News

Illinois hospitals and health systems generate $95.3 billion a year and an estimated 466,000 direct and indirect jobs for the state’s economy, according to a new report by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

Commenting on a proposed rule protecting statutory conscience rights in health care, the AHA today reiterated that conscience protections for health care professionals "are long-standing and deeply rooted in our health care delivery system."

The AHA Friday submitted comments to Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) as they develop legislation to improve price transparency in the health care market and lower costs.

Medicare pays long-term care hospitals less than half the cost of care for site-neutral cases under the LTCH prospective payment system, AHA told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Friday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will speak at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting on May 8 in Washington, D.C. Azar became HHS secretary in January.

AHA’s Section for Maternal and Child Health and Hospitals Against Violence initiative will host a March 27 webinar on how hospitals and health systems can combat interpersonal violence in their communities.

Eating healthful foods is important for good health, but individuals and households that are “food insecure” face challenges when it comes to getting enough food, consuming high-quality food or both.

The AHA’s 49th Annual Membership Meeting, May 6-9, comes at a critical time for the hospital and health care field. And its theme – Redefining the “H” – could not be more appropriate.

The flu hospitalization rate rose last week to 93.5 per 100,000 people, although outpatient visits for flu-like illness continue to decline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today.

Clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System must submit their 2017 performance data by March 31, including those participating in the Advancing Care Information performance category.

Limiting work shifts to 16 hours generally makes first-year medical residents more satisfied with their training and work-life balance, but their training directors more dissatisfied with curtailed educational opportunities.

About 40% of U.S. adults were obese in 2015-2016, up from 34% in 2007-2008.

President Trump today signed into law an omnibus appropriations bill funding federal discretionary programs through September.

The National Academy of Medicine today launched the Clinician Well-Being Knowledge Hub, an online repository of resources to help health system leaders, clinicians and trainees combat clinician burnout.

The $1.3 trillion bill, released last night after an agreement by congressional leaders and the White House, includes $88.1 billion for Department of Health and Human Services programs, a $10.1 billion increase from fiscal year 2017.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a proposed rule that would exempt states with an overall Medicaid managed care penetration rate of 85% or more from most access-to-care monitoring requirements, such as requirements to analyze certain data and monitor access in fee-for-service delivery systems.

Redfield is an AIDS researcher who oversees a program providing HIV care and treatment to Baltimore-area patients, and is professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today opened a two-day hearing on 25 bills designed to address the opioid crisis.

The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee is holding a hearing this afternoon on implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which features witnesses from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will award Massachusetts, New Hampshire and West Virginia $333,000 each in additional funding to bolster their opioid prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.