U.S House Passes Five-year Extension of Hospital at Home Program 
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4313, the “Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act,” by a voice vote. The legislation would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home (“Hospital at Home”) waiver flexibilities through Fiscal Year 2030. It also requires the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary to conduct a study on the efficacy of the program by Sept. 30, 2028. Among other things, the study will analyze and compare the quality of care provided in the inpatient setting and through the Hospital at Home program, including hospital readmission rates, hospital mortality rates, length of stay, infection rates, composition of care team (including the types of labor used, such as contracted labor), the ratio of nursing staff and patient and caregiver experience of care. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate.

AHA Files Lawsuit on 340B Pilot Program

On Dec. 1, the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Maine Hospital Association, and four safety-net health systems from Arkansas, Maine, New York and North Dakota (plaintiffs) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine challenging the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program. The lawsuit asserts the defendants, including U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Thomas J. Engels, violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The plaintiffs are also seeking both declaratory judgment and a temporary restraining order to stop the rebate program from being implemented on Jan. 1, 2026.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that the establishment and implementation of the rebate program, as well as its approval of drug company applications, was arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law (i.e., a violation of the APA) because the defendants, among other things, failed to consider or address 340B hospitals’ and other stakeholders’ interests who are required to participate when purchasing the ten drugs included in the program.  

The 340B Program has historically provided upfront discounts to 340B providers, allowing eligible providers to stretch scarce federal resources to provide greater access to care for the patients and communities they serve. The rebate program will fundamentally change how the 340B Program functions, requiring providers to purchase affected drugs at the wholesale acquisition cost and submit required rebate data and rebate requests through HRSA’s Rebate Program vendor, Beacon. AHA president and CEO Rick Pollack stated, “When making such a major change, with such far-reaching consequences for patients and hospitals, it is important that the government follow the basic administrative rules of the road. Unfortunately, it did not do so here.”

IHA submitted comments on the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program in September, expressing serious concerns and urging HHS to put strict guardrails in place to ensure drug manufacturers comply with program rules and provide appropriate rebates. Additional information on rebate program compliance is forthcoming, and IHA will track AHA’s lawsuit as it unfolds.

Staff contact: Cassie Yarbrough

COCA Call: Clinical Recommendations for Influenza Prevention and Control
Influenza causes a significant burden on the health of Americans during most influenza seasons and remains a serious threat due its potential to cause severe illness and death. During an upcoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COCA Call, presenters will provide an overview of the burden of influenza disease and discuss recommendations for influenza vaccination, testing, and treatment for people of all ages for the 2025 - 2026 season. The call will take place Dec. 11 from 1-2 p.m. CT. Click here to join; registration is not required. 

For more information on this COCA Call, click here. The closed-captioned video and transcript will be available on the COCA Call webpage approximately one week after the live session. The slide set will be available on the day of the call on the COCA Call webpage under “Webinar.”

Early Alert: Glucose Monitor Sensor Issue from Abbott Diabetes Care
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it is aware that Abbott Diabetes Care has sent all affected customers a letter regarding an issue with certain FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors providing incorrect low glucose readings. If undetected, incorrect low glucose readings over an extended period may lead to wrong treatment decisions for people living with diabetes, such as excessive carbohydrate intake or skipping or delaying insulin doses. These decisions may pose serious health risks, including potential injury or death, or other less serious complications. As of Nov. 14, 2025, Abbott has reported 736 serious injuries, and seven deaths associated with this issue

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

Briefly Noted

Leading the News

Reports: Trump cuts could shrink Illinois economy by $10 billion

WGLT
Recent cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration could reduce the size of Illinois’ economy by nearly $10 billion each year, according to a new report released Monday by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.

14 health systems among America’s healthiest workplaces

Becker’s Hospital Review

Riverside Healthcare (Kankakee, Ill.) was recognized as one of America’s healthiest workplace, according to an Oct. 15 ranking. Healthiest Employers recognizes the 100 healthiest workplaces in the U.S. in its annual ranking. Participating organizations complete an assessment, which is scored on a 100-point scale.

518 hospitals with the lowest CAUTI rates

Becker’s Hospital Review

A total of 518 U.S. hospitals have a catheter-associated urinary tract infection rate of zero, based on the healthcare-associated infections dataset from CMS.