AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack outlined hospitals’ asks of Congress in message posted on the AHA website Dec. 2.
As lawmakers come together for the post-November election lame-duck session, one ask of hospitals is to stop the 4 percent statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester from taking effect in January. The AHA estimates that failure to waive the sequester cuts would lead to $38 billion in Medicare cuts in fiscal year 2023.
According to Mr. Pollack, hospitals are also asking Congress to:
- Establish a hospital-targeted temporary per diem payment to address challenges related to patient discharges to post-acute care or behavioral facilities.
- Boost the amount of Medicare-funded graduate medical education positions
- Extend or make permanent the rural Low-volume Adjustment and the Medicare- dependent Hospital programs
- Make permanent telehealth expansion and extend the hospital-at-home program.
- Finalize Senate passage of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which addresses prior authorization requirements under Medicare Advantage plans.
- For certain facilities that serve marginalized urban communities, create a special statutory designation.
- Expand behavioral healthcare access and strengthen the behavioral healthcare workforce.
To read Mr. Pollack’s full message, click here.
