Medicaid DSH

Federal Health Policy Update for August 7

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 2-7.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are both in recess.   When Congress returns in September its top priority will be funding the federal government before the fiscal year ends on September 30, likely requiring a continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown.  Several major health care programs and extenders are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year, including Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments, telehealth flexibilities, the Acute Hospital Care at Home [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for July 31

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for July 25-31.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House recessed last week and the Senate is still in session.   When Congress returns in September its top priority will be funding the federal government before the fiscal year ends on September 30, likely requiring a continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown.  Several major health care programs and extenders are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year, including Medicaid DSH allotments, telehealth flexibilities, the Acute Hospital Care at [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for July 24

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for July 18-24.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has released its AI action plan.  Winning the Race:  America’s AI Action Plan is a 28-page document that mentions health care only in passing but includes provisions that could potentially affect the health care industry.  Find the plan here. Congress The House has adjourned for recess and will return to Washington after Labor Day.  The Senate remains in session, expecting to recess next week.  When Congress returns [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for July 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 27 – July 3.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress/Budget Reconciliation After more than 36 hours of intense lobbying by the administration and House Republican leadership and an all-night legislative session that carried well into Thursday afternoon, the House approved the Senate-passed version of H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill, by a vote of 218-214.  Voting was almost entirely along party lines, with all House Democrats voting against it and just two Republicans – Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Thomas Massie [...]

Health Care Implications of Senate Reconciliation Bill

On Tuesday the Senate passed an FY 2026 budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The bill cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid spending and keeps most of the Medicaid provisions included in the version released by the Senate Finance Committee in mid-June.  The bill passed by the Senate creates a fund for rural providers of $50 billion over five years. The major Medicaid provisions in the bill include: A freeze on the size of Medicaid provider taxes, phased down reductions of current taxes toward a new, lower limit for many states, [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for June 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 13-19.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The Senate Finance Committee The Senate Finance Committee has released its portion of the FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill.  Major proposals include: A freeze on the size of Medicaid provider taxes, phased down reductions of current taxes toward a new, lower limit for many states, and new terms under which provider taxes can be approved. New limits on the use of Medicaid state directed payments so they eventually will not exceed 100 [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for May 22

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 16-22.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress:  Reconciliation Early Thursday morning the House of Representatives passed its version of an FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 215-214.  The bill underwent a number of changes during the hours before its passage and its health care provisions now include $800 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next ten years.  The Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill, mostly because of the Medicaid cuts, will lead to 8.6 million [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for May 15

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 9-15.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress:  Reconciliation House Energy and Commerce Committee Charged with finding $880 billion in federal spending cuts over the next ten years, the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week produced legislative language to be included in a House reconciliation bill that would achieve that objective.  The committee’s cost-cutting provisions include: Freezing state Medicaid provider taxes at their current level, prohibiting the establishment of new provider taxes, modifying the criteria CMS uses to determine [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for March 20

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 14-20.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has rescinded Executive Order 13994 of January 21, 2021, titled “Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats.”  In response to this action, CMS rescinded its November 22, 2022 memo “The Importance of Timely Use of COVID-19 Therapeutics,” the purpose of which, according the memo, was “…to highlight the importance of providing timely access to available COVID-19 therapeutics to patients who test positive [...]

If ACA Funding for Medicaid Expansion Were to be Cut…

When Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act in 2010 it offered states a powerful incentive to expand their criteria for Medicaid eligibility:  money to pay for most of that expansion. Under that law, the federal government pays 90 percent of the cost of providing Medicaid-covered services to individuals who became eligible for the program under the expanded criteria.  So far, 41 states and the District of Columbia have taken advantage of this enhanced funding and 11 million additional people have enrolled in the Medicaid program as a result. But what would happen if that enhanced federal Medical Assistance percentage – [...]

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