In the wake of the agreement between the White House and congressional leaders on a two-year budget deal and an increase in the federal debt ceiling, the National Association of Urban Hospitals has written to Congress asking members not to pay for the agreement with reductions in Medicare payments to hospitals.

As part of the agreement, negotiators agreed to raise federal spending $80 billion over the next two years. That spending increase will almost certainly need to be offset with corresponding spending cuts, and amid reports that Medicare cuts will be among those reductions, NAUH has asked members of Congress not to reduce Medicare payments to the nation’s private safety-net hospitals.

See NAUH’s message to members of Congress here.