The Department of Homeland Security finalized a proposed rule that expands the definition of “public charge” in immigration application determinations to include additional types of public benefits and new immigration applicant categories.

An NEJM Catalyst article assesses four public hospital quality reporting programs' ability to classify hospital performance.

An Aug. 2 final rule for Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2020 will increase inpatient operating payments and Medicare disproportionate share hospital funding and make changes to electronic health records use and quality reporting programs.

America's Essential Hospitals details key provisions of the proposed rules for the Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2020.

The refresh includes results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems but does not include overall star ratings.

The Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule for calendar year 2020 would continue cuts to hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program and to off-campus provider-based departments and introduce new transparency requirements.

The House advanced a federal budget and debt limit deal before leaving for August recess; the Senate will consider the measure this week. House and Senate committees consider legislation to reduce prescription drug pricing.

A Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report to Congress details an action plan to assist states in providing housing-related support for Medicaid beneficiaries with substance use disorders.

The agreement would stop a $125 billion budget cut and increase defense and nondefense discretionary spending while raising the debt limit for two years.

The final judgement, in favor of America's Essential Hospitals, does not indicate how the Department of Health and Human Services should remedy unlawful payment reductions to hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program in 2018 and 2019.

Also last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions advanced the bipartisan Lower Health Care Costs Act and the House Committee on Ways and Means marked up five Medicare-focused bills.

The administration issued a June 24 executive order addressing hospital price disclosure, quality measurement, data sharing, and the expanded use of health savings accounts.

A House-passed bill to extend funding for Medicaid programs heads to the Senate; the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions introduced the Lower Health Care Costs Act.

House and Senate committees this month remain focused on legislation to reduce surprise billing and health care costs. The House last week began deliberations on a $987 million spending package to fund many federal agencies for FY 2020.

A proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services would overhaul parts of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, removing some nondiscrimination protections for transgender individuals and requirements for covered entities treating people with limited English proficiency.

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovations Act would provide $385 million annually for the Hospital Preparedness Program. Congress stacks its agenda ahead of the July Fourth recess, focusing on health care funding, surprise billing, single-payer proposals, and drug pricing.

A House subcommittee hearing features testimony from an essential hospital on the importance of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding. The House is expected to approve a bill providing $385 million in annual funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program.

A draft plan from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee aims to end surprise medical bills for out-of-network emergency services, reduce prescription drug prices, and improve transparency in health care costs, among other priorities.

The agency released a request for applications on the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport model for emergency ambulance services. The new model encourages treatment for Medicare beneficiaries outside the emergency department.

America's Essential Hospitals and its association partners have created a detailed update on recent court activity in their lawsuit to reverse Medicare outpatient payment cuts to hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

In a May 17 Capitol Hill briefing, leaders from NYC Health + Hospitals, East Alabama Medical Center, and Eskenazi Health shared how disproportionate share hospital funding sustains their hospitals.

The Senate last week passed a new version of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019. House and Senate panels continue work to address balance billing and drug pricing ahead of next week's recess.

A bipartisan group of 300 House lawmakers sent a letter to leadership calling for a two-year delay of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts. The House will vote on a legislative package to expedite the availability of generic drugs and protect parts of the Affordable Care Act.

The House this week will take up legislation to protect people with pre-existing conditions and help generic drug and biosimilar manufacturers bring their products to market. A House letter calling for a delay of Medicaid DSH payment cuts has 286 bipartisan signatures; the deadline to sign is May 8.