Org Leadership & Governance 4

AHA.ORG | PAGE 14 OF 162025 ADVOCACY AGENDA

� Support the move to value-based care, with a particular focus on solutions for the long- term !nancial viability of hospitals and health systems by offering some level of predictable, up-front payment.

� Advocate for incentive payments to support hospitals and health systems’ transition to taking on higher levels of risk.

� Advocate for implementing new voluntary payment models so hospitals are not forced to bear the expense of participation in these complicated programs if they do not believe it will bene!t patients.

� Create a permanent CMS hospital-at-home program, shown to be a safe and innovative approach to caring for patients in the comfort of their homes that leads to high patient satisfaction and, for some patients, results in shorter recovery times.

� Remove barriers to cross-sector and interagency coordination and support investments to provide accountable care.

� Make permanent coverage of certain telehealth services made possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, including lifting geographic and originating site restrictions, allowing Rural Health Clinics and Federally Quali!ed Health Centers to serve as distant sites, expanding practitioners who can provide telehealth and allowing hospital outpatient billing for virtual services, among others.

� Implement a special registration process for telemedicine providers to ensure access to telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances for practitioners who register with the Drug Enforcement Agency. Preserve pandemic-era waivers until the special registration process begins.

LEADING INNOVATION IN CARE DELIVERY