A bipartisan group of House members sent a letter to the House speaker and Democratic leader urging them to avert an $8 billion cut to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments on Oct. 1. America's Essential Hospitals helped build momentum for the letter signing campaign.

America's Essential Hospitals calls on Senate leaders to reject a House proposal to impose work requirements for Medicaid as part of negotiations to raise the nation's debt limit, saying the plan would jeopardize access to care and harm communities.

House panels last week heard testimony on a variety of issues important to essential hospitals, including looming cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding, workforce shortages and training, and the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Responding to association advocacy, four House lawmakers introduced legislation to eliminate $16 billion in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cuts in fiscal years 2024 and 2025. In a statement, America's Essential Hospitals called on all House members to support the bill.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will hear testimony on legislation to address the nation's health care workforce shortage. Meanwhile, two House lawmakers circulate a sign-on letter to build support for a bill to bolster physician training.

The bipartisan PROTECT 340B Act would prohibit discriminatory practices by insurers and pharmacy benefit managers against 340B Drug Pricing Program providers and their contract pharmacies.

America's Essential Hospitals has responded to a request for information (RFI) on health care workforce shortages by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The association also plans to respond to an RFI on reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.

America's Essential Hospitals and other groups, in a letter to congressional leaders, urge lawmakers to avert an $8 billion cut Oct. 1 to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding. President Biden's proposed budget includes measures to protect Medicare.

Key health committees in the House and Senate issue requests for information — one on reauthorizing the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act and another to examine health care workforce shortages.

More than 70 Policy Assembly attendees visited congressional offices to share association priorities, including eliminating $16 billion in Medicaid DSH cuts over the next two fiscal years, protecting the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and establishing a federal designation for essential hospitals.

The association's 11-page letter to congressional leaders calls for action to avert Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts, support the health care workforce, and establish a federal designation for essential hospitals, among other policy priorities.

The president vowed to veto attempts to roll back Inflation Reduction Act measures to reduce prescription drug prices. He also voiced his plan to make permanent pandemic-related increases to Affordable Care Act premium subsidies.

The Senate announced rosters for the Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committees, as well as for the Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Health Care. HELP Committee Chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) signaled his intention to act on prescription drug prices.

House leaders fill seats on committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over health care issues of particular importance to essential hospitals and their patients.

House and Senate lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill this week to find regular legislative business overshadowed by a growing partisan debate about the nation's debt limit and spending on Medicare, Social Security, and other federal programs.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is elected speaker on the 15th vote after a dramatic and, at times, chaotic week in the House. America's Essential Hospitals pursues essential hospital designation on Capitol Hill.

Senators were sworn in Jan. 3, but as of midday, Jan. 4, the House remained deadlocked over a vote for speaker and cannot swear in new members or conduct committee business until the stalemate is resolved.

The bill includes funding to bolster the health care workforce and extends flexible telehealth policies, including the hospital at home waiver.

With no agreement on an omnibus, House majority leaders will introduce a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Dec. 23.

Lawmakers rush to complete work on the National Defense Authorization Act and a fiscal year 2023 funding package before the end of the 117th Congress. 

Lawmakers continue work a permanent solution to fund the federal government in fiscal year 2023. Six senators release a request for information on ways to improve care and care coordination for dually eligible beneficiaries.

Republicans are expected to take the majority in the House, although by a much slimmer margin than previously predicted. Democrats, meanwhile, will retain their Senate majority and might build on it with a runoff election in Georgia.

Following the midterm elections, the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference will elect party leadership for the 118th Congress.

The document is the latest in a series addressing mental health policy challenges and focuses on increased integration, coordination, and access to care. A fifth and final document could be released in coming weeks.

With the 2022 midterm elections two weeks away, congressional lawmakers have started the sprint toward Election Day. Must-do items, including legislation to fund the federal government, will keep them busy in the post-election period.

The Biden administration extended the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) through Jan. 11, 2023, and would notify providers by Nov. 11 of ending the PHE after that date. The decision extends PHE-related waivers and policies.

A new commentary in Health Affairs Forefront argues for creating a federal designation for essential hospitals to ensure they receive the support needed to meet their safety net mission. Also, the association publishes its annual member characteristics report, Essential Data 2022.

On Sept. 30, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed legislation to fund the federal government through Dec. 16. The legislation also continues several federal health programs through that same date and extends U.S. Food and Drug Administration user fees for five years.

Bipartisan legislation to fund the government through mid-December saw progress with a deal to reauthorize FDA user fee programs, but obstacles remain to a final bill before the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year.

Congressional negotiators are holding closely the details of talks on short-term legislation expected to extend government funding through mid-December and avert a shutdown at midnight, Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

The $1.9 trillion package temporarily increases Medicaid disproportionate share hospital allotments to ensure essential hospitals receive the same level of payments as they would have expected absent the pandemic. The package returns to the House for a final vote, expected as early as Tuesday.