On the Hill: House Passes Government Funding Package

The partial government shutdown was short-lived as the House voted on and passed this afternoon a massive spending package funding critical departments such as the Pentagon, State, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and others until Sept. 30. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security will be extended until Feb. 13 while the White House and Democrats try to work out a deal - if possible - on new restrictions for ICE and CBP.

The government funding package passed by a vote of 217 to 214. President Trump is expected to quickly sign the package into law. The health care extenders in the package include a two-year elimination of the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts until FY 2028, leaving only one year ($8B) of cuts left. It also includes a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth program flexibilities, through Dec. 31, 2027, and extends the Acute Hospital-at-Home waiver for five years through Sept. 30, 2030. There is also a fix to a Medicaid duals shortfall issue, known as "Section 203", that the association has been advocating for. However, we are disappointed with the inclusion of requirements for separate identification numbers and attestations for off-campus outpatient departments, and the administrative burden this will impose on essential hospitals.

Committee Activity This Week 

The House is in session Monday through Thursday, and the Senate will be in session Monday through Friday.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a full committee hearing on "Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures" on Tuesday, Feb. 3^rd at 10:00 AM ET

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