Medicaid provider taxes

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|

Are Medicaid Provider Taxes, State-Directed Payments in Play?

Even as the House Energy and Commerce Committee contemplates how it will reach its assigned target of $880 billion in spending cuts mostly through Medicaid cuts, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may be following a similar course by targeting two potential changes that Congress is already thought to be considering: changes in policies governing Medicaid provider taxes and state-directed Medicaid payments. Recently, CMS filed a proposed regulation titled “Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations – Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Speculation centers on whether this proposed policy [...]

joe2025-04-24T15:54:20-04:00April 28, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations|

Federal Health Policy Update for April 24

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for April 18-24. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are in recess until April 28. Upon their return to Washington D.C., committees will begin marking up reconciliation legislation for submission to their respective chambers’ budget committees by May 9. The Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to mark up its bill, with $880 billion in cuts, the week of May 5. The committee is expected to seek nearly $550 billion in cuts to Medicaid spending, with the [...]

joe2025-04-24T14:45:26-04:00April 24, 2025|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Hospitals Chart 2025 Public Policy Objectives

The hospital industry has an ambitious public policy agenda for 2025 – most of it involving defending the status quo against proposed changes. Hospitals’ advocacy in 2025 will focus on: Fighting off Medicaid cuts, work requirements, reductions in the federal Medicaid matching rate, eliminating scheduled cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments to the states, and protecting state-directed Medicaid payments and the ability of states to raise Medicaid funding through provider taxes. Preventing a transition to site-neutral payments for Medicare-covered outpatient services. Ensuring the continuation of current section 340B prescription drug discount program practices. Preserving and even extending current [...]

joe2025-02-12T11:11:23-05:00February 13, 2025|340b, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for January 16

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for January 11-17. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress House Budget Committee Republican members of the House Budget Committee have circulated a list of possible policy changes that would reduce federal spending by between $5.3 trillion and $5.7 trillion over a period of ten years. Up to $3.4 trillion of those possible cuts could include reductions in federal health care spending. The health care cuts the document lists (all figures are ten-year reductions) are: Medicare introducing Medicare site-neutral outpatient payments - [...]

House Committee Mulls Possible Health Care Cuts

Republican members of the House Budget Committee have circulated a list of possible policy changes that would reduce federal spending between $5.3 trillion and $5.7 trillion over a period of ten years. Up to $3.4 trillion of those possible cuts could include reductions in federal health care spending. The health care cuts the document lists (all figures are ten-year reductions) are: Medicare introducing Medicare site-neutral outpatient payments - $146 billion reducing Medicare disproportionate share (Medicare DSH) uncompensated care payments - $229 billion reducing Medicare bad debt reimbursement - $42 billion extending the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 budget sequestration that [...]

joe2025-01-14T15:44:54-05:00January 15, 2025|Affordable Care Act, Congress, deficit reduction, Federal Update, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare bad debt reimbursement, Medicare cuts, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare reimbursement policy, Pennsylvania Update|

Federal Health Policy Update for February 23

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for February 17-23. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has issued an informational bulletin to states reiterating certain federal requirements that pertain to health care-related taxes. Recently, CMS became aware that some health care-related tax programs appear to involve agreements among providers to redistribute their Medicaid payments to hold taxpayers harmless for the cost of the tax. The bulletin reminds states that such arrangements are prohibited. Find the CMS bulletin here. CMS has posted a [...]

iqtsupport2023-02-23T15:53:32-05:00February 23, 2023|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Alternative payment models, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicare, Telehealth|

GAO: CMS Should Pay More Attention to States’ Financing of Medicaid

The federal government does not adequately monitor how states finance their Medicaid programs. It also lacks a sufficiently clear understanding of how they pay providers of Medicaid-covered services. These are among the conclusions in a new study on Medicaid financing and payments by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. According to the GAO report, GAO estimated that states’ reliance on provider taxes and local government funds decreased states’ share of net Medicaid payments (total state and federal payments) and effectively increased the federal share of net Medicaid payments by 5 percentage points in state fiscal year 2018. It also resulted in [...]

iqtsupport2020-12-14T06:00:57-05:00December 14, 2020|Medicaid|

Senate Finance Committee Reports on Supplemental Medicaid Payments

The majority members of the Senate Finance Committee have published a report on supplemental Medicaid payments. According to the new document, This report seeks to increase educational understanding of Medicaid supplemental payments, as well as outline the reporting mechanisms for these payments to ensure adequate stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The report consists of descriptions of the different types of supplemental Medicaid payments that states make to some providers, including: Medicaid disproportionate share payments (Medicaid DSH) non-DSH payments upper-payment limit payments (UPL payments) demonstration supplemental payments medical education payments It also describes the magnitude of these payments, noting that supplemental Medicaid [...]

iqtsupport2019-05-03T06:00:54-04:00May 3, 2019|Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid upper-payment limit|