IHA Daily Briefing: September 17

IHA, AHA Coordinate to Oppose New Aetna Medicare Advantage Policy
Aetna Medicare Advantage recently announced a new "level of severity inpatient payment policy" that will take effect Nov. 15, 2025. Under this policy, inpatient stays that begin with an urgent or emergency admission but are later determined by Aetna to be "low severity" will be reimbursed at a level comparable to observation rates.

This policy will effectively replace Aetna's current medical necessity review process, which often results in outright denials of inpatient authorization requests. While Aetna claims the change will reduce delays and speed hospital payments, it raises serious concerns. By unilaterally redefining certain inpatient admissions, the policy could significantly undercut reimbursement and set a troubling precedent for how Medicare Advantage plans treat hospital services.

Many IHA members have already voiced concerns about this change. In response, IHA has engaged with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and is coordinating closely on both industry-wide response and federal advocacy. On Sept. 15, 2025, AHA President and CEO Richard J. Pollack sent a formal letter to Aetna President Steve Nelson, urging Aetna to rescind this egregious policy. The AHA has also reached out directly to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to elevate the issue.

IHA will continue to partner with AHA to oppose this policy and will keep members updated on developments.

Staff contact: Lisa Lynn

REGISTER: IHA Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Mass Casualty Incident Response
A single mass casualty incident (MCI) can cause a 20-30% surge in emergency department visits and increase operational costs up to 40%, especially when business continuity is compromised. What's more, such events can exhaust clinical and non-clinical staff, interrupt elective procedures, and destabilize operations for days or even weeks.

IHA's Emergency Preparedness Exercise on Nov. 5 will simulate a commercial aircraft emergency landing near a hospital, triggering a large-scale MCI response. The exercise, designed for key personnel hospital-wide, will be held from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT via live interactive webinar.

The exercise, "Rough Landing: A Mass Casualty Event," will enhance individual and team preparedness in several domains, including:

• Activating MCI protocols, including initial notifications and resource coordination;
• Responding to a patient surge, including pediatric patients and patients with access/functional needs;
• Maintaining safety for staff, patients and visitors during an MCI response;
• Establishing and providing family reunification services, including consideration for necessary resources, HIPAA-compliant communication, verification of relationships and personally identifiable information, and decedent management; and
• Implementing recovery and resiliency plans, including business continuity and employee assistance/wellness programs.

New this year, IHA has reduced registration fees to ensure all members can participate in this critical training opportunity. Fees are based on authorized beds and include unlimited staff participation at the registered facility, all Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program exercise materials, facilitation, and continuing education credits.

Participate in the annual exercise to test your hospital's or health system's preparedness and response plans while gaining valuable insight into areas of strength and opportunity for improvement. See our program webpage for more information. Register today.

Staff contact: Keneatha Johnson

REGISTER: IHA Regional Hospital Leader Meetings in October
IHA's Regional Hospital Leader Meetings are planned for this October for member hospital and health system leaders. Held in five locations throughout the state, these in-person sessions are a critical opportunity to share your hospital's perspective as we shape IHA's 2026 State Advocacy Agenda.

Each session will include a brief update from IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi, followed by a discussion on key state advocacy priorities. We'll also provide an overview of recent Congressional action in Washington, D.C., and its impact in Illinois.

Advance registration is required -click here to register. The Regional Hospital Leader Meetings are held exclusively for IHA member hospital and health system leaders.

Staff contact: Anne Stilwell

First West Nile Virus-Related Death Reported in Suburban Cook County
Today, the Cook County Dept. of Public Health (CCDPH) and the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed the first human West Nile virus-related death in Illinois this year. Laboratory testing confirmed that West Nile virus was a contributing factor to the death of a suburban Cook County resident.

In a joint statement, the departments said risk of West Nile virus in suburban Cook County remains high. Since May 11, when the surveillance period began, through Sept. 6, suburban Cook County has recorded 33 cases of West Nile virus, almost twice the number of cases from last year. Overall, the state of Illinois has recorded 79 human cases of West Nile virus this year; in 2024, there were 69 human cases and 13 West Nile virus fatalities.

Recent FDA Recall Notifications
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued several Class I recall and safety notifications, meaning these products may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use them or use them without correction.

Boston Scientific has notified customers of a corrective action needed for its ENDOTAK RELIANCE Defibrillation leads that, if not addressed, may fail to deliver the full, intended shock energy, which may fail to restore normal rhythm during cardiac arrest. As of July 24, Boston Scientific has reported 386 serious injuries and 16 patient deaths associated with this issue.

The FDA has issued a notice that mo-Vis BVBA has sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Recall notice outlining corrective actions for certain R-net Joysticks due to a firmware error. This firmware error causes the wheelchair to ignore the neutral setting, allowing it to unexpectedly move. There has been one reported injury and no reports of death related to this issue.

An Early Alert was also released about Medline's recent recall of specific lots of Medline Kits containing Medtronic DLP Left Heart Vent Catheters. Medtronic has not received any complaints resulting in patient death; however, perforation of critical heart tissue may lead to the potential risk of death. As of July 28, Medtronic has reported three serious injuries and no deaths associated with this issue.