Last Thursday, the United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization in a move that many in the scientific community are calling "dangerous." Historically, the United States had been the most influential member of the 194-member organization and was its largest financial contributor.
The withdrawal was announced in a...National News
This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its report on the Acute Hospital Care at Home Initiative (AHCAH) and found that while the program was popular for both patients and providers, improvements in other areas were few.
The AHCAH initiative allowed certain Medicare-participating hospitals to treat patients...CMS Rules
Nursing home advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration's federal staffing minimum rule, which was promised in the wake of the devastation in nursing homes and exacerbation of nursing staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It should come as no surprise that the American Health Care Association...Top of The Day
A new report by Syntellis and the American Hospital Association (AHA) could drive the fight between hospitals and Medicare Advantage providers to reach a head, as the analysis shows MA plans' claims denials are directly contributing to declines in cash reserves.
Claims denials increased 56% for the median hospital between January 2022...
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) published its annual June Report to Congress, which includes suggestions to unify payment methodologies for post-acute care, address issues within Medicare Advantage, and lower telehealth payments.
The MedPAC recommendations for streamlining payment methodologies for skilled nursing...
The healthcare workforce shortage is dire and pushing providers, hospitals and health systems to make difficult choices and innovate new solutions to fill gaps in care and recruitment. In rural Arizona attracting a workforce that reflects the community is challenging; only about 1% of the Arizona healthcare workforce is Native American,...National News
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has submitted its long-term COVID-19 safety standard for healthcare facilities to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Although the date for the plan's implementation is not set, this marks a significant step forward as lawsuits around COVID-19 safety...Arizona News
Children's hospitals and pediatricians are grappling with a major outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children in Arizona and across the country.
RSV is a relatively common virus that follows patterns of other airborne respiratory diseases and is generally expected to increase cases in the fall and winter months. Data...Arizona News
Children's hospitals across the country and in Arizona are seeing a sharp rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that affects the nose, throat and lungs.
RSV cases can affect all people, but symptoms are especially acute in children. Cases of RSV dropped two years ago during the pandemic shutdown, but cases came back...National News
On Tuesday, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) released its annual regulatory burden report, which analyzes the regulatory burden placed upon providers. This year, the report highlights the issues with prior authorization, the Medicare Quality Payment Program and the No Surprises Act.
The report breaks down the responses...Arizona News
Protecting health care workers from harassment was the headline concern at a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) last Thursday. The event, "The Targeting of Scientists and Public Health Professionals," was the first in a planned series that will address increases in harassment and violence toward public...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
Hospital finances regressed in April 2022 after showing signs of improving earlier this year, according to a new report by Kaufman Hall. The report tags the spring surge in hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients as the main culprit in hospital economic downturn.
According to the Flash Report, hospitals experienced a fourth straight...
COVID-19 is still present in Arizona and cases are rapidly rising while Governor Doug Ducey signs a number of anti-public health bills into law preventing any public COVID prevention policies from implementation.
The New York Times COVID Tracker reports that Arizona cases of COVID-19 are up 84% in the past two weeks and the Arizona...
A report last week from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) highlights the challenges healthcare workers (HCWs) faced during the pandemic, including exhaustion, burnout and trauma.
The report, Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Hospital and...
Although day-to-day life in the U.S. has largely moved on from COVID-19, the Biden administration is continuing to pursue coordinated efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and urge Congress to increase funding for antiviral treatments and preparation for future surges.
In Arizona, there were 2,350 new cases of COVID-19 and 99 new...
The public health emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 pandemic is currently slated to expire on April 15, but is expected to be renewed for an additional 90 days. State Medicaid programs are concerned that they will not be granted enough time to complete Medicaid enrollee redeterminations, which have been paused for the duration of...National News
As the national health care worker (HCW) shortage heightens, industry advocates and Congress are searching for solutions to the behavioral health crisis. From merging telehealth programs to increasing Medicaid reimbursement for youth behavioral health services, the field has an increasing number of complex issues that require...
As the new year approaches, Arizona hospitals and healthcare professionals are gearing up for a new wave of COVID-19 patients to flood the intensive care units and emergency departments that have endured near-capacity numbers since the Delta variant took hold over the summer. Without respite from the prior wave and increased transmission...
Last Friday, the Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA) published a report analyzing the increase in all-cause mortality in Arizona since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report reviewed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data sets "Excess Deaths Associated...
Medicare saw telehealth surge over the course of the pandemic, making care more accessible for millions of Americans.
A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates increased accessibility of telehealth during the pandemic led to a 63-fold increase in telehealth utilization -- from approximately...
