-
American Medical Association
Having been started in 1847 the American Medical Association has encouraged scientific advancement of public health. The founder of the AMA is Nathan Smith Davis. The history of the AMA is very rich in that it has helped shape the way our healthcare system is today. -
American Hospital Association
Founded in 1898 the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. The AHA is a national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Nearly 5000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. -
Blue Cross Blue Shield
BCBS got started in 1929. People started using hospitals more because the care the patients were receiving got better. Which ultimately made the price go up. Justin Kimball of Baylor University introduced an insurance plan for teachers which offered 21 days of hospital care for only $6. This was known as the Baylor Plan. -
Hill Burton Act
In 1946, Congress passed a law that gave hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities grants and loans for construction and modernization. In return, they agreed to provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay and to make their services available to all persons residing in the facility’s area. The program stopped providing funds in 1997, but about 150 health care facilities nationwide are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care. -
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare is a federal insurance program. Medical bills are paid from trust funds which those covered have paid into. It serves people over 65 primarily, whatever their income; and serves younger disabled people and dialysis patients. Medicaid is an assistance program. It serves low-income people of every age. Patients usually pay no part of costs for covered medical expenses. A small co-payment is sometimes required. It varies from state to state, and is run by local governments. -
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
This act protects patient's private medical information. It is a very important part of policy history and affects all healthcare facilities. -
Balanced Budget Act
It mandated development and implementation of prospective payment systems for skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, outpatient hospital care, and rehabilitation hospitals. The Act also allowed more rural hospitals to obtain special disproportionate share hospital payments that are available to hospitals serving large numbers of low income patients. It also authorized payment for telemedicine, in which medical consultations are conducted via phones and computers -
Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Established through the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The funding aimed to improve access to rural healthcare services to all states except Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.It requires states to develop Medicare approved program attempting to improve rural health services, and it designated CAH’s in each state and assists hospitals in converting into a CAH. -
The Balanced Budget and Refinement Act
The Balanced Budget and Refinement Act of 1999 was a law that was passed to provide financial relief for medicare and medicaid providers as well as the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Over a 10 year period, this provision restored a total of $27 billion. -
The Benefits Improvement and Protection Act
The Benefits Improvement and Protection Act was implemented in 2000. This act was enacted to modify some of the changes brought about by the BBRA. In a couple of the sections of this act it specifies that payments will be made to CAH’s for the inpatient and outpatient services they supply. -
Medicare Advantage Plan
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established the MA program to replace the Medicare+Choice program that had been in place since the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Through the MA program, beneficiaries have the option to receive their Medicare benefits through private health plans that are contracted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). -
Deficient Reduction Act
The DRA was signed into law on 2-8-06. This legislation affects many aspects of domestic entitlement programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. It provides States with much of the flexibility they have been seeking over the years to make significant reforms to their Medicaid Programs. -
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act
MIPPA grantees specifically help low-income seniors and persons with disabilities to apply for two programs that help pay for their Medicare costs, Medicare Part D and Medicare Savings Programs. MIPPA grantees also provide Part D counseling to Medicare beneficiaries who live in rural areas, and are tasked to promote Medicare’s prevention and wellness benefits. -
ARRA
Signed in February of 2009 by president Obama, the act established grant programs that would provide incentives for the meaningful use of EHR in CAHs. If a CAH is deemed to be a meaningful use, it can depreciate its certified EHR costs. -
PPACA
Section 3001: Establishes value-based purchasing programs for critical access hospitals. Section 3128: Critical access hospitals will continue to be eligible to receive 101% of reasonable cost for ambulatory services and outpatient care.
Section 7101: Provides Critical access hospitals to be covered under the 340B drug discount program, which requires drug manufacturers to provide inpatient and outpatient drugs to organizations such as critical access hospitals at a reduced price. -
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014
Amends the National Housing Act which authorizes the Secretary to provide mortgage insurance to critical access hospitals. -
Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
MACRA pressured providers to tie more of their payments to values, through Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)Rural facilities do not have to participate in MIPS due to their low volume of patients. Critical access hospitals are still able to participate in accountable care organizations through the advanced payment plan and provide coordinated and quality care to its Medicare patients.
