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In addition to being based on a very small sample size, a recently published study on hospital costs for clinician-administered drugs under Medicare Part B does not provide direct insight as to what hospitals actually pay to acquire these drugs, writes Aaron Wesolowski, vice president of policy research, analytics and strategy at AHA.

The average annual premium for employer-sponsored family health coverage rose 4% this year to $22,221, including employer and worker contributions, according to the latest annual survey of employer-sponsored health insurance by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack was a featured speaker during the International Hospital Federation’s World Hospital Congress, held both virtually and in person in Barcelona. Pollack along with Melinda Estes, president and CEO at Saint Luke’s Health System and immediate past chair of the AHA Board of Trustees, shared insights from the North American perspective on leading during a crisis.

Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will apply an automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy to all clinicians participating as individuals in the Quality Payment Program’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System for the 2021 performance period, the agency announced.

Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration to amend the emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to allow all individuals age 18 and older to receive booster shots.

The Department of Health and Human Services will use $650 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to expand U.S. capacity to manufacture rapid molecular tests for COVID-19, which hospitals and other health care providers use to diagnose COVID-19, screen patients before surgery and confirm at-home test results.

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded nine community-based organizations a portion of $77 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to build vaccine confidence and bolster COVID-19 vaccinations in hard-hit, high-risk communities.

Community investments help foster the social and physical environments that support communities’ long-term health. In this first episode in a series

A replay is now available of the Nov. 8 AHA/American Academy of Pediatrics/Children’s Hospital Association webinar on vaccinating pediatric patients against COVID-19. The webinar offers insights, resources and lessons learned to assist pediatricians and hospitals in working with parents and communities to build trust in the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for children.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Nov. 10 call on its recent interim final rule requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care settings that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including hospitals and health systems.

The Health Resources and Services Administration in September gave health care providers who received more than $10,000 in Provider Relief Funds between April 30 and June 30, 2020, until Nov. 30, 2021, to comply with the original reporting requirements before recouping the funds or taking other enforcement actions.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Nov.

The House late Friday voted 228 to 206 to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — legislation passed by the Senate in August that includes funding for broadband internet deployment, equity and affordability, as well as investments to improve federal coordination and assistance with response and recovery from significant cybersecurity incidents.

Aaron Wesolowski, vice president for policy research, analytics and strategy at the AHA, takes issue with a recent white paper from the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy on a Medicaid coverage provision in the draft Build Back Better Act.

The Food and Drug Administration Friday authorized another over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic test for emergency use.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday updated its recommendations for clinicians retesting children tested with recalled LeadCare lead test kits.

In this case study, learn how New Jersey-based Hackensack Meridian Health successfully integrated behavioral health services across the health system by developing cohesive service lines, investing in telehealth and including behavioral health staff in emergency department teams.

Learn how hospital and health system leaders such as Steven J. Hess, chief information officer at UCHealth, are advancing their digital strategies and data analytics capabilities to create greater value, reduce costs and improve outcomes.

Across the country, I see hospitals and health systems doing incredible work to improve societal factors that influence the health of individuals and communities. That’s why I’m excited that the AHA is spotlighting a number of strategies that reinforce the crucial role of hospitals and health systems in serving their communities — it’s all part of a digital campaign that launches today.

The AHA and its Institute for Diversity and Health Equity are accepting applications through Nov. 19 for the 2022 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Awards.