ACHI releases new CHA Toolkit resources  kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 03:18 PM AHA’s Community Health Improvement network has added new resources to its Community Health Assessment Toolkit, including four new supplements focusing on how to involve specific populations in the CHA process: older adults, caregivers, people with disabilities; and refugee, immigrant and migrant communities. In addition, eight new case studies highlight how health care organizations and community partners have used tactics and strategies from the toolkit to address priority health needs in their communities.&n ..read more

Participation deadline extended for 2024 DEI Benchmark Survey kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 03:14 PM AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity May 2 notified hospitals and health systems with an email reminder to complete the 2024 DEI Benchmark Survey, noting a deadline extension to May 15. Respondents are strongly encouraged to complete the survey at the hospital level to accurately capture DEI strategies and experiences. This biennial survey provides insights into member and non-member hospitals’ and health systems’ efforts, successes and challenges in advancing health equity. For more ..read more

CMS releases report on Medicare Advantage coverage disparities based on race, ethnicity and sex  kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 03:13 PM A report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services examining disparities in care based on race, ethnicity and sex shows that in 2023, clinical care disparities were most common for Native American and African-American enrollees. Native American and African-American enrollees scored below average on measures in diabetes care, while African-Americans additionally scored below average measures in behavioral health, cardiovascular care and care co ..read more

CISA extends comment period for proposed rule on cyber incident reporting kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 03:11 PM The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency May 3 extended the comment period to July 3 for the April 4 proposed rule that would implement cyber incident and ransom payment reporting requirements under the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022. The rule would require critical infrastructure organizations, including hospitals and health systems, to report a covered cyber incident to the federal government within 72 hours and ransom payments within ..read more

Agencies issue cyber advisory on North Korean spear phishing efforts  kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 03:03 PM The FBI, State Department and National Security Agency issued a warning about attempts by North Korean state-sponsored cyberthreat actors to exploit improperly configured domain-based message authentication, reporting and conformance record policies to conceal social engineering attempts. Without properly configured DMARC policies, malicious cyber actors are able to send spoofed emails as if they came from a legitimate domain’s email exchange, the advisory states. The cyber actors ..read more

CMS rule extends Marketplace coverage to DACA recipients kpage_drupal May 03, 2024 - 02:57 PM The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services May 3 released a final rule that would allow DACA recipients, young undocumented immigrants authorized to work in the U.S., to purchase coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, qualify for Marketplace subsidies based on income, and apply for the Basic Health Program in states that participate — currently just Minnesota and New York. The agency estimates that this rule could lead to 100,000 uninsured DACA recipients enrolling in health insura ..read more

Preparing to Celebrate National Hospital Week and National Nurses Week: A Thank You to the Caregivers Who Make Our Lives Better dsamuels_drupal May 03, 2024 - 09:36 AM In just a few days, we’ll kick off important recognitions for National Hospital Week, May 12-18, and National Nurses Week, May 6-12. Nurses, physicians, technicians, pharmacists, therapists, IT and environmental services professionals along with many others work each and every day to provide life-saving care and essential services to their communities. They also are at the forefront of innovation and leading the charge to adva ..read more

Agencies release new process for resubmitting IDR disputes kpage_drupal May 02, 2024 - 03:23 PM The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury May 1 released a new process for resubmitting disputes under the No Surprises Act independent dispute resolution process that were originally improperly batched or bundled. The new process is intended to streamline federal IDR operations and enhance the user experience. Parties eligible to be resubmitted to the federal IDR process will receive an email from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services with a unique resubmiss ..read more

HHS final rule strengthens protections against disability discrimination kpage_drupal May 02, 2024 - 03:20 PM The Department of Health and Human Services May 1 released a final rule bolstering discrimination protections for people with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The rule clarifies and strengthens civil rights protections for people with disabilities, addresses discrimination in medical treatment, adds enforceable standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment, and ensures accessible web content and mobile apps. It also helps protect individuals with disa ..read more

New AHA report highlights mounting financial challenges for hospitals kpage_drupal May 02, 2024 - 03:13 PM The AHA May 2 released a new report highlighting how hospitals and health systems continue to experience significant financial pressures that challenge their ability to provide 24/7 care for patients and communities.  In 2023, data show that hospitals and health systems faced substantial challenges due to higher costs for labor, drugs and supplies. At the same time, reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid did not keep pace with these mounting costs, and hospitals and health syst ..read more