AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Hill outreach to oppose site-neutral payment cuts; Hill outreach in support of the Acute Hospital Care at Home program; Hill outreach about streamlining prior authorization in Medicare Advantage plans; AHA Letter Comments on Medicare Payment Advisory Commission 2024 Payment Proposals; Support S. 803, Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2023, a bill to amend the title XVIII of the Social Security Act to preserve access to rural health care by ensuring fairness in Medicare hospital payments; Letter comments on three topics that were discussed during the March 2023 Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) public meeting: the hospital wage index, alignment of payment rates across ambulatory settings and Medicare Part B drug payments. Agrees that the current wage index system is flawed, but continues to have concerns about the use of non-hospital data in an alternative wage index system; recommends that the commission reject modifications to the current average sales price (ASP)-plus-6% methodology; and urges the commission not to recommend additional site-neutral payment cuts; Support HR 2665, Supporting Safety Net Hospitals Act, a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to delay certain disproportionate share hospital payment reductions under the Medicaid program; Comment letter to CMS opposes the proposal to limit the inclusion of patient days for patients who are regarded as eligible for Medicaid benefits under a Section 1115 demonstration project for purposes of the Medicare DSH calculation; Comment letter to CMS regarding a proposed rule to improve access, quality and health outcomes for Medicaid programs and the proposed policies related to access, finance and quality in Medicaid and CHIP managed care programs.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC); SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.R. 2665 (118th), S. 803 (118th)

Health Issues HCR

Discussion with OMB/OIRA regarding OSHA Occupational Exposure to COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings Final Rule; Discussion with FDA Drug Shortage expert regarding Inflation Reduction Act Provisions that could impact duration of shortages; Discussion with ASPR Hospital Preparedness Program Staff about speaking at a meeting regarding HPP issues; Discussion with White House Office of Management & Budget, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - HHS FY 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System/Long Term Care Hospital Proposed Rule; Discussion with White House Office of Management & Budget, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - HHS FY 2024 Medicare Advantage Final Rule; Hill outreach about reducing hospital workplace violence; Hill outreach about the benefits of hospital mergers and acquisitions; Hill outreach about the anticompetitive behaviors of travel nurse staffing agencies; Statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go from Here?; Letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in response to an Request For Information on the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act; Letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in response to an RFI on the drivers of health care workforce shortages; Support S.1110, Rural Hospitals Support Act, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to rebase the calculation of payments for sole community hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals, and for other purposes; Support H.R. 1110Telehealth Option Act, a bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct studies and report to Congress on actions taken to expand access to telehealth services under the Medicare, Medicaid, and Childrens Health Insurance programs during the COVID-19 emergency; Feedback on the Connect for Health Act; AHA provided feedback on the creating opportunities new for necessary and effective care technologies (CONNECT) Act; False Claims Act Case AHA Provides Statement for House Hearing on Price Transparency, Competition; Oppose H.R.977/S.470 Patient Access Higher Quality Health Care Act, a bill to repeal changes made by health care reform laws to the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals, and for other purposes; Support S.940, The Rural America Health Corps Act A bill to establish a demonstration program to provide payments on eligible loans for individuals who are eligible for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program; Support the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act that would allow international doctors trained in the United States to remain in the country if they practice in areas experiencing medical shortages; Letter to CMS regarding intent to issue staffing mandates for nursing homes and urged CMS and policy makers to focus on efforts that will bolster our workforce; Support HR 2389/ S 1302, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions; Support HR 2411/ S 1150, National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses; Support HR 2534, Preserving Rules Ordered for The Entities Covered Through 340B Act of 2023 or the PROTECT 340B Act of 2023, a bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to ensure the equitable treatment of covered entities and pharmacies participating in the 340B drug discount program; Support HR 2559, Strengthening Community Care Act of 2023, a bill to extend funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corp; Support HR 2584, Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act or the SAVE Act, a bill to protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purpose; Statement to the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing titled, Competition and Transparency: The Pathway Forward for a Stronger Health Care Market highlighting that mergers and acquisitions can be a helpful tool for many hospitals and pushing back against site-neutral payment policies; Letter urging Congress to continue to protect this critical program and oppose efforts to cut its benefits, which would result in reduced access to quality care for the patients and communities served by 340B hospitals; Statement to Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce on its hearing Examining Existing Federal Programs to Build a Stronger Health Workforce and Improve Primary Care; Support S 1447, Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2023, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program supporting trauma center violence intervention and violence prevention programs, and for other purposes; Support HR 3046/ S 1403, Medical Student Education Authorization Act of 2023, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to award grants to accredited public institutions of higher education, and for other purposes; Concerns with HR 2691, Transparent Prices Required to Inform Consumer and Employers Act or the Transparent PRICE Act, a bill to promote hospital and insurer price transparency; Letter strongly opposing the draft bills, which would create additional site-neutral payment cuts and threaten access to care, especially in rural and other vulnerable communities; Comment letter to the Office of Civil Rights on its HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy and concerns the guidance is too broad and will result in significant adverse consequences for hospitals, patients and the public at large; Statement to SFC for the hearing on Consolidation and Corporate Ownership in Health Care: Trends and Impacts on Access, Quality, and Costs; Comment letters to CMS on their Inpatient and Long-term Care Facility Prospective Payment System FY 2024 proposed rule; Letter to reauthorize key programs within the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act of 2018, we encourage you to consider policies that will reduce barriers to receiving and administering behavioral health care by improving payment policies, reducing unnecessary regulatory and administrative burden, and strengthening the behavioral health workforce; Comment letter on the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) proposed standards for the use of ethylene oxide (EtO) to sterilize medical devices urge caution and thoughtfulness in EPAs approach to avoid disrupting health care delivery through the unintentional fracturing of the already fragile medical device supply chain; Hill briefing, Site-neutral Payment Proposals Would Jeopardize Access to Care for Patients and Communities.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA); SENATE; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)

Bills named: H.R. 3046 (118th), S. 470 (118th), H.R. 1110 (118th), H.R. 2534 (118th), H.R. 2389 (118th), H.R. 2584 (118th), S. 1110 (118th), H.R. 2691 (118th), H.R. 977 (118th), H.R. 2411 (118th), H.R. 2559 (118th), S. 940 (118th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Continue to monitor the FY 2023 budget to prevent or minimize hospital cuts; Support a bill to reauthorize the program of payments to childrens hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs; Letter to House and Senate Labor/ HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members on appropriations priorities regarding funding for health care programs for fiscal year (FY) 2024. Americas hospitals are facing many challenges and we appreciate you considering the effect your decisions have on hospitals ability to provide care to their patients and communities. We ask you to give favorable consideration to funding for health care programs that have proven successful in improving access to quality health care for patients and communities across America.

Contacted: SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); White House Office; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES