The Coalition to Protect America's Healthcare this week will air radio ads in three Ohio cities to voice united opposition to Medicare and Medicaid reductions in the White House's FY2007 budget proposal.  See More

The 2007 spending plan submitted by President George W. Bush to Congress today includes a $130 billion hike over 2006 budget numbers, yet calls for $36 billion in cuts to the nation’s Medicare program.  See More

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week proposed Medicare payment cuts for Long Term Care Hospitals (LTACH) in rate year 2007, beginning July 1, 2006.  See More

President George W. Bush last week signed into law Senate Bill 544, which will create a national database on medical errors, designate individual reports as confidential and shield participating providers from liability.  See More

A House bill introduced last week by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) would lower the admissions standard for qualification as a rehabilitation hospital.  See More

Federal Patient Safety Bill Passes House Committee

Early in the process, bi-partisan federal legislation to improve health care safety passed the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee this week.  See More

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the members of a 28-member advisory commission charged with identifying reforms to stabilize and strengthen the Medicaid program.  See More

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Approves Spending Bill

The U.S. Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee this week approved a federal fiscal year 2006 spending plan that restores funding for health professions programs that would be eliminated under President George Bush’s budget and deeply cut in the House version.  See More

A panel of nonprofit leaders charged with considering reforms for the nonprofit sector recently issued its final report, which recommends more than 120 steps for nonprofit organizations, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service to improve the governance, transparency and accountability of charitable organizations and private foundations. See More

Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Hospital Action Needed to Stop Costly CMS Proposal
Ohio’s hospital leaders are encouraged to contact their legislators regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to expand the post-acute care transfer policy from 30 diagnosis-related groups to 231 in its proposed inpatient proposed payment system (PPS) rule for fiscal year 2006--costing the nation's hospitals $900 million for FY 2006. View the financial impact of the proposal on each Ohio hospital. 

Thursday, May 26, 2005
House Prods Hospital Tax-Exemption
The House Ways and Means Committee continued a series of hearings today on the tax-exempt hospital sector. 
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May 24, 2005
Hospital Tax-Exemption Still Under Microscope in Congress
The House Ways and Means Committee will continue hearings on the tax-exempt hospital sector this Thursday, May 26.  See More

Debate Continues on Limited-Service, Physician-Owned Facilities
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) this week introduced legislation that would permanently exclude specialty hospitals from the “whole hospital” exemption in physician self-referral law, eliminating a major incentive for physicians to invest in limited-service, physician-owned facilities. See More

Congress Passes Budget Resolution with Potential Billions in Medicaid Cuts
Congress late last week passed a fiscal year 2006 budget resolution that calls for a potential $10 billion in Medicaid spending reductions over five years and also exposes Medicare to potential cuts. See More

Bill Offers Added Support for Advance Directives
With a national spotlight falling on end-of-life health care decisions, federal legislation aimed at improving individuals’ access to information about their end-of-life health care options was introduced last week by Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Bill Nelson (D-FL). See More

Congress Debates Standards for Charitable Organizations
Congress continues looking at different issues related to tax-exempt organizations, with ongoing hearings on hospitals and other organizations that fall within this category. See More

Senate Removes Medicaid Cut Language from Budget Proposal  
The U.S. Senate passed by a vote of 52-48 an amendment to its budget resolution, replacing language that would cut Medicaid funding. See More

Senate Budget Proposal May Mean Medicaid Cuts, Spares Medicare
Following last week’s House budget resolution that could mean cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, the Senate Budget Committee late last week also marked up a proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2006 budget proposal that calls on the Senate Finance Committee to find Medicaid spending reductions totaling $15 billion over five years.  See More

House Budget Proposal Could Mean Medicare, Medicaid Cuts
The House Budget Committee yesterday marked up a proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2006 budget proposal that would require $18 billion in cuts over five years from programs under jurisdiction of the House Ways & Means Committee, with a $4 billion cut in the first year.  See More

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To fend off proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, hospital leaders from across the country canvassed Capitol Hill yesterday as part of the latest American Hospital Association (AHA) Advocacy Day. See More  

Governor's Take Medicaid Discussion to Federal Level
The nation’s governors met with President George W. Bush in a closed meeting Monday, asking for more control over the Medicaid funding states receive from the federal government and opposing federal cuts to the Medicaid budget.

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Federal lawmakers are calling for creation of a bipartisan commission to study how best to reform Medicaid following President George W. Bush’s proposal to slash $60 billion from Medicaid.

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Physician Group Endorses Extended Moratorium
Weighing in on the limited-service, physician-owned hospital discussion, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has sent a letter to the American Hospital Association (AHA) concurring with the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s recent recommendation to extend the federal moratorium beyond the July 2005 deadline. See More

Federal Liability Reform Bill Introduced
Attempting medical liability reform legislation on the federal front again, Sens. Judd Gregg (R-NH) and John Ensign (R-NV) last week introduced the Health Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare Act (HEALTH) of 2005.
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Congress Revisits Mandatory Overtime Issue
Legislation re-introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate last week would limit mandatory overtime for nurses to 12 hours in a 24-hour period and 80 hours over 14 days. See More

Bush Presents 2006 Budget Proposal
President George W. Bush today released his proposed budget for federal fiscal year 2006, attaching dollar signs to many of the issues he raised in last week’s state of the union address. 

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Bush Outlines 2005 Health Care Agenda
In his state of the union address last night, President George W. Bush outlined the health care policy initiatives he will draw to forefront over the next year.  See More

Additional Ohio Billing Lawsuit Dropped
A lawsuit against ProMedica Health System in Toledo and the American Hospital Association (AHA) has now been dismissed, following closely on the heels of a similar ruling and dismissal late last week of a lawsuit against Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati and AHA. See More

Billing Lawsuit Against Ohio System Dropped
In another victory late last week, a lawsuit against Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati and the American Hospital Association (AHA) was dismissed. 

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MedPAC Votes on Moratorium, Payment Update
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted yesterday to recommend that Congress extend the 18-month moratorium on physicians making referrals to specialty hospitals in which they hold a financial interest. 

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President Pushing for Med Mal Reform
Calling for federal medical liability reform this year, President George W. Bush last week launched a campaign seeking a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages--one of the key tenets of his reelection bid. See More

Nation’s Governors Oppose Medicaid Cuts
In a letter sent late last month, the National Governors Association urged congressional leaders to avoid cuts to Medicaid. See More

Billing Lawsuit in Michigan Dismissed
A U.S. district court judge in Michigan late last week dismissed all federal claims in a not-for-profit class action lawsuit filed again William Beaumont Hospital and the American Hospital Association (AHA).  See More

Appropriations Bill Positive for Hospitals
The recently passed federal appropriations bill for 2005 has some good news for hospitals. See More

Overtime Rule Amendment Defeated
An amendment to eliminate federal modifications to overtime rules was defeated earlier this month in conference committee.  See More

CMS Releases Final Rule For Acute Care Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this month released its final rule for the 2005 Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS), which included changes to the long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) prospective payment system.  See More

Federal Hearings Hash Out Billing Issue
Three major themes emerged last week during the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigation into hospital billing and collections and in a separate hearing on the tax-exempt charity status of hospitals and other non-profit organizations in the House Ways and Means Committee.  See More

Billing, Collections Hearing Postponed
Due to the death this week of former President Ronald Reagan, the first federal hearing on hospital billing and collection practices originally scheduled for June 10 has been postponed.  

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CMS to Redistribute Unused Residency Slots
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is examining the payment for direct Graduate Medical Education and Indirect Medical Education resident positions, and teaching hospitals that have expanded their residency programs since 2002 should take immediate action to avoid inappropriate reductions.  See More

Federal Budget Plan Spares Medicaid
The U.S. House this week passed a budget blueprint for fiscal year 2005 that does not instruct the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $2.2 billion in savings from FY 2005-2009, which likely would have come from Medicaid. 

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Congress Attempts Federal Tort Reform Again
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed H.R. 4280, known as the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2004, by a vote of 229-197.   See More

U.S. House Passes FY 2005 Budget
At the end of last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the budget resolution for federal fiscal year 2005 without including protection for Medicaid, which could be at risk later in the federal budget process.  See More

CMS Clarifies Moratorium on Specialty Hospitals
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released clarification on the specialty hospital moratorium enacted as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act passed by Congress last November.  See More

Hospitals Launch Effort to Protect Medicaid Funding
OHA will be working with the American Hospital Association in the coming months to ensure Congress does not enact cuts to the Medicaid program in the fiscal year 2005 budget.
 See More

Show Support for Federal Med Mal Bill
Tomorrow the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the “Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act,” a narrower version of medical liability legislation that stalled in the Senate last year.  See More

AHA Action Alert:
February 13, 2004
AHA asks psychiatric hospitals and hospitals with distinct-part psychiatric units to urge modifications to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' proposed rule to institute a prospective payment system.

OHA Responds to CMS Proposed Rule on PPS for Inpatient Psych Facilities
Proposed Rule, November, 2003
Commentary, November, 2003
OHA Comment Letter, Jan. 2004

Hospitals to Yield Bio Prep Money in Federal Budget Plan
President George W. Bush today proposed budgeting $274 million in fiscal year 2005 for a Bio-Surveillance Program Initiative designed to protect the nation against bioterrorism in addition to other hospital-related proposals.  See More

State of the Union Highlights Health Care Issues
President Bush, in his State of the Union Address last night, called for medical liability reform, tax changes and other programs to increase the number of people with health insurance, and policies to improve medical reporting.  See More

CMS Offers Info on Medicare Provisions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday announced a payment rule for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System provisions of the Medicare reform bill will be issued by Jan. 1. See More

Today Pres. George Bush signed Medicare Reform legislation passed in November by Congress, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for and other regulatory relief for Ohio’s hospitals over the next several years.  See More

Medicare Bill A Boon to Hospitals
The U.S. Senate this morning gave final approval to Medicare reform legislation, the largest reform of the program since its 1965 inception, which includes a new prescription drug benefit and hundreds of millions of dollars to Ohio hospitals over the next 10 years. See More

Voice Support for Medicare Reform Bill
As the Medicare reform bill heads to the House and Senate floors, OHA urges hospital advocates to contact their members of Congress to vote yes on the bill.  See More

Medicare Reform Bill Poised for Passage
After much advocacy from OHA and other hospital representatives, Congress has reached a tentative agreement on Medicare reform legislation that, if passed, would mean hundreds of millions of dollars for hospitals over the next several years.  

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CMS Implements PPS Extension
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to implement the six-month extension of the increased Medicare inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) base payment rate for non-urban hospitals passed by U.S. Congress Sept. 30.  

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House Passes Hospital Mortgage Insurance Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the American Hospital Association-backed Hospital Mortgage Insurance Act of 2003, sponsored by Rep. Bob Ney (R-St. Clairsville).
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Senate Okays Workforce Development Funds
The U.S. Senate last week passed a fiscal year (FY) 2004 Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill that includes $50 million in additional funding for programs aimed at addressing the nation’s nursing workforce. 

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Rural Providers Get More Aid
Working to hash out their differences in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, U.S. House of Representatives and Senate conferees this week agreed to a temporary prescription drug card for Medicare beneficiaries as well as new payment provisions for rural providers.

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CMS Clarifies EMTALA Regulations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule clarifying hospitals’ obligations to patients under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986. 

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August 20, 2003
Trustee Advocacy Day Scheduled
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the American Hospital Association (AHA) will host a Trustee Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. 

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SCHIP Funds Return to States
The U.S. Senate this week passed legislation that will allow states to retain a portion of their unused State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds.  See More

OHA Outlines Positive and Negative Effects of Medicare Reform Proposals on Hospitals
As the federal Medicare reform legislation moves toward completion this month, OHA is telling Congress which provisions would help hospitals -- and which ones will hurt them.  Hospital advocates are encouraged to visit the Federal Advocacy Resources section for recent letters sent to the legislators, as well as OHA's estimated impact and comparisons of Medicaid DSH provisions and Medicare Inpatient payment reductions.  Hospitals are urged to contact their legislators and urge them to oppose any reductions to Medicare payments to hospitals, to support restrictions on referrals to specialty hospitals, and to support Indirect Medical Education IME improvements.

U.S. House May Restore Medicaid DSH Funding
As the House Medicare reform legislation moves toward completion, with a full House vote expected late tonight, legislators have added additional provisions for hospitals. Despite concerns with key aspects of House Resolution 1, hospital advocates applaud provisions to restore full disproportionate share program (DSH) funding for hospitals starting in fiscal year (FY) 2004, to grant aid for rural hospitals and to offer regulatory relief.

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Congress in Debate Over Medicare Reform
Thanks to the lobbying efforts of hospital advocates, Medicare reform legislation, still under debate in both U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, could include important provisions for Ohio’s hospitals.  See More

In a letter e-mailed last week to the Ohio congressional delegation, OHA urged the legislators to support hospital payment improvements being considered today in the House and Senate prescription drug legislation.  The provisions would help  protect Ohio hospitals from this year's $50 million HCAP reduction, and bolster Medicare for various facilities, including rural and Critical Access Hospitals.  Further, legislators were asked to oppose any proposed reductions to the Medicare inpatient update and hospital reductions to help offset the cost of a drug benefit.  OHA members are encouraged to contact their federal legislators today and urge support of the hospital improvements.

Health Leaders Set Federal Advocacy Agenda
Hospital and health care leaders gathered at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C., this week to share information and set priorities for supporting U.S. hospitals at the federal level. High on OHA’s and AHA’s advocacy agenda for 2003 will be to ensure that hospitals do not suffer further reductions to the Medicaid and Medicare programs as Congress considers legislation related to tax relief and a prescription drug benefit. In addition, hospitals will continue to advocate for fiscal relief for Ohio and other states facing budget crises. OHA will also work to enact federal legislation regarding medical liability reforms, quality and patient safety improvements and tax credits for health insurance.

For more information on key hospital legislation for 2003, visit www.hospitalconnect.com/ahanews/jsp/ahanews.jsp and enter “key hospital legislation for 2003” in the search tool at the top of the page. (Jonathan Archey, jonathana@ohanet.org)

Budget Resolution Spares Medicaid, Medicare
Congress last week passed a final budget resolution that included none of the proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. See More

OHA Submits Comments on CMS Proposed Bad Debt Rule Change
OHA today submitted a comment letter on the proposed rule change regarding the collection of Medicare bad debt.  A copy of the proposed rule can be found in the February 10 Federal Register.  Hospitals are encouraged to send CMS similar comment letters regarding the proposed rule change before April 11, 2003.

March 24, 2003

Congress is currently considering its FY'04 budget resolution, and could cut federal spending for the Medicaid program by $93 billion as part of a one percent reduction in most mandatory spending programs. If passed, this resolution would result in drastic cuts of corresponding matching Medicaid dollars at the state level.  OHA asks hospital advocates to call Senators DeWine and Voinovich immediately urging that they oppose any budget resolution that would lower Medicaid spending.