AOsKjOdJI0nU2PMfXA8wXmmXVYF7CcZk5tv11NHb3ujccKHrsSVucOEOWX58ycMOSAOS21R7ZAFkGPAKzprtG7Q&data=05%7C02%7Clisahenry%40aha.org%7Cabbd44f59ccc440e87c808dd743995ab%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C638794512852685722%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RYrigDhF00Zl%2B%2FPsg7i1A8oZsAblK%2FJeeLvsZt5ABkk%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.budget.senate.gov%2fimo%2fmedia%2fdoc%2fsenate_amendment_h_con_res_14.pdf%3fmkt_tok%3dnzewlvpmtc02nteaaagzl8rtaer77e_lsejqrlxuyl1aoskjodji0nu2pmfxa8wxmmxvyf7cczk5tv11nhb3ujcckhrssvucoeowx58ycmosaos21r7zafkgpakzprtg7q&data=05%7c02%7clisahenry%40aha.org%7cabbd44f59ccc440e87c808dd743995ab%7cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7c0%7c0%7c638794512852685722%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjfbxb0eu1hcgkionrydwusilyioiiwljaumdawmcisilaioijxaw4zmiisikfoijoitwfpbcisilduijoyfq%3d%3d%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=ryrigdhf00zl%2b%2fpsg7i1a8ozsablk%2fjeelvszt5abkk%3d&reserved=0" id="menur9c7" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link budget resolution"><u>budget resolution</u></a> for fiscal year 2025 with Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voting with Democrats in opposition. This marks the next step toward reaching a budget resolution that will allow Congress to move forward with the reconciliation process. <br><br>During the six-hour “vote-a-rama session,” Sen. Ron Wyden, R-Ore., offered an amendment to strike the instructions for the House Energy & Commerce Committee to cut spending by $880 billion, citing his concerns around potential cuts to the Medicaid program. The amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 49-50. Three Republicans, Sens. Collins, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted in favor of the amendment along with Senate Democrats. <br><br>The House is expected to consider the revised resolution as early as next week. AHA members April 3 received a <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aha.org%2F2025-04-03-senate-unveils-amendment-house-budget-resolution-vote-expected-week&data=05%7C02%7Clisahenry%40aha.org%7Cabbd44f59ccc440e87c808dd743995ab%7Cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7C0%7C0%7C638794512852701455%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IKnSjbahf6DvLK%2FpWyy07pBCqaG1uN2CmwjgzEj7HcE%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.aha.org%2f2025-04-03-senate-unveils-amendment-house-budget-resolution-vote-expected-week&data=05%7c02%7clisahenry%40aha.org%7cabbd44f59ccc440e87c808dd743995ab%7cb9119340beb74e5e84b23cc18f7b36a6%7c0%7c0%7c638794512852701455%7cunknown%7ctwfpbgzsb3d8eyjfbxb0eu1hcgkionrydwusilyioiiwljaumdawmcisilaioijxaw4zmiisikfoijoitwfpbcisilduijoyfq%3d%3d%7c0%7c%7c%7c&sdata=iknsjbahf6dvlk%2fpwyy07pbcqag1un2cmwjgzej7hce%3d&reserved=0" id="menur9ca" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Link Special Bulletin"><u>Special Bulletin</u></a> for highlights of what’s included in the revised budget resolution and AHA resources.</p> Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:00:03 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-03-27-aha-others-urge-congress-reauthorize-and-expand-workforce-program-foreign-born-staff <p>The AHA and dozens of other organizations yesterday urged <a href="/lettercomment/2025-03-27-house-letter-aha-other-organizations-support-conrad-state-30-and-physician-access-reauthorization-act">House</a> and <a href="/lettercomment/2025-03-27-senate-letter-aha-other-organizations-support-conrad-state-30-and-physician-access-reauthorization-act">Senate</a> sponsors of the <a href="https://S. 709 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/709] /H.R.1585 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1585]">Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act</a> to reauthorize and expand the program which allows foreign-born medical graduates trained in the U.S. to practice medicine in rural and underserved areas. The bipartisan legislation would increase current state allocations from 30 to 35 physicians per year and provide flexibility to expand the number of waivers in states where demand exceeds that limit. <br><br>“One of the strengths of the Conrad 30 program is its flexible design, which allows each state to tailor the program to meet its specific healthcare needs,” the organizations wrote. “This reauthorization will reinforce that flexibility while providing needed clarity and incentives to attract and retain more highly qualified physicians. As workforce shortages worsen, Congress must act with urgency to advance this legislation and strengthen one of the most successful programs for addressing healthcare workforce shortages.” </p> Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:43:19 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-03-27-aha-opposes-legislation-allowing-physician-self-referrals-poh-expansion <p>The AHA March 27 voiced <a href="/lettercomment/2025-03-27-aha-letter-opposing-physician-led-and-rural-access-quality-care-act-hr2191">opposition</a> to the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act (H.R. 2191), a bill that would lift the ban on the establishment of physician-owned hospitals in certain rural areas and permit the unfettered expansion of POHs nationwide, regardless of location. In place since 2010, current law includes an exceptions process that allows existing POHs to expand if they accept Medicaid patients and are located in areas where beds are needed. <br><br>“By performing the highest-paying procedures for the best-insured patients, physician-owners inflate health care costs and drain essential resources from community hospitals, which depend on a balance of services and patients to provide indispensable treatment, such as behavioral health and trauma care,” AHA wrote in comments to Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., the bill’s author. “By increasing the presence of these self-referral arrangements, H.R. 2191 would only further destabilize community care.” </p> Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:33:33 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p>Today, the Senate voted 54-46 to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Sept. 30 and avoid a government shutdown. The House of Representatives March 11 passed the Full-year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1968" target="_blank" title="H.R. 1968">H.R. 1968</a>) by a vote of 217-213.</p><p>Some of the health care provisions in the bill include:</p><p><strong>Medicaid disproportionate share hospital relief</strong>. The bill eliminates the Medicaid DSH cuts through Sept. 20, 2025, but also adds another year of cuts for fiscal year 2028.</p><p><strong>Medicare rural extenders</strong>. The bill extends the enhanced low-volume adjustment through Sept. 30, 2025, and the Medicare-dependent hospital program through Oct. 1, 2025.</p><p><strong>Medicare telehealth and hospital-at-home extensions</strong>. The bill extends key telehealth waivers and the hospital-at-home program through Sept. 30, 2025.</p><p><strong>Extension of the work geographic index floor under the Medicare program</strong>. The bill extends a 1.0 floor on the work geographic practice cost index through Oct. 1, 2025.</p><p><strong>Medicare rural ambulance</strong>. The bill extends add-on payments for ambulance services through Oct. 1, 2025. These add-on payments support rural, “super-rural” and urban ambulance services.</p><p><strong>Workforce extenders</strong>. The bill includes an extension for Community Health Centers, the National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program through Sept. 30, 2025.</p><h2>OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST</h2><p><strong>Physician payment</strong>. The bill does not provide relief for Medicare physician reimbursement rates, which under current law and regulatory policy includes a 2.8% reduction for 2025.</p><p><strong>Medicaid and Site-neutral</strong>. The CR does not include any cuts to Medicaid or siteneutral payment cuts to hospitals.</p><h2>Further Questions</h2><p>If you have further questions, please contact the AHA at 800-424-4301.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/03/house-senate-pass-continuing-resolution-funding-government-averting-shutdown-bulletin-3-14-2025.pdf"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/cover-house-senate-pass-continuing-resolution-funding-government-averting-shutdown-bulletin-3-14-2025.png" data-entity-uuid="949ebe90-eefe-40c3-804b-f38d9b846d3b" data-entity-type="file" alt="Special Bulletin Cover Image" width="640" height="834"></a></div></div></div> Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:38:03 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-03-11-aha-discusses-how-congress-can-improve-support-post-acute-care <p>The AHA March 11 <a href="/testimony/2025-03-11-aha-statement-house-ways-and-means-subcommittee-health-hearing-march-11-2025">shared</a> ways Congress could better support patient access to post-acute care in comments for a <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/health-subcommittee-hearing-on-after-the-hospital-ensuring-access-to-quality-post-acute-care/">hearing</a> held by the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. The AHA urged Congress to rein in harmful practices by Medicare Advantage plans, repeal the minimum staffing rule and support investments in workforce development, among other actions.  <br> <br>The association also highlighted the crucial role that each post-acute sector plays across the continuum of care and urged Congress to take steps to address some of the unique regulatory and policy challenges they face. </p> Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:03:23 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy /news/headline/2025-03-11-house-passes-continuing-resolution-fund-government-through-september-extend-key-health-care-provisions <p>The House of Representatives March 11 voted 217-213 to pass a <a href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/rules.house.gov/files/documents/crfull_xml.pdf">continuing resolution</a> to fund the federal government through Sept. 30. The bill also extends certain key health care provisions that are set to expire at the end of March. The Senate is expected to consider the legislation this week. Current government funding is set to expire March 14.   <br> <br>Some of the health care provisions included in the bill are:  </p><ul><li>Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Relief. The bill would eliminate the Medicaid DSH cuts through Sept. 30, 2025.   </li><li>Medicare Rural Extenders. The bill would extend the enhanced low-volume adjustment program through Sept. 30, 2025 and the Medicare-dependent hospital program through Oct. 1, 2025.  </li><li>Medicare Telehealth and Hospital-at-home Extensions. The bill would extend key telehealth waivers and the hospital-at-home program through Sept. 30, 2025.  </li><li>Extension of the Work Geographic Index Floor under the Medicare Program. The bill will extend a 1.0 floor on the work geographic practice cost index through Oct. 1, 2025.  </li><li>Medicare Rural Ambulance. The bill will extend add-on payments for ambulance services through Oct. 1, 2025. These add-on payments support rural, “super-rural,” and urban ambulance services. </li></ul> Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:00:39 -0500 Legislation and Legislative Advocacy