The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System in Charleston, S.C., has become the first VA site to join the Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics (ALZ-NET).  This expanded research collaboration between VA and the Alzheimer’s Association has a shared goal of improving care for the estimated 500,000 veterans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. Launched in 2021, ALZ-NET is the first nationwide registry designed to collect real-world clinical and imaging data from people being evaluated for FDA-approved Alzheimer’s disease therapies.

Patient cost sharing plays bigger role in rural hospital revenues, claims study shows

Commercially insured rural patients have been responsible for paying a greater share of their healthcare costs than their more metropolitan counterparts, according to a study of 2012-2022 data.  The findings, published Monday in Health Affairs, suggest greater financial strain for those rural patients as well as their hospitals, which must devote more resources to patient collections and may never convert those funds into realized revenue. 

White House Seeks $4.24B for VA EHRM as 26 New Deployments Are Planned in 2027

The White House is requesting $4.24 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2027 funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program, as the department plans to deploy the system to 26 additional sites that year.  The funding request, included in the administration’s FY2027 budget proposal, marks an increase of $840 million, or 24.7%, from the 2026 enacted level.  The proposal maintains congressional guardrails on the program, according to the budget appendix.