HHS announces rollout of additional Tamiflu

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response announced they are supplying additional Tamiflu to jurisdictions because of an increased demand for the antiviral during this flu season. Jurisdictions are working with their ASPR regional teams to evaluate requests for Tamiflu through the Strategic National Stockpile.

The move is the latest action the Biden-Harris Administration and HHS are taking to reduce the burden on health care systems.

Appropriations committees release spending bill text

The U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees released the text of a $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill that would fund the federal government through Sept. 30, 2023. IHA advocated for several beneficial health care provisions in the bill including:

• Extending critical waivers and workforce provisions.
• Extending key programs set to expire this year.
• Preventing significant cuts to Medicare.

The Senate began debate Wednesday and the House is expected to consider it Friday. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill into law ahead of the Friday deadline when government spending is set to expire.

IHA releases latest hospital data trends

IHA has collected data trends from 98 hospitals for January-October 2022 as compared with the same time frame in 2021:

• Acute discharges decreased 2% as acute patient days increased 1.1%.
• Hospital-based ambulatory surgery visits increased 4.3%.
• Average facility paid hours increased 7.7%.
• Average length of stay increased 2%.
• Average physician paid hours increased 18.5%.
• Births increased 3.1%.
• Charity care decreased 6.6%.
• Emergency department visits increased 4.1%.
• Facility employment (excluding physicians) increased 7.7%.
• Inpatient admissions from the emergency department decreased 2%.
• Inpatient surgeries decreased 15%.
• Medicaid acute discharges decreased 5.2% and Medicaid acute patient days decreased 0.9%.
• Net patient revenue (collected charges) increased 4.8%.
• Outpatient utilization increased 7.4%.
• Payroll and benefits expense increased 12%.
• Total average paid hours increased 10.6%.
• Total expenses increased 8%.
• Uncompensated care (bad debts) increased 13%.

Email Allison Martin at IHA with questions.