Editor's Note   In a November 12 letter to Congress, the American Hospital Association (AHA) outlined its priorities for the lame-duck legislative session, focusing on measures to stabilize hospitals and health systems facing significant financial and operational pressures. If enacted, these recommendations would support the nation’s healthcare infrastructure amid rising…

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Editor's Note When it comes to the 2024 presidential election, “Neither candidate addresses a return to the fundamental tenet of healthcare: the patient-physician relationship,” reads the closing line of an “election guide” from Richard Menger MD MPA. In the preceding paragraph, Menger also argues that both candidates also neglect issues…

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Editor's Note A Senate report reveals that Medicare Advantage insurers are increasingly prioritizing profits over patient care by ramping up the use of prior authorization to deny necessary services, particularly post-acute care, for older adults, Becker’s Hospital Review reported October 17. In May 2023, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations…

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Editor's Note The October 1 vice presidential debate showcased sharp divisions between the candidates on healthcare policy, focusing primarily on the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reproductive rights. A summary published October 2 in Stat details how Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) proposed changes that could allow insurers…

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Editor's Note Research shows black women are 25% more likely to undergo cesarean sections (C-sections) than white women, even when presenting similar medical histories, The New York Times reported September 10. The article focuses on a study analyzing nearly one million births across 68 New Jersey hospitals. Conducted between 2008…

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Editor's Note The healthcare portion of the September 10 debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris focused on two issues: abortion and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Becker’s Hospital Review published key takeaways from the exchange September 11. According to the article, Trump reiterated that the…

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Editor's Note More than 700 rural hospitals, representing 31% of all rural hospitals in the country, are at risk of closure, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform. Chief Healthcare Executive reported the news August 8. According to the article, 16% of all rural…

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Editor's Note Growth in healthcare spending is outpacing nominal economic growth, Hospice News reported June 12. Citing a study from the Office of the Actuary (OACT) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the outlet reports that healthcare spending’s share of GDP is projected to rise from 17.6%…

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Editor's Note A recent analysis by the RAND Corporation, a research and analysis nonprofit, revealed a disparity between hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) prices paid by employers and private payers compared to Medicare prices, Revcycle Intelligence May 15 reports. The study, covering data from 2020 to 2022, showed private…

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Editor's Note Average prices for healthcare services trended upward from 2018 to 2022 despite fluctuations in utilization of service, according to the annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report (HCCUR) from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). In the same timeframe, per-person spending increased nearly 19%. "Prices, in particular, pose a…

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