Federal Health Policy Update for July 3
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 27 – July 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress/Budget Reconciliation After more than 36 hours of intense lobbying [...]
Health Care Implications of Senate Reconciliation Bill
On Tuesday the Senate passed an FY 2026 budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The bill cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid spending and keeps most of the Medicaid provisions included [...]
CMS Introduces First Prior Authorization Program for Traditional Medicare
Some Medicare-covered services will be subject to prior authorization in some parts of the country under a new model to be launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services next year. To run from 2026 through 2031, the “Wasteful [...]
State Spending on Medicaid Rising – Fast
The states are experiencing almost unprecedented increases in their Medicaid spending – both more money and a larger share of their overall state budgets. According to a new Pew Research Center report, In fiscal year 2023, the combination of expiring [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for June 26
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 20-26. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Senate Majority Leader Thune and House Speaker Johnson continue to press for [...]
The Potential Impact of the Senate’s Proposed Medicaid Cuts
After the House passed its FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill the Senate took up its own bill, with the Senate Finance Committee proposing more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts through a combination of reduced future Medicaid provider taxes, new [...]
ASH Warns Senate Leadership About Proposed Medicaid Cuts
The Medicaid cuts called for in the Senate’s proposed reconciliation legislation would “…reduce the number of Americans with health care coverage by the millions and bottom-out the resources that safety-net hospitals need to keep the doors open to serve their [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for June 19
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 13-19. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The Senate Finance Committee The Senate Finance Committee has released its portion [...]
ASH Criticizes Senate Finance Committee’s Medicaid Proposals
“....the Senate reconciliation bill would have profoundly damaging consequences to the pursuit of making America healthy,” the Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals has declared in a message it sent to members of Congress. ASH’s warning comes in response to the major [...]
Federal Health Policy Update for June 12
The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for June 6-12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Republican senators continue to work on their version of a reconciliation bill [...]
