On Monday, KHA Contacted Congressman Brett Guthrie regarding the Ban Surprise Billing Act. As Guthrie is a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, which will mark up this legislation, it is important he hears the concerns Kentucky hospitals have with the bill.

Based on a summary of the legislation, the Ban Surprise Billing Act relies on a median in-network rate to resolve out-of-network payments. The legislation would require out-of-network providers to accept the median in-network rate unless the amount paid was above $750 and only then could the payment be disputed through an independent dispute resolution process to determine the final payment.

KHA and member hospitals are opposed to payment at the median in-network rate. While it is understandable that insurers may initially pay this amount to comply with prompt pay laws, out-of-network providers should be given the ability to dispute this payment. KHA supports legislation which would set out a period under which the out-of-network...

Congressional leaders reached a $1.37 trillion spending agreement yesterday, which would repeal several ACA taxes (e.g, Cadillac tax, health insurer tax and medical device tax), delay payment cuts to disproportionate share hospitals (DSH) until May 22, 2020, and fund gun violence research.

While Congress was negotiating the agreement, KHA contacted the Kentucky congressional delegation to once again urge them to delay Medicaid DSH cuts for a full year. The messaging included the KHA Medicaid DSH issue paper. This paper and others are available for your use when discussing issues with your legislators at www.kyha.com/policy.

Congress is expected to pass the legislation this week, ahead of the December 20 government shutdown deadline, and send it to President...

Last week, KHA President Nancy Galvagni attended a national AHA Regional Policy Board meeting in Washington, DC. While there, she visited Kentucky's senators and several congressmen on September 10. Staying engaged with Kentucky's elected representatives keeps the hospital message on their minds, and she was able to learn more from them about the issues currently facing Congress.

Even though there is a budget deal, Congress has not yet passed appropriations bills required to fund the government. This will not happen before October 1, so it is expected that there will be a continuing resolution passed to fund the government through early December.

It is likely that legislation on Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding (DSH), drug pricing and surprise biling will all come together at the end of the year.

The good news is that there appears to be agreement on a two-year delay of the Medicaid DSH cuts.

Drug Pricing

The Senate Finance Committee passed a drug pricing...

KHA will host a Roundtable Meeting with Congressman Brett Guthrie at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital on August 23 starting at 1:00 p.m. (CT). This is a great opportunity to further Kentucky hospitals’ key federal issues and how they affect the Congressman's district specifically.

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).

 

A group of KHA members visited Washington last week, led by KHA President Nancy Galvagni, to meet with members of the Kentucky congressional delegation.

Thanks to the team for taking time from their busy schedules to participate in this important advocacy trip. Pictured above are Bud Warman, Highlands Regional Medical Center; Joe Grossman, Appalachian Regional Healthcare; Nancy Galvagni; Nina Eisner, Ridge Behavioral Health System; Sherri Craig, CHI Saint Joseph Health and KentuckyOne Health; Rosanne Nields, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; and Lourdes Baez, Baptist Health.

Participants presented KHA's Federal Issues for Summer 2019 to the congressmen and their staff members while discussing...

KHA will host a Roundtable Meeting with Congressman Brett Guthrie at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital on August 23 starting at 1:00 p.m. (CT). This is a great opportunity to further Kentucky hospitals’ key federal issues and how they affect the Congressman's district specifically.

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Claire Arant at KHA (carant@kyha.com).