Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was re-elected as Speaker of the House on Jan. 3 as the 119th Congress convened for the first time.
This week, Congress oversaw a peaceful transfer of power as they certified, without melodrama, President-elect Donald Trump’s November election win.
Final 2024 Funding Package
As 2024 came to a close, Congress faced a tight deadline to finalize a federal appropriations package. Ultimately, lawmakers passed a government funding package extending through March 14 that includes several key provisions impacting essential hospitals:
- Scheduled Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cuts were delayed through April 1.
- Extensions for telehealth and hospital-at-home services were extended until March 31.
- Site-neutral payment provisions were successfully averted.
- Member interests surrounding the 340B Drug Pricing Program were safeguarded as controversial proposals, such as burdensome reporting requirements for covered entities and weakening definitions of “patient” and “child site,” were not included.
Although Congress did not fully eliminate Medicaid DSH cuts and failed to extend the telehealth and hospital-at-home programs for longer periods, America’s Essential Hospitals played a pivotal role in advocating for these priorities, ensuring critical programs and protections for communities facing barriers were maintained in the short term. Our advocacy will continue leading up to the March deadline to ensure that any expiring priorities are carried over into the long-term package.
Committee Activity This Week
The House and Senate are in session Monday through Thursday this week, with the latter also convening on Friday.
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