Medicaid DSH allotments

Federal Health Policy Update for February 29

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for February 23-29.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress This afternoon the House passed H.R. 7463, which changed the dates for the March 1 and March 8 funding deadlines to March 8 and March 22 and includes no new health care policies.  Health care extenders included in the current continuing resolution, including the delay to Medicaid DSH cuts, are not included in the bill that passed the House; the March 8 expiration date still applies to those extenders. The new continuing [...]

Medicaid DSH Cut In, Medicare Site-Neutral Payments Out of Health Bill?

With Congress at a stalemate on spending legislation, lawmakers are considering a narrower scope of issues to address in near-term health care legislation. According to published reports, scheduled cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share allotments to states (Medicaid DSH), already delayed several times, could be delayed once again. In addition, a proposal to require Medicare to pay for outpatient services on a site-neutral basis, rather than paying higher rates to hospital-based outpatient departments higher rates, might not be included. Also under consideration:  restoring some cuts in Medicare’s payments to physicians and additional funding for community health centers. Also in jeopardy at [...]

Congress Spares Medicaid DSH Cut – for Now

An oft-delayed cut in Medicaid disproportionate share allotments to states was delayed once again in the latest temporary spending bill passed by Congress last week. The stopgap spending bill, which runs until March 8, delays an $8 billion a year cut in Medicaid DSH payments that was part of the Affordable Care Act and has been put off by Congress on numerous occasions ever since. The reduction was envisioned as an appropriate move in anticipation of a significant increase in uninsured Americans after the 2010 reform law’s passage.  While that increase has occurred, many hospitals continue to care for significant [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for December 20

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government December 14-20.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House is in recess until January 9.  The Senate has delayed its recess to continue negotiations on a possible foreign aid and border policy deal. Democrats from the House Ways and Means Committee have published a report on the relationship between the U.S. health care system and climate change.  View their report “Health Care and the Climate Crisis:  Preparing America’s Health Care Infrastructure.” No Surprises Act The federal government has reopened the [...]

MACPAC Meets

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met for two days last week in Washington, D.C. The following is MACPAC’s own summary of the meeting. MACPAC’s December 2023 meeting opened with a session that highlighted findings related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection as part of the Commission’s focus on the collection of primary language and limited English proficiency, SOGI, and disability data for the purposes of assessing and addressing health disparities. During this discussion, we reviewed the purpose of SOGI data and federal and state priorities for collecting these data, which includes an overview of [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for December 7

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 1-7.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress While Congress has more than a month before the next federal funding deadline of January 19, committees are working to prepare and pass health care legislation. On the House calendar for floor votes next week is H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act.  This bill would eliminate the pending cuts to Medicaid DSH for two years (those cuts are temporarily suspended through January 19); introduce site-neutral payments for drug administration services [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for November 16

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 10-16.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress This week Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond Friday, when the current CR expires.  This bill establishes two separate deadlines for lawmakers to pass certain spending bills so they can avoid an omnibus bill that includes all 12 appropriations bills.  Congress must pass four of the spending bills by January 19 and the other bills by February 2.  The Labor, HHS, and Education bill, one of [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for October 26

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 20-26.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress More than three weeks after House Republicans voted Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) out of the speaker’s office, the House has elected Rep. Mike Johnson (LA) to the position.  Speaker Johnson is a social conservative and has pushed for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, including plans to roll back Medicaid expansion in 2019. The Speaker has said he intends for the House to take up as many FY 2024 spending bills as possible [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for October 19

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 13-19.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress At this moment there is still no Speaker of the House of Representatives.  After 20 and then 22 House Republicans voted against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Mr. Jordan has joined others, including senior Democrats, in supporting a plan to expand the powers of the temporary speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC).  Mr. Jordan remains the speaker designee, an option that will enable him to continue to seek [...]

Federal Health Policy Update for October 5

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 29 to October 5.  Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Last Saturday, Congress passed a 45-day continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through November 17.  Part of that limited CR includes a delay of the scheduled $8 billion cut to Medicaid DSH allotments to states through the end of the CR.  The bill also extends funding for community health centers and the National Health Services Corps for the same length of time. Congress will have to act [...]

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