Health Care Advocate: Jan. 4, 2024

Table of Contents Court Upholds Ban on Enforcing Federal Abortion Guidance The federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state of Texas in its lawsuit challenging the U.S. government’s enforcement of abortion-related emergency care guidance, issued in 2022 shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in its decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s…

Health Care Advocate: Dec. 21, 2023

Table of Contents THA Urges HHSC to Minimize Risk in CHIRP, QIPP Programs In comments to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on rule proposals for key payment programs, THA submitted recommendations that will safeguard key Medicaid supplemental funding streams for Texas hospitals and nursing facilities. On the Comprehensive Hospital Increase Reimbursement Program (CHIRP), HHSC proposed to create…

Health Care Advocate: Dec. 14, 2023

Table of Contents House Passes Bill Repealing Medicaid Cuts; THA Still Opposed to Site-Neutral Provisions The sweeping Lower Costs, More Transparency Act – a federal bill with provisions that THA both strongly supports and vehemently opposes – passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, about three months after hospital-industry concerns led lawmakers to shelve it. The bill, which the…

Download THA’s New Workplace Violence Toolkit

(Dec. 13, 2023) — Two crucial new state laws meant to prevent and address workplace violence in hospitals passed earlier this year during the regular session of the Texas Legislature. The Texas Hospital Association, in partnership with the Texas Nurses Association, has developed a new Workplace Violence Toolkit, released today, which provides particulars on the new laws and tools for…

Health Care Advocate: Dec. 7, 2023

Table of Contents THA Engages D.C. Lawmakers on Lower Costs, More Transparency Act THA was in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss key issues with the Texas congressional delegation, with a top-line focus on the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, which has been scheduled for a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives next week. The bill is the collective…

Health Care Advocate: Nov. 30, 2023

Table of Contents AHA Says Medicare Advantage Plans Aren’t Adhering to 2024 Rules The American Hospital Association is pushing Medicare to make sure that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans adhere to federal rules for calendar year 2024, sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) highlighting certain MA plan policies that AHA believes run afoul of the…

Health Care Advocate: Nov. 16, 2023

Table of Contents Hospitals Exempt as Immigration Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk An immigration enforcement measure with a key THA-driven exemption for hospitals passed the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday, sending Senate Bill 4 to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. The bill by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) gives local and state law enforcement the ability to arrest and detain foreign…

Health Care Advocate: Nov. 9, 2023

Table of Contents New Immigration Arrest Bill Includes Hospital Exemption After the third special session of the Texas Legislature adjourned without a deal on an immigration enforcement bill, Gov. Greg Abbott quickly called a fourth special session this week that included a directive to address the same issue. THA – which fought for hospitals to be exempt from the previous…

Health Care Advocate: Nov. 2, 2023

Table of Contents THA Joins in AHA’s Suit Over Unlawful Federal Privacy Rule Joined by THA, the American Hospital Association sued the federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today over a rule that AHA says “severely restricts hospitals’ ability to rely on common third-party technologies that they use to analyze their websites and communicate reliable, accurate health information to the…

Health Care Advocate: Oct. 26, 2023

Table of Contents House Amends COVID Vaccine Mandate Ban, Increases Penalty The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the hospital-qualified ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for businesses, but with amendments that would significantly increase penalties for violations and also include medical students among employees who can’t be forced to receive the vaccine. The amendments mean Senate Bill 7 by…