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.
HFMA Submits Closing Recommendations to Mitigate Effects and Unintended Consequences of Largest Reform to Federal Medicaid in Program History
HFMA submits closing recommendations to mitigate certain effects and unintended consequences of the largest reform to federal Medicaid in program history to Senate Leader Thune and House Speaker Johnson.
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…
CMS finalizes the program integrity rule for the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces
CMS formally implemented an Affordable Care Act marketplace rule that is expected to reduce plan enrollment in the name of program integrity, but the agency took steps to try to mitigate the long-term impact. Unlike in the earlier proposed rule, the final rule allows some of the new restrictions on enrollment to sunset after 2026.…
Part A hospital spending is helping to accelerate Medicare insolvency, trustees say
The costs of hospital inpatient care are a key driver in forecasts that the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund will run out of money within eight years. As described in the latest annual report of the Medicare trustees, the projection of a 2033 insolvency date represents a three-year acceleration from last year’s estimate. Changes…
HFMA Comments on Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) RFI
HFMA submits recommendations pertaining to the Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information.
Health systems say the budget reconciliation bill is bad news for patients and hospitals
Even before a Senate committee produced legislative text that would increase the Medicaid cuts in the budget reconciliation bill, hospitals were preparing to amplify their opposition to the bill. The changes wrought by the Senate are likely to make the matter more urgent for hospitals that could be exposed to potentially significant revenue declines. After…