Legislation and Legislative Advocacy

The American Hospital Association (AHA) shares resources on health care legislation being considered by the U.S. House and Senate and legislative advocacy opportunities for hospitals and health systems.

Organizational leadership’s commitment to ensuring the safe use of health information technology is one of several actions proposed in a Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert recently released to reduce patient harm caused by HIT-related events. After analyzing 3,375 sentinel events that…
SNAPSHOT Stand-alone, nonprofit hospitals seem to bear the brunt of an unfavorable financial climate. These tactics, which include assessing services, sizing up leaders and improving documentation, can protect hospitals and shield trustees from individual liability.
The volume of data security breaches occurring in health care has captured hospital and system trustees’ attention and forced them to investigate their respective organization’s plans and policies to protect patient information. While directing senior leaders to shore up vulnerabilities…
Incentive compensation plans are intended to focus executives’ attention on their organizations’ most vital priorities and initiatives. As health care organizations revise their business strategies to address the ongoing transformation of care delivery and payment, health care boards…
Hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) treat sicker and poorer patients than do physician offices, according to a new study. Prepared for the American Hospital Association, the study aimed to determine whether there were differences in patient demographics or care between HOPDs and physician…
Since the Affordable Care Act became law five years ago, it has led to major shifts in health care delivery and payment.
Hospitals and other health care facilities create and maintain thousands of policy documents. A typical hospital has policies that guide daily operations, ranging from administration and human resources to direct care and use of medication. An infection control policy, for example, guides…
A new year and a new Congress always bring new challenges and opportunities. But one thing hasn’t changed: the American Hospital Association’s resolve on behalf of our nation’s hospitals.