Texas Hospital Association

11/14/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗝𝗮𝗻. 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁. 𝟭.

In exchange for the votes of seven Democrats and one independent, Senate GOP leadership agreed to schedule a December vote on extending the enhanced premium tax credits tied to federal Health Insurance Marketplace plans. These boosted Affordable Care Act health premium subsidies are currently set to expire Dec. 31.

The deal freshly delays the implementation of three fiscal years' worth of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Cuts until Jan. 30, even though the DSH cuts began kicking in when the shutdown commenced. In Texas alone, the implementation of DSH cuts resulted in over $300 million in reductions last month after the prior delay expired.

The continuing resolution also postpones a Medicare sequestration cut for hospital services of up to 4% and reauthorizes several key initiatives for hospitals and health care, including:

🔘 The Low-Volume Adjustment and Medicare-Dependent Hospital programs, which are both crucial for rural facilities;

🔘 The Acute Hospital Care at Home Program, a pandemic-era initiative that allows eligible patients to be treated at home; and

🔘 Expanded Medicare telehealth flexibilities, another product of the pandemic which has improved access to virtual care.

11/12/2025

Nonprofit hospitals in Texas provide billions of dollars each year in charity care and community benefit programs that protect financially and physically vulnerable residents – 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚.

🔗🩺 Read how these programs provide a boost to Texas’ health infrastructure, and why our state is a national leader on charity care and community benefit this week on The Scope: https://ow.ly/JtUX50XqHtX

11/11/2025

THA is celebrating by honoring four Texas hospital leaders for their service in health care and to our country. 🇺🇸

🔴 Noel Cárdenas
SVP and CEO, Memorial Hermann Pearland and Southeast Hospitals

🔵 Kristin Dyer
CFO, Medical City Healthcare

🔴 Dr. Chris Glanton
CMO, Peterson Health

🔵 Richard “Rick” Humphrey
CFO, Parkland Health

Please join THA in thanking these veterans – and all who have served – for their commitment and sacrifice. 🔗 Read more about these veterans on The Scope: https://ow.ly/5HNn50XqaOu

11/10/2025

🔦 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: On Nov. 3, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission submitted the state’s application for a share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Fund. HHSC accepted public input from various advocates during the development of its application, including rural health leaders.

“Right now, ‘sustainability’ and ‘survival’ would be the words I use before ‘transformation,’” said Terry Scoggin, the interim CEO and president of the rural hospital organization TORCH. “Get us through two years of this, then let’s start talking about transformation.”

🔗 Read more from the Texarkana Gazette:
https://ow.ly/elht50XpCkc

11/06/2025

𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧: The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting over 3,500 cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, through the first 10 months of 2025 – roughly four times as many cases for the same period in 2024. This marks the second consecutive year that Texas has seen a high year-over-year increase in pertussis cases.

DSHS advises parents to keep children’s vaccines up to date and recommends booster doses for pregnant women and others in contact with newborns. Clinicians should consider pertussis in people with compatible symptoms and report suspected cases to the local health department within one workday.

🔗Read the full alert: https://ow.ly/Fgjm50Xo2G1

11/04/2025

Don't forget today is Election Day! Whether you are leaving the office, hitting the gym or grabbing dinner – make sure to add voting to your list.🗳️

11/03/2025

𝗗𝗦𝗛 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: Cuts to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital program that went into effect on Oct. 1 levied an initial hit of hundreds of millions of dollars on Texas DSH facilities last week as they received their first payment since the reductions went into force.

Analysis by THA estimates that Texas' 188 DSH hospitals collectively saw a reduction of more than $300 million in the payment scheduled for last Thursday. THA's analysis, broken down by Texas congressional district, shows seven districts saw a DSH reduction of more than $10 million. Congressional District 30, located in the Dallas area, saw the greatest cut in this first payment of fiscal year 2026, losing $73.1 million.

Ultimately, without lawmakers taking action, the DSH reductions would cost Texas hospitals nearly $800 million in fiscal year 2026 and more than $2 billion over fiscal years 2026-2028. 𝗧𝗛𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝗦𝗛 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆.

11/03/2025

🔦 Issue Spotlight: Rural hospitals across Texas are facing mounting financial pressures – as illustrated by recent emergency department closures in Hunt County.

Payment cuts for Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals, high levels of uncompensated care and Texas not expanding Medicaid are among the factors converging to threaten access to care in rural areas.

Read more in this in-depth piece from KETR in northeast Texas ⬇️

Federal cuts and Texas’ refusal to expand Medicaid are squeezing rural hospitals, explaining why Commerce and Quinlan ERs closed as Royse City expands.

10/31/2025

Although Cybersecurity Awareness Month ends today, safeguarding digital information should always remain a top priority for hospitals and health care leaders.

THA's Chief Digital Officer Fernando Martinez joined John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association, to share how Texas and the THA are building regional resilience through cyber command structures, statewide coordination and tabletop exercises.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.aha.org/advancing-health-podcast/2025-10-01-ransomware-ripple-texas-model-cyber-resilience-health-care?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=aha-today&mkt_tok=NzEwLVpMTC02NTEAAAGdy4t6L_iE2bHWzs67RjxM88uJiZ8mqLP0zVjJB2dhSD2yU1UxV4GJ6Fstu4qElgTDEdx-a2vE3CqkzW11DVZEVFWG7yFyWMUdi0dgCyuzgZe0tlc

10/31/2025

To all the health care professionals celebrating between rounds, treatments and long shifts – thank you for bringing the spirit of Halloween to your hospitals and communities. 🏥 👻

From all of us at the Texas Hospital Association, Happy Halloween!

10/29/2025

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued an operational guide for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, which will require hospitals in participating states – including Texas – to obtain prior authorization for certain Medicare services or face a prepayment medical review. The model aims to leverage AI and machine learning to ensure appropriate payments.

In collaboration with THA and the hospital associations of five other states where the model will be used, the American Hospital Association has urged CMS to make key program adjustments before implementation begins Jan. 1, 2026.

Read AHA’s letter to CMS here:

10/29/2025

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued updated guidance clarifying that the new $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas applies only to recipients outside the U.S. who do not have a valid H-1B visa. The fee does not apply to previously issued visas, current visa holders or granted amendments, change-of-status or extension requests.

The guidance also outlines an exception process for applications reviewed on an individual basis. Employers seeking an exception must submit supporting documentation demonstrating that:

🔘 The worker’s presence is in the national interest.
🔘 No American worker is available to fill the role.
🔘 The worker does not pose a threat to national security.
🔘 Requiring payment would significantly undermine U.S. interests.

Evidence of a fee exemption or proof of payment must be included when filing the application. Read the complete guidance from USCIS, here: https://ow.ly/H2TE50XjWQu