AHA lobbies to fight cuts, boost health IT

Hospitals, if you're wondering whether the American Hospital Association is fighting for your interests on the Hill, here's one piece of evidence to ponder. The trade group apparently paid a lobbying firm $240,000 in 2007 just to lobby the federal government on the issue of possible Medicare cutbacks and health information technology, according to new disclosures. The AHA is working overtime to beat back the Medicare rate freeze proposed for President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget, which also fixes rates for nursing home and hospice services for the next three years. The group has said that the freeze would be "disastrous."

To learn more about AHA's lobbying efforts:
- read this Associated Press piece

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