The federal government shut down Oct. 1 after votes on funding legislation failed to pass in Congress. Key health care programs have expired, such as the Medicare-dependent hospital and low-volume adjustment programs, telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibilities, and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital cuts became effective.
AHA members received an Advisory that details implications for hospitals and health systems during the shutdown and the impacts on key health care programs.
Tell your legislators hospitals and health systems need their help to protect their communities’ access to care. Start building relationships with your legislators and their staffers through calls, emails and face-to-face meetings. Learn how to host a site visit at your hospital and get tips on how to tell your hospital’s story. Your voice can make a difference.
Make sure your members of Congress know the importance of supporting policies that allow hospitals to provide care to their communities. The following resources can help you and your team in these conversations.
The AHA Political Action Committee (AHAPAC) allows eligible hospital leaders to make voluntary donations toward the support of federal candidates of both political parties who support the hospital policy agenda. AHAPAC is bipartisan, working with state hospital associations and others.
For more information, please email pac@aha.org.
Learn more about AHAPAC
AHA Advocacy Alliance were created to help you engage your legislators on specific issues that have a direct impact on your ability to continue providing quality health services in your community. Alliance activities include special briefing calls and emails to keep members up-to-date on key developments, breakout sessions at AHA Advocacy Days, direct member outreach and other issue-specific resources.
Register for an alliance
The Coalition to Strengthen America’s Health Care was formed to protect access to the best quality health care for all Americans. We are a community of more than one million people who recognize the important role hospitals play in communities all over America, and advocate on their behalf to elected officials in Washington who too-often put funding for paitent care on chopping block.
Read about the Coalition
