The American Hospital Association (AHA) wishes to express serious concerns about an increasing number of ―hospital compliance reviews‖ performed by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office of Audit Services in which the OIG has extrapolated audit findings to estimate Medicare overpayments to the hospitals and the hospitals’ Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) have sought to recover the extrapolated overpayment amounts.
Letters
Throughout the year, the AHA comments on a vast number of proposed and interim final rules put forth by the federal regulatory agencies. In addition, AHA communicates with federal legislators to convey the hospital field's position on potential legislative changes that would impact patients and patient care. Below are the most recent letters from the AHA to these bodies.
Latest
AHA letter to Senator Tom Harkin expressing support for The Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2014 (R-HoPE).
AHA urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue an Interim Final Rule (IFR) with comment period requiring that qualified health plans (QHPs) offered through the Health Insurance Marketplaces accept third-party premium and cost-sharing payments from hospitals, hospital-affiliated foundations and other charitable organizations, just as it did for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program in the IFR issued on March 14.
We support FDA’s efforts to improve the safety and efficacy of POC BGMS used for hospitalized patients. However, we are concerned that, as written, the draft guidance would have serious unintended consequences for patients and hospitals, including placing patients at unnecessary risk.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is pleased to support the Good Samaritan Health Professional Act (H.R. 1733). By extending to licensed, volunteer health professionals the same protective standards included in the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, your legislation takes critical steps to help victims have access to critical onsite medical attention during declared federal disasters.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is pleased to support the Good Samaritan Health Professional Act (S. 2196). By extending to licensed, volunteer health professionals the same protective standards included in the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, your legislation takes critical steps to help victims have access to critical onsite medical attention during declared federal disasters.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is pleased to support the Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2013 (S. 44).
We are aware of the guidance the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued in its February 7, 2014 Q&A clarifying that it was not discouraging such subsidies from charitable foundations. Unfortunately, the Interim Final Rule issued on March 14 has created uncertainty regarding HHS’s official position because it did not include the February 7 Q&A’s statement regarding premium and cost sharing payments from charitable foundations.
FDA is aware that there has been an increase in demand for IV saline. Manufacturers of these products have reported that this increase in demand is linked to increased hospital use, which, long with other factors, resulted in a shortage of IV saline in January 2014.
The AHA strongly supports the conclusions and recommendations in the draft report and urges NQF to adopt them as soon as possible.