Medicaid cuts

Federal Health Policy Update for May 8

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 2-8. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Reconciliation Over the past several days the political gravity surrounding Medicaid cuts has begun to shift slightly. Moderate Republicans have been pushing back more forcefully and more loudly against such cuts, with some saying they will not support more than work requirements and increased enforcement checks for eligibility. Opposition to most Medicaid cuts led the Energy and Commerce Committee to delay a markup of its reconciliation bill planned for this week to [...]

joe2025-05-08T16:50:48-04:00May 8, 2025|Accountable Care Organization, Alternative payment models, Congress, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for May 1

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for April 25 – May 1. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Reconciliation The House and Senate returned to Washington D.C. this week and House committees have begun marking up reconciliation legislation for submission to the House Budget Committee by May 9. The Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to seek nearly $550 billion in cuts to Medicaid spending and the most likely targets for cuts continue to be work requirements for Medicaid eligibility; more frequent review of Medicaid eligibility; reducing the federal [...]

joe2025-05-01T15:33:24-04:00May 1, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

States Scramble to Fill Potential Health Insurance Gap

With the clock ticking on the deadline for Congress to renew enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance, a number of states are looking for ways to compensate for the loss of that subsidy money and help some of their residents remain insured. California, Colorado, Maryland, and Washington are among the states looking in their pockets and underneath the sofa cushions in search for money to replace federal insurance premium subsidy money they fear will disappear at the end of 2025. They are doing so, moreover, at a time when Congress is looking hard at significant reductions in [...]

joe2025-04-10T17:11:40-04:00April 14, 2025|Affordable Care Act, Medicaid|

Filling an $880 Billion Medicaid Hole

With the House of Representatives proposing to set a target of reducing Medicaid spending by $880 billion over the next ten years, a reasonable question is “How would states do that?” In a new report, KFF, a non-profit health policy research, polling, and news organization, evaluates the options for how states might respond to such cuts. In its analysis, KFF evaluates how significantly $880 billion in Medicaid cuts might affect states’ budgets and then turns to the question of how states might offset those lost federal funds. Among the options it evaluates are: increasing taxes to raise some or all [...]

joe2025-04-03T16:48:24-04:00April 7, 2025|Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for March 27

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March 21-27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate need to pass a joint budget resolution as a first step before committees can begin writing legislation to pass under reconciliation. Each chamber has passed its own budget resolution and while the two are very different, congressional leaders have agreed to write a less prescriptive resolution that will permit each chamber’s committees to determine the level of spending and saving required and then will try to work out [...]

joe2025-03-27T17:03:07-04:00March 27, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for March 6

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for March February 28 – March 6. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The current continuing resolution funding the federal government expires on March 14. Leaders intend to propose a long-term continuing resolution through the end of the current federal fiscal year in September. The likelihood of success of that approach is uncertain. Separately, a number of health care extenders, including preventing cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH), an extension of telehealth flexibilities, an extension of the Acute Hospital Care [...]

joe2025-03-06T16:39:50-05:00March 6, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, health equity, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

What Will Happen With Medicaid?

Amid extensive budget discussions, deliberations, and debates and a strong desire among many in Congress to reduce federal spending, lawmakers still have not decided how much to cut one of their primary spending targets: Medicaid. Will the cuts be marginal or major? Adopted easily or narrowly? Implemented quickly or over time? The future of Medicaid and Medicaid spending has been widely chronicled in recent days. For a closer look at the stakes and what might occur in the coming days, see the following resources: KFF Health News: “Can Medicaid’s Popularity Shield It From the Budget Ax?” KFF Health News: “Medicaid [...]

joe2025-02-25T17:24:27-05:00February 26, 2025|Congress, Medicaid|

CBO Targets Health Care in Options for Reducing Deficit

Every year the Congressional Budget Office publishes a menu of options for reducing federal spending and the federal budget deficit. As in the past, this year’s compendium includes a number of options to reduce federal health care spending and raises federal revenue through health care initiatives. The cost-cutting options include: establish caps on federal spending for Medicaid limit states’ taxes on health care providers reduce federal Medicaid matching rates change the cost-sharing rules for Medicare and restrict Medigap insurance raise the age of eligibility for Medicare to 67 reduce Medicare’s coverage of bad debt consolidate and reduce federal payments for [...]

iqtsupport2018-12-18T09:34:31-05:00December 18, 2018|deficit reduction, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare bad debt reimbursement, Medicare cuts, Medicare reimbursement policy|

House to Set Sights on Medicare, Medicaid Cuts in 2018

The House of Representatives will pursue entitlement spending cuts next year, House Speaker Paul Ryan recently explained on a radio program. That means Medicare, Medicaid, and possibly even Social Security. Ryan said that We're going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform, which is how you tackle the debt and the deficit... Frankly, it's the health care entitlements that are the big drivers of our debt, so we spend more time on the health care entitlements — because that's really where the problem lies, fiscally speaking. Learn more about Ryan’s remarks, the administration’s priorities, and what other members of Congress are saying [...]

iqtsupport2017-12-14T06:00:11-05:00December 14, 2017|Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare cuts|