AHA pushes back on Families USA report

The AHA shared the following statement with the media in response to a report released May 7 by Families USA.

"This report is long on rhetoric and short on reality. Hospitals and health systems are the backbone of care in every community, open 24/7 for every patient, regardless of ability to pay. Hospitals are largely price takers, not price setters, navigating rates set by government programs and negotiated by insurers.

"The report relies entirely on inappropriate benchmarks, like chronically low Medicare rates, and completely lets commercial insurers and other critical stakeholders off the hook for driving up premiums and costs. It leans on flawed data while ignoring the real pressures hospitals face: chronic Medicare and Medicaid underpayments, skyrocketing drug costs, and commercial insurer tactics that delay, deny and disrupt care while adding unnecessary costs and clinician burden. At the same time, hospitals are managing workforce shortages and rising expenses as they continue to deliver cutting-edge care close to home.

"America's hospitals and health systems are deeply committed to high-quality, accessible and affordable care, but driving affordability requires every stakeholder to be part of the solution. If we're serious about lowering costs, we should focus on strengthening care delivery and access - not recycling tired narratives that miss how the health care system actually works."