At two Senate hearings, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra presented the Biden administration's health care budget. In a joint statement, America's Essential Hospitals and other organizations raised concerns about a new alliance between drug companies and community health centers.

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.

Our proposal would codify a designation of essential hospitals in statute, allowing lawmakers to better target support to improve access to care and public health.

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.

In a new podcast series by a physician at association member NYC Health + Hospitals, Beth Feldpush, DrPH, the association's senior vice president of policy and advocacy, unpacks the complex patchwork of payments that keep essential hospitals afloat. 

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.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) last week determined party representation ratios for the committees on Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, and Ways and Means.

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.

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.

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.

In a new Forefront commentary, the association's current, immediate past, and incoming board chairs say essential hospitals’ indispensable role, unique characteristics, and financial fragility argue for recognizing them as a distinct class in public health and policymaking.

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 Biden administration encourages organizations to commit to working toward its goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.

Lawmakers are working to balance Democrats' calls for more COVID-19 and Monkeypox funding under a continuing resolution with Republicans' demands for a "clean" bill to fund the government through the November midterm elections.

Lawmakers return to their states and districts for August recess following last week's passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill includes provisions of note for essential hospitals, including those to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and fight climate change.