(Re)Designing Care Delivery and Operating Models for the Future at the AHA Leadership Summit
The American Hospital Association’s Leadership Summit will convene July 12‑14 in Denver, gathering more than 125 speakers from over 60 hospitals and health systems. The three‑day program tackles the most pressing challenges in health care, including value‑based care, workforce redesign, AI, digital transformation, patient throughput, and virtual care models. High‑profile CEOs such as Corewell Health’s Tina Freese Decker, Banner Health’s Amy Perry, Trinity Health’s Michael Slubowski, and Providence’s Erik G. Wexler will share insights on scaling innovation and reimagining care delivery. Early‑bird registration ends June 1, underscoring the event’s urgency for senior leaders seeking actionable strategies.
Chair File: Leadership Dialogue — The Role of Advocacy in Advancing Health Care with AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes
In a recent Chair File Leadership Dialogue, AHA executive vice president Stacey Hughes highlighted the critical role of advocacy in tackling health‑care affordability, drug pricing, and the nation’s $39 trillion debt burden. She emphasized bipartisan opportunities in Washington and urged hospitals...
Utah Measles Outbreak Reaches More than 600 Cases
Utah's measles outbreak has surged to 602 confirmed cases, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services, making it the largest U.S. outbreak this year. The majority of infections—405—occur among individuals who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated,...
White House Announces MFN Agreement with Drug Manufacturer Regeneron
The White House unveiled a most‑favored‑nation (MFN) pricing agreement with Regeneron covering its blockbuster eye‑disease drug Eylea. The pact obligates Regeneron to extend to Medicare the lowest net price it offers any private payer, with annual price reviews built into...
FDA Fast-Tracks the Development of Psychedelic Medications Following President’s Executive Order
The FDA announced an accelerated regulatory pathway for psychedelic‑based therapies after the April 18 executive order targeting serious mental illness. It will prioritize serotonin‑2A agonists for treatment‑resistant depression, PTSD and substance‑use disorders, and issue national‑priority vouchers for psilocybin and methylone studies...
AHA Urges Delay on TEFCA Individual Access SOP over Patient Privacy Concerns
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has urged the Sequoia Project to postpone the rollout of version 3.0 of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) Individual Access Services (IAS) Standard Operating Procedures, originally slated for August 2027. The AHA argues that...
Advisory Details Shifting Tactics of Chinese Cyber Actors Using Covert Networks for Malicious Activity
A joint advisory from U.S. and international cyber agencies warns that China‑aligned threat actors have shifted to large‑scale covert networks of compromised routers, IoT devices, and other edge hardware. These hidden botnets let attackers mask origins, evade defenses, and target...
Hospitals Are Leading the Way to a Healthier America
More than 1,000 hospital and health‑system executives gathered in Washington for the American Hospital Association’s 2026 Annual Membership Meeting, pressing lawmakers to safeguard access to high‑quality, affordable care. Speakers highlighted hospitals’ unique position to advocate for patients and to lead...
AHA Blog Highlights How Paragon Report Gets Hospitals Wrong
The American Hospital Association (AHA) posted a blog on April 23 criticizing a Paragon Health Institute report released the day before. The AHA contends the think‑tank’s analysis rests on distorted, debunked data and recommends cuts that would shrink or shut hospital...
Why Paragon Gets Hospitals Wrong: Report Ignores Reality of Care Delivery
Paragon Health Institute released a report that reduces hospitals to abstract cost and pricing models, ignoring the day‑to‑day realities of emergency care, labor‑intensive services, and community needs. The critique argues the institute misidentifies cost drivers, labeling Medicare and Medicaid payments...
CMS Delays Part D Portion of BALANCE Model on Expansion of GLP-1 Access
On April 21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that the Medicare Part D component of the Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive Health (BALANCE) Model will be delayed until 2027 pending additional evaluation and data collection....
DOJ Updates Title II Web, App Nondiscrimination Rule Timelines for State and Local Governments; HHS Section 504 Rules Remain Unchanged
The Justice Department issued an interim final rule on April 20, 2026 that pushes back Title II web‑accessibility deadlines for state and local governments. Jurisdictions with populations of 50,000 or more now must comply by April 26, 2027, while smaller entities and special districts have...
Washington Post Publishes AHA Letter in Response to Anti-340B Editorial
The American Hospital Association (AHA) President Rick Pollack wrote a letter to the Washington Post defending the 340B drug pricing program after an editorial called for its repeal. Pollack argues the program is vital for delivering free or low‑cost medications,...
AHA Releases Q1 2026 Health Care Plan Accountability Update
The American Hospital Association’s Q1 2026 Health Care Plan Accountability Update bundles several pivotal Medicare developments. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D rate announcement and a final rule reshaping policy and technical...
Speakers Sought for 2027 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is inviting speakers for its 2027 Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, scheduled for Jan. 31‑Feb. 3 in Orlando, Florida. Submissions must focus on on‑the‑ground perspectives, successful case studies, and cutting‑edge solutions that demonstrate how rural health organizations...
AHA Podcast Explores Treatment of Perinatal Trauma
Recent CDC data show the U.S. birth rate slipped 1% in 2025, extending a multi‑year decline. Maternal mortality fell slightly to 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024, matching the prior year’s rate. The American Heart Association, together with...
HHS Secretary Testifies on FY 2027 HHS Budget Before House, Senate Subcommittees
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before two congressional subcommittees on the FY 2027 HHS budget, which seeks $111.1 billion in funding. The morning hearing was with the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, and the afternoon...
UnitedHealth to Expand Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot Program
UnitedHealth Group announced the expansion of its Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot, targeting faster Medicare Advantage reimbursements for rural hospitals. The initiative will extend accelerated payments to additional independent facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia immediately, and aims to...
AHA Chair Speaks at Politico Health Care Summit
Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and 2026 AHA board chair, addressed Politico’s Health Care Summit on April 21, 2026. He warned that the recent budget reconciliation bill is driving patients off insurance and into emergency rooms, inflating hospital...
Rep. Richard Neal and Steve Walsh Discuss Role of Hospitals, Future of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
Republican? Actually Neal is a Democrat. He discussed hospitals' community role and the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) with Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association CEO Steve Walsh. Neal criticized the December 2025 EPTC cuts as ill‑timed and signaled...
Sen. Josh Hawley Shares Priorities for Rural Hospitals, Affordability
Senator Josh Hawley outlined his rural hospital agenda, warning that recent provider tax changes in the budget reconciliation bill could harm rural providers. He called for doubling the Rural Health Transformation Fund to $100 billion and highlighted his sponsorship of the...
Sen. Amy Klobuchar Discusses Need to Address Prior Authorization, Workforce, Telehealth in Rural Areas
Senator Amy Klobuchar urged Congress to address recent health‑care funding cuts, burdensome prior‑authorization processes, workforce shortages, and inadequate rural telehealth infrastructure. She is sponsoring the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514/S. 1816) to require standardized electronic prior authorizations and...
CMS Announces Hospital Food Pledge
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a voluntary pledge for hospitals to align patient food services with the 2025‑2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The pledge calls for meals that meet individual nutritional needs, support healing and recovery,...
CMS’ Chris Klomp, Stephanie Carlton Talk Affordability, Prior Authorization, Drug Pricing
CMS Deputy Administrator Chris Klomp and Chief of Staff Stephanie Carlton outlined the agency’s recent policy agenda, emphasizing four pillars—fraud reduction, affordability, health‑initiative programs, and AI‑driven streamlining. They highlighted a voluntary agreement to overhaul prior‑authorization processes and a 2025 most‑favored‑nation drug‑pricing pledge...
Rep. Blake Moore Discusses Health Care Affordability
Rep. Blake Moore, vice chair of the House Republican Conference and Ways and Means health subcommittee member, held a fireside chat with Sanford Health CEO Bill Gassen to address health‑care affordability. Moore outlined his House Budget Committee Health Care Task...
AHA Urges en Banc Review of 4th Circuit’s West Virginia 340B Contract Pharmacy Law Decision
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and allied groups filed an amicus brief on April 17 urging the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear en banc a panel ruling that struck down West Virginia’s law protecting 340B contract‑pharmacy arrangements....
Two Federal Health Care Leaders Honored with 2026 AHA Federal Health Care Executive Awards
The American Hospital Association (AHA) announced the 2026 Federal Health Care Executive Awards on April 17, honoring Cmdr. Vince Deguzman of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Okinawa and Dr. Elizabeth Adriano of Naval Medical Center San Diego. Deguzman led a multi‑million‑dollar...
AHA, Coalition Launch New Advertising Campaigns
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has expanded its National Hospital Week resources, adding new social‑media graphics and thematic posts for the May 10‑16 celebration. It also launched a new commercial that spotlights hope, health and healing in hospitals, airing on cable,...
AHA, Others Issue Joint Statement on Workplace Violence in Health Care
On April 16, ten national health‑care provider organizations, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), issued a joint statement recognizing Workplace Violence Prevention Month. The statement highlights how violence erodes safety, fuels staff burnout and turnover, and compromises patient care quality. It...
Speaking with One Voice to Advance Health in America
The American Hospital Association will host its 2026 Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C., drawing more than 1,000 health‑care leaders. Attendees will hear policymakers, discuss the looming midterm elections, and coordinate a unified advocacy push on three priority issues: access...
AHA Announces Carolyn Clancy, John A. Hartford Foundation as Recipients of 2026 Award of Honor
The American Hospital Association (AHA) will present its 2026 Award of Honor to former AHRQ director Dr. Carolyn Clancy and the John A. Hartford Foundation at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes leaders who have driven major health‑policy...
Data Highlights Gaps in Finding In-Network Mental Health Coverage
The Kennedy Forum's Mental Health Parity Index reveals that members of the four largest U.S. commercial insurers—Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare—face lower reimbursement rates and fewer in‑network providers for outpatient mental health and substance‑use‑disorder services compared with outpatient physical...
CMS Updates LEAD Model Request for Applications; Will Host Office Hour for Applicants
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an updated request for applications (RFA) for its Long‑term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model, with submissions due by May 17, 2026. To help prospective participants, CMS will host a virtual office hour...
Erica Schwartz Selected as New Nominee to Lead CDC
President Biden nominated former Navy Rear Admiral Erica Schwartz to become the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pending Senate confirmation. Schwartz, who currently serves as CDC’s chief of staff and previously led the agency’s Office of...
CMS Releases Proposed Rule Establishing Electronic Standards for Drug Prior Authorizations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule on April 10 to create electronic standards for drug prior authorizations, extending the 2024 rule that standardized medical‑service prior authorizations. The proposal requires payers to accept API‑driven requests, shorten...
CMS Releases FY 2027 Proposed Rule for Long-Term Care Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.4% increase in the standard rate payments for long‑term care hospitals (LTCHs) in fiscal year 2027, driven by a 3.2% market basket update offset by a 0.8% productivity adjustment. The...
CMS Issues Hospital IPPS Proposed Rule for FY 2027
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a FY 2027 proposed rule that would raise Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) rates by a net 2.4%, adding roughly $1.9 billion in hospital payments. The increase reflects a 3.2% market‑basket rise...
CMS Highlights New Digital Health Ecosystem Tools
On April 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) staged a demonstration of the first wave of products for its newly announced Medicare App Library. More than 50 digital‑health companies showcased tools designed to streamline data access, eliminate...
MedPAC Urged by AHA to Scrutinize MA Impacts on Hospital and Post-Acute Provider Finances
The American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to closely examine how Medicare Advantage (MA) affects hospital and post‑acute provider finances. At its April 9‑10 meeting, MedPAC discussed MA enrollment trends and payment incentives, while the AHA...
CMS Issues Update on PAMA Data Reporting Webinar
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted an updated registration link for its April 16, 2024 webinar at 3 p.m. ET, which will cover the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) data collection process. The session will focus on new reporting...
Measles Cases Reach 583 in Utah Outbreak
The Utah measles outbreak surged to 559 confirmed cases as of March 31, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services, adding 107 cases in the prior three weeks. South Carolina’s outbreak is nearing 1,000 cases, with 991 reported...
Protecting Access to Care for Our Most Severely Ill Patients
Long‑term care hospitals (LTCHs) deliver intensive, extended treatment for the most severely ill Medicare beneficiaries. Since the 2016 dual‑rate payment system, Medicare reimbursements to LTCHs have dropped roughly 45%, contributing to a 25% decline in operating LTCHs over the past...
Webinar to Share Strategies on Workforce Relief
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging health leaders to register for its 2026 Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C., which includes a webinar on workforce‑relief strategies. Recent data reveal flu vaccination at 76.3% and COVID‑19 vaccination at 40.2% among...
U.S. Birth Rate Declined 1% in 2025, CDC Finds
The U.S. maternal mortality rate slipped to 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024, a figure statistically indistinguishable from the 18.6 recorded in 2023. While the rate has modestly improved, maternal deaths have doubled since 1987 and more than...
Mississippi 340B Law Upheld by Appeals Court in Two Cases
On April 9, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Mississippi’s law that protects 340B drug pricing for contract‑pharmacy arrangements. The court affirmed district‑court rulings rejecting injunction requests from Novartis, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America...
CMS Webinar, Video Detail New PAMA Data Reporting Requirements
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host a webinar on April 16 at 3 p.m. ET to walk laboratories through new data‑reporting requirements under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). The rules, which apply to hospital outreach, independent,...
AHA Podcast: A New Solution to Medical Debt
Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit focused on eliminating patient financial burdens, announced that it has helped erase more than $27 billion in medical debt through its partnership model with hospitals. The organization works with health systems to identify unpaid balances, purchase...
HRSA to Provide More than $135 Million for Nutrition, Rural Workforce Initiatives
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a funding package exceeding $135 million to boost nutrition services and rural health‑workforce development. About $125 million will be directed to more than 350 health centers to expand food‑based interventions within primary‑care settings. An...
CMS Releases Guidance on Limits to Medicaid, CHIP Funding for Certain Noncitizens
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on April 8, 2026 to implement a provision from the July 2025 reconciliation bill that limits federal matching funds for full Medicaid and CHIP benefits. Starting October 1, 2026, federal match will be available...
CMS to Host 7th Annual HL7 FHIR Connectathon in July
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will host its seventh annual HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) Connectathon from July 14‑16, 2026. The virtual event will bring together interoperability leaders, implementers and innovators to conduct hands‑on testing of...