Congress

Federal Health Policy Update for October 30

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 24-30. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that they will not be announcing new policies, publishing proposed regulations, or updating their web sites during the current federal government shutdown. Congress and the Shutdown The federal government remains shut down and the Senate expects to leave Washington today without another vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), ensuring that the shutdown will continue into next week. Republican leaders believe [...]

joe2025-10-31T12:15:23-04:00October 30, 2025|340b, Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Medicaid, Medicare|

Senate Committee Looks at 340B

Last week the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted prescription drugs to eligible health care providers, known as "covered entities," to help them serve low-income and uninsured patients. In recent years the 340B program has become more controversial as it has grown and as pharmaceutical companies object more strenuously to the discounts they are required to provide to participating providers. In addition, some critics charge that the savings providers gain from 340B discounts are not consistently reinvested in care for low-income and uninsured patients while those [...]

joe2025-10-28T15:50:27-04:00October 29, 2025|340b, Congress|

Federal Health Policy Update for October 23

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 17 - 23. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that they will not be announcing new policies, publishing proposed regulations, or updating their web sites during the current federal government shutdown. Congress and the Shutdown The Senate postponed its 13th vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), scheduled for today; without bipartisan negotiations on Affordable Care Act enhanced premium subsidies, the measure – whenever the next vote is [...]

joe2025-10-23T15:32:04-04:00October 23, 2025|340b, Affordable Care Act, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicare|

Hospital Financial Progress in Jeopardy

While hospitals and health systems in general continue to move closer to their pre-pandemic level of financial performance, they now face challenges that threaten to undermine that progress. While they have slowly gotten their labor costs under control, providers now face rising non-labor costs, including for drugs and supplies. Meanwhile, two recent policies enacted by Congress may pose an even greater threat. New limits on Medicaid eligibility threaten to transform manageable losses from under-reimbursement for Medicaid services into uncompensated care at the same time that the elimination of enhanced Affordable Care Act insurance premium subsidies could turn lower-income working families [...]

joe2025-10-14T14:19:03-04:00October 15, 2025|Affordable Care Act, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for October 9

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 3-9. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that they will not be announcing new policies, publishing proposed regulations, or updating their web sites during the current federal government shutdown. Congress and the Shutdown Today the Senate voted on separate Democratic- and Republican-led continuing resolutions (CRs) for the seventh time but again was unable to reach the 60-vote majority needed to pass a measure. Once again, only three Democratic senators [...]

joe2025-10-09T15:13:15-04:00October 9, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicare|

Federal Health Policy Update for October 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 26 to October 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Health Care During the Government Shutdown With the federal government technically without spending authority now that FY 2026 has begun without an approved FY 2026 budget, the federal role in health care will change in some respects and be greatly reduced in others. Medicare and Medicaid will continue to function; previous legislation ensures Medicaid funding through the first quarter of FY 2026. States will continue to receive federal funding to [...]

joe2025-10-03T14:33:33-04:00October 3, 2025|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Health Care During the Government Shutdown

With the federal government technically without spending authority now that FY 2026 has begun without an approved FY 2026 budget, the federal role in health care will change in some respects and be greatly reduced in others. The Department of Health and Human Services anticipates reducing its workforce by 40 percent during the federal government shutdown while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services anticipates furloughing nearly half its staff. The Office of Management and Budget has issued a memo encouraging agencies to consider making at least some and possibly many of these furloughs permanent. Medicare and Medicaid will continue [...]

joe2025-10-01T08:42:28-04:00October 1, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Telehealth|

MACPAC Meets

Members of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met recently in Washington, D.C. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of its two days of public meetings. MACPAC’s September 2025 meeting began with a summary of Public Law 119-21, an Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14 (2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, P.L. 119-21). This legislation included several provisions affecting Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In this session, staff provided a summary of the Medicaid and CHIP-related provisions in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act. Staff then presented on work [...]

joe2025-09-26T09:15:24-04:00September 29, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid regulations|

Federal Health Policy Update for September 25

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 19-25. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Federal Funding for Fiscal Year 2026 Telehealth and Acute Hospital Care at Home Program Flexibilities Many current telehealth flexibilities and authorization for the Acute Hospital Care at Home program will expire on September 30 unless Congress extends them. The following is CMS’s current guidance on these programs if they are not extended by September 30: The CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home web page advises stakeholders that The Acute Hospital Care at Home [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for September 18

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 12-18. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Funding for the federal government expires on September 30. Members of Congress have not yet coalesced around a plan to fund the federal government when the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1, with House Republican and Democratic leaders releasing competing legislative texts for a short-term continuing resolution (CR). House Republicans have proposed a CR to last through November 21 with very few anomalies, or policy changes, outside of regular spending. [...]

joe2025-09-18T17:11:02-04:00September 18, 2025|340b, Affordable Care Act, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care, Telehealth|