Labor and Delivery Situation Worsens at Rural Hospitals
Rural America continues to experience the loss of hospital labor and delivery services. With 2025 not yet over, more rural hospitals – 27 – have closed or are in the process of closing their labor and delivery services than did [...]
Applications Highlight Rural Health Targets
Chronic disease prevention. Greater access to mobile health services. Rural clinician recruitment. Improved emergency medical services. Technological advancements. These are among the priorities articulated by rural states in their applications for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds according to a [...]
Hospitals Dealing With More Self-Pay Patients, Uncompensated Care
Driven by patients’ loss of health insurance, coverage gaps in insurance policies, an increase in high-deductible plans, and the post-COVID changes in Medicaid eligibility, hospitals are encountering growing numbers of uninsured and self-pay patients. In response, they are pursuing ways [...]
Senate Bill Includes Provisions Vital to Community Safety-Net Hospitals
Last weekend the Senate passed a bill that could, if negotiated successfully with and adopted by the House, temporarily end the current federal government shutdown. Included in the Senate-passed bill are so-called health care extenders that are especially important to [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for November 6
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 31 – November 6. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies [...]
HHS Sets 340B Rebate Model
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration has approved eight plans from pharmaceutical companies to participate in its 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program. Currently, eligible 340B providers receive discounts when they purchase covered drugs but [...]
New Methodology Helps Facilitate Medicaid Renewals
When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the end of the moratorium on Medicaid disenrollments, states faced a daunting challenge: how to redetermine eligibility for 90 million people on their Medicaid rolls. The challenge grew even greater when [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for October 30
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 24-30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that [...]
CMS Employees Return to Work
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has recalled 3000 employees – 47 percent of its workforce – furloughed earlier this month when the federal government shutdown began. In a published report, a CMS spokesperson explained that “In order to [...]
Senate Committee Looks at 340B
Last week the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted prescription drugs to eligible health care providers, known as "covered entities," to help them serve low-income and [...]
