As the Senate considers the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) of 2017, America’s Essential Hospitals and its more than 300 members urge lawmakers to protect low-income and other Americans who face financial challenges—and the hospitals on which they rely.

The brief projects Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment reductions under the Affordable Care Act and the House-passed American Health Care Act.

A white paper calls for a stop to impending cuts to Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments and recommends modernizing existing DSH policy.

Three new amendments garnered enough Republican support to pass the bill in a 217-213 vote; CBO has not scored the bill since the amendments were added.

Your members of Congress are back in their home districts through April 24, giving you an ideal opportunity to make your views known.

CMS finalizes the agency's interpretation that, in determining hospital-specific DSH payment limits, the total costs of care for Medicaid inpatient and outpatient services must account for all third-party payments.

House GOP leadership pulled the bill due to inadequate support; the association now resumes its focus on other hospital-related issues, including DSH cuts.

MACPAC's March report includes analysis on Medicaid DSH and impacts of the ACA on hospitals, as well as recommendations for the future of CHIP.

The American Health Care Act offers some relief for the safety net, but the association remains deeply concerned about substantial changes to Medicaid.

According to reports, draft House reconciliation legislation would cut Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments starting Oct. 1 and impose per-capita caps on Medicaid funding, resulting in devastating losses for essential hospitals.

A memo instructs all executive departments and agencies to temporarily halt pending regulations until incoming department or agency heads can review them.

MACPAC's recommendation is part of a larger package of suggestions meant to improve coverage for children in low- and moderate-income families.

The letter was signed by America's Essential Hospital and 20 other national organizations.

The notice contains state-specific, final FY 2014 disproportionate share hospital allotments, without reductions that would have been imposed under the ACA.

Without Medicaid DSH payments, our members would have suffered a 6.21 percent loss in 2014. Congress should postpone DSH cuts until at least FY 2020.

Aggregate data collected by the association will help inform advocacy on disproportionate share hospital payments and other funding support.

The law also delays Medicaid DSH payment cuts for an additional year - until fiscal year 2018 - and extends CHIP funding for two years.

The Senate will vote on the SGR measure after a two-week recess. Both chambers also passed budget legislation before adjourning.

DSH cuts would be eliminated in FY 2017, and DSH would be "rebased," extending cuts by one year, to 2025.

Contact your lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees to underscore the critical need for the 340B program. An update on the SGR package will be provided as more information is available.