How the reconciliation bill will shake out for hospitals and the healthcare industry
Note: The opening section of this article was rewritten July 23 to account for an updated estimate by the Congressional Budget Office. Declines in coverage and spending await the healthcare industry under the budget reconciliation bill signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, but the immediate consequences could be muted. Since passage…
Reconciliation bill with substantial Medicaid cost-cutting is set to become law
Note: The headline and some information in this story were updated July 3 in response to events in Congress. July 3 update The House passed the reconciliation bill by a party-line 218-214 vote (with two Republicans voting “no”), teeing it up for President Donald Trump to sign into law July 4. See the original story…
Supreme Court retains the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to waive cost sharing for preventive care
The status quo prevailed Friday for coverage of preventive care under the Affordable Care Act, with the Supreme Court backing a mandate for preventive services to be cost-free if supported by an expert panel. With a 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood, the court overruled an appeals court’s finding that members of the U.S. Preventive…
Medicaid funding restrictions hit a roadblock in budget reconciliation bill
A Senate official put at least a temporary halt to one of the most contentious sources of Medicaid savings in the budget reconciliation bill. The chamber’s parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, ruled that provisions to reduce Medicaid provider taxes cannot be included in the bill in their current form. If Republicans retain the tax limits or other…
HFMA asks Congress to delay Medicaid cuts, study alternatives ahead of One Big Beautiful Bill vote
HFMA has written to Republican congressional leaders to suggest a three-year delay of Medicaid funding cuts while a national commission studies a comprehensive overhaul of Medicaid financing, in order to avoid immediate cuts and ensure a sustainable and predictable program for vulnerable populations.
Annual Conference Day 4: Expert panel discusses Medicaid and other crucial policy developments
Hospital leaders and healthcare policy analysts are keeping a wary eye on potentially large Medicaid funding cuts that could be imminent. As Congress decides what level of spending retrenchment to include in the budget reconciliation bill, hospital executives are left to anticipate just how big the impact will be. For Gordon Edwards, CFO of Akron’s…
Annual Conference Day 3: Some positives for the healthcare industry, but challenges and concerns abound
Amid the challenges of the present moment, it may seem hard to find reason for optimism. But some metrics and trends represent a solid foundation on which not-for-profit hospitals and health systems can brace themselves against the headwinds. “Of the key tenets we look for in the sector, volumes are back to pre-pandemic levels and…
Annual Conference Day 2: Medicaid, AI take center stage in presentations
On the list of concerns for hospital and health system CFOs, looming cuts to Medicaid payments are at or near the top, according to a panel discussion Monday afternoon at HFMA’s Annual Conference in Denver. Cuts to projected Medicaid spending, as drafted in the budget reconciliation bill now being discussed among congressional Republicans, would have…
Insurers promise to make prior authorization processes easier for all parties
In potentially a rare dose of good news for providers about prior authorization, the health insurance industry has volunteered to scale back the process and introduce new accommodations, according to an announcement Monday. As described by the insurance lobby and the Trump administration, which convened a meeting Monday at which a large segment of the…
HFMA Announces Kiran Batheja as National Chair
Denver (June 23, 2025) – The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) today during its annual conference inducted Kiran N. Batheja, FHFMA, into office as its National Chair, effective June 1, 2025.