American Hospital Association

09/30/2026

Two executive orders on artificial intelligence were released yesterday by the White House. One announced a new website that will use AI to deliver federal government information and services. The website, America.gov, is intended to eliminate the need for navigating multiple agency websites, according to a fact sheet. The order directs the Administrator of General Services in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to establish and operate America.gov as the lone entry point for accessing covered services online, such as public-facing federal services that serve more than 100,000 users in a 12-month period and can be accessed or applied for online.

The second executive order announced a rebrand of AI as “super intelligence.” The order and corresponding fact sheet said that the administration will use “super intelligence” and “SI” in place of “artificial intelligence” and “AI” in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory documents. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-09-30-white-house-announces-ai-powered-website-delivering-government-information-services

09/30/2026

Today is NICU Awareness Day! Join us in recognizing the hard work and dedication of the hospital staff in NICUs across the country as they care for the tiniest of patients. Thank you for your fierce determination in healing each baby that comes through your doors and supporting each parent navigating this new environment.

09/29/2026

How a Father-Daughter Team Is Strengthening Rural Maternity Care: Southwest Health Kevin Carr, M.D., family medicine physician, and Melissa Carr, M.D., OB/GYN, reflect on the joy of practicing medicine together, delivering babies side by side, and caring for generations of families in rural Wisconsin as a father-daughter duo. Their story offers a powerful look at the importance of rural maternal health care and the deep connections that make community-based care so special. https://www.aha.org/advancing-health-podcast/2026-06-17-how-father-daughter-team-strengthening-rural-maternity-care

09/29/2026

Two new AHA briefs outline field-tested strategies on strengthening supply chain resilience and hospital capacity readiness to maintain quality of care during public health emergencies. Part of the AHA’s Convening Leaders for Emergency and Response (CLEAR) initiative, the briefs were developed from focused discussions with healthcare leaders with expertise in supply chain and group purchasing and distribution, along with public health officials, emergency management professionals and other stakeholders across the field. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-09-29-new-resources-supply-chain-resilience-and-hospital-capacity-management-during-public-health

Two new AHA briefs outline field-tested strategies on strengthening supply chain resilience and hospital capacity readiness to maintain quality of care during public health emergencies.

09/29/2026

CMS announced that it projects declines in average premiums for Medicare Advantage and Part D in 2027. The total average monthly Part D premium for standalone prescription drug plans is estimated to increase by less than $1, from $35.09 in 2026 to $36 in 2027. Read more: https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-09-29-cms-projects-decline-ma-small-increase-standalone-part-d-premiums-2027

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Sept. 28 that it projects declines in average premiums for Medicare Advantage and Part D in 2027.

09/29/2026

CMS announced it will expand the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Review Choice Demonstration to include all IRFs that bill Medicare Administrative Contractor Jurisdiction J, which generally includes Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The demonstration, which is currently active for IRFs in Alabama, California, Texas and Pennsylvania, subjects 100% of all Original Medicare IRF claims to either pre-claim or post-payment review. For IRFs newly included in the demonstration, they will need to select either pre-claim or post-payment review by Nov. 13, 2026, and the demonstration will begin Dec. 14, 2026. The AHA has opposed this demonstration, indicating its unnecessarily burdensome nature and will continue to encourage the agency to pause its expansion. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2026-09-29-cms-expand-irf-claim-review-demonstration-all-facilities-billing-jurisdiction-includes-alabama-georgia

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Sept. 25 that it will expand the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Review Choice Demonstration to include all IRFs that bill Medicare Administrative Contractor Jurisdiction J, which generally includes Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

09/29/2026

ICYMI: What happens when hospital leaders decide maternal care belongs in their community—and commit to keeping it there? In the first episode of Frontiers, AHA’s new rural maternal health podcast series, rural hospital and health system leaders explain why maternal care is more than a service line. It is an investment in families, community health and the future of the places they serve. Hear how they are making maternal care an organizational priority, strengthening staffing and clinical readiness, and advocating for the resources needed to keep care close to home. https://ow.ly/QeMq50ZSFrt

09/29/2026

At Sutter Health, implementing a systemwide approach to maternal care means supporting a range of birth experiences while reinforcing evidence-based practices and clinical protocols, including thoughtful approaches to how and when C-sections are performed. Read the blog to learn more:

Sutter Health is taking a proactive, systemwide approach to maternal care — supporting a range of birth experiences while reinforcing the consistent use of evidence-based practices and clinical protocols.

09/28/2026

How are federal agencies working to tackle the opioid crisis in the U.S.? Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced it awarded nearly $90 million in grants to expand access to substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural communities nationwide through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. Read the announcement:

The Health Resources and Services Administration announced Sept. 25 that it awarded $89.3 million in grants to expand access to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services in rural communities nationwide.

09/28/2026

CMS has partnered with 37 states for the Investing in Health Outcomes initiative, where states can commit to a voluntary Medicaid Quality Pledge involving four principles:

- Prioritizing health outcomes over process;
- Streamlining quality measure inventories to reduce burden without sacrificing accountability;
- Advancing digital quality measurement and using near-real-time data rather than claims and chart abstraction where feasible;
- And aligning financial accountability with outcomes-oriented measures.

Learn more:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Sept. 25 announced the launch of a new initiative measuring quality in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.