Recent policy changes have drained vital funding and threaten a financial crisis at essential hospitals. Without action by Congress, communities nationwide will lose access to care and vital support services.

A new notice makes technical and typographical corrections to the fiscal year 2019 Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule.

A new proposed rule for Medicare’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System for fiscal year 2019 would increase inpatient operating payment rates by 1.75 percent.

The guidance defines courtesy discounts, defines when a bad debt is "written off," provides clarity about unpaid coinsurance and deductibles, and more.

The waiver extensions fund Texas' uncompensated care pool and delivery system reform incentive payment program and provide family planning services for low-income individuals in Mississippi for 10 years.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services previously had extended the revision deadline to Oct. 31, following numerous changes to the worksheet S-10.

Hospitals use the worksheet S-10 to submit uncompensated care data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; the agency will begin using the worksheet to calculate Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments in fiscal year 2018.

America's Essential Hospitals asks Congress to postpone Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts until they can reach a sustainable solution.

Communities rely on essential hospitals for trauma and other lifesaving care, physician training, emergency response, and other vital services. Essential hospitals, in turn, rely on policymakers for support to keep these services available to all. Learn more about this careful balance.

The rule contains provisions on the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, Medicare DSH, the Inpatient Quality Reporting program, and more.

It requires Medicare payments for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicaid, and other third-party payments be included in uncompensated care calculations.

Of particular interest to essential hospitals, CMS revised the Worksheet S-10, which hospitals use to report uncompensated care data.

The deadline for hospitals to amend their Medicare cost report Worksheet S-10 for fiscal year 2014 is Sept. 30.

Aggregate data collected by the association will help inform advocacy on disproportionate share hospital payments and other funding support.

New group for members who want to take an active role in defending against Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment cuts.

Proposed renewals must be for demonstrations that are working effectively and have no major or complex policy changes. Certain waivers that use the enhanced FMAP are ineligible.

The association will use the information gathered to advocate to policymakers the need to continue to support essential hospitals’ mission and service to their communities. This survey focuses on the first quarter of calendar year 2015. We will use aggregate information only.

This survey remains especially important in light of recent media coverage that has suggested the need for essential hospitals and the funding to support them may no longer be necessary. Responses due July 24.

In an April 28 letter, the association urged CMS to adopt a holistic view of how payment mechanisms impact essential hospitals, including sustainable base payment rates, Medicaid waivers to address uncompensated care, and DSRIP waivers.

America's Essential Hospitals is conducting this member survey to capture the impact of the ACA coverage expansion on essential hospitals.

The survey focuses on uncompensated care and utilization during the last two quarters of CYs 2013 and 2014. It aims to capture the impact of ACA coverage expansion on essential hospitals.

Agency reverts to position recommended by America's Essential Hospitals to define uninsured status at the service level for purposes of calculating DSH payments; sets Dec. 31 as start of new policy

The association extended the survey deadline to continue to gather information on members' uncompensated care post-ACA.

The association launched this survey Nov. 10 to capture the impact of the ACA coverage expansion on essential hospitals.

The survey aims to capture the impact of ACA coverage expansion and add to association advocacy efforts with timely information on members' uncompensated care.

The definition would be used for determining Medicaid DSH costs. Association urges policy that accurately captures the actual burden of uncompensated care, particularly before DSH cuts and recoupment based on DSH audits begin.

A recent study found that planned reductions in Medicaid DSH payments and ongoing inflation in health care costs will cause debilitating gaps in funding for essential hospitals. Expected system costs to states that do not expand Medicaid will be exacerbated by continued uncompensated care costs and no additional Medicaid funds to offset them.

U.S. hospitals provided $45.9 billion in uncompensated care in 2012, survey shows

Oct. 28 letter notes that hospitals have faced more than $95 billion in cuts over the past three years

Providers that fill a safety net role will be stretched thin in states that do not expand Medicaid

Government shutdown prevented DC from making payments to Medicaid providers, managed care organizations

Cited concerns that hospitals may be undercompensated for providing necessary services that do not meet new criteria

Rule implements the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid DSH cuts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015

Rule outlines CMS' methodology for annual reductions to DSH payments

Rule proposes implementation of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid DSH cuts