Legislation supported by the AHA includes:
The Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act. This bipartisan bill would amend changes made to Medicare hospital payments under the Bipartisan Budget Act in 2015. Among other things, it would ensure new payment policies, such as site-neutral payments, do not unfairly affect hospitals that were in the process of building off-campus outpatient centers, according to the House Committee on Ways and Means. According to the committee, the bill also would prevent hospitals serving low-income communities from receiving unfair penalties in the Readmission Reduction Program by including a provision that accounts for patients’ socioeconomic status.
The Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program. The AHA supports extending this program for more years. The CMS program aims “to test the feasibility and advisability of cost-based reimbursement for small rural hospitals that are too large to be critical access hospitals.”
Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act of 2016. The legislation would extend “25 percent” rule relief for long-term care hospitals, the AHA said. Implemented in 2005, the “25 percent” rule penalizes long-term care hospitals that admit more than 25 percent of Medicare cases from onsite or neighboring acute care facilities.
To advance hospitals’ legislative agenda, the AHA will host an Advocacy Day briefing for hospital and health system leaders Dec. 6 in Washington, D.C., according to the report. AHA members will subsequently take their case for passing hospital legislation to U.S. legislators.
Read the full AHA News article here to find out what other measures the AHA is backing.
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