Latest news with #RickPollack
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Senate GOP take bigger swing at Medicaid in Trump agenda bill
Senate Republicans are taking a bigger swing at Medicaid in their version of legislation to fund President Trump's domestic policy agenda and extend his first-term tax cuts. According to text released by the Senate Finance Committee late Monday, the legislation seeks to clamp down on two tactics states use to boost Medicaid funding to providers: state-directed payments and Medicaid provider taxes. The legislation would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The cap would be phased in, by lowering it 0.5 percent annually, starting in 2027. Non-expansion states would be prohibited from imposing new taxes, but like the House-passed version, their rates would be frozen at current levels. The lower cap would not apply to nursing homes or intermediate care facilities. All states except Alaska finance part of the state share of Medicaid funding through at least one provider tax, according to health policy research group KFF. There are 47 states and the District of Columbia with at least 1 provider tax/fee over 3.5 percent. Limiting provider taxes is a long-held conservative goal, as they argue states are gaming the current system and driving up federal Medicaid spending. The policies are designed to inflate Medicaid spending on paper to allow states to receive more federal reimbursement dollars. States pay hospitals more, which drives up their Medicaid spending, so they receive higher federal reimbursement. The states tax providers, but the tax is less than what the government is reimbursing the state. So essentially, providers and states receive federal matching funds without spending their own money. The change in the Senate bill is sure to anger Republicans who were already expressing concerns about the impact of the freeze in the House-passed version. Provider taxes have become an important lifeline for hospitals, and rural hospitals would be hit hardest by the cuts. The Senate bill also cuts certain existing state-directed payments to hospitals, which would be a significant hit to the hospitals' bottom line. The House version in contrast limited future payments, but grandfathered existing arrangements. 'These harmful proposals will impact access to all patients who are served by our nation's hospitals and health systems. These cuts will strain emergency departments as they become the family doctor to millions of newly uninsured people. Finally, the proposal will force hospitals to reconsider services or potentially close, particularly in rural areas,' said Rick Pollack, CEO of the American Hospital Association. Like the House bill, the Senate legislation imposes work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries beginning at 19 years old. But the Senate version says adults with dependent children older than 14 will also have to prove they work, attend school or perform community service for 80 hours a month, while the House-passed version would exempt all adults with dependent children.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote
The Trump administration's budget reconciliation bill has passed the US House of Representatives by a wafer-thin single-vote majority. Passing the House by 215-214 votes and now set for a vote in the US Senate, observers warn that the bill, which the White House estimates will save the government around $900bn over the next decade, will have a profound impact on the US's Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programmes. The bill outlines changes to Medicaid, including new work requirements for claimants. Critics have warned that such changes could inadvertently kick qualified candidates off the programme due to increased administrative hurdles such as stricter eligibility checks and a ban on using Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for minors. Analysing policy options previously touted by Republicans to reduce Medicaid funding following the bill's release on 11 May, non-partisan think tank the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that it could cut the number of people eligible for coverage by around 8.6 million over the next decade and result in up to 13.7 million Americans losing their health insurance by 2034. Calling the Medicaid and health insurance marketplace provisions currently included in the bill 'harmful', American Hospital Association (AHA) president and CEO Rick Pollack said the 'sheer magnitude' of the level of reductions to the Medicaid programme alone will 'impact all patients, not just Medicaid beneficiaries, in every community across the nation'. 'Hospitals – especially in rural and underserved areas – will be forced to make difficult decisions about whether they will have to reduce services, reduce staff and potentially consider closing their doors,' Pollack said. 'Other impacts could include longer waiting times to receive care, more crowded emergency departments, and hospitals not being able to invest in technology and innovations for clinical care.' The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asserts that the bill will also have a disproportionate impact on healthcare for individuals with disabilities and block access to reproductive healthcare. ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer Deirdre Schifeling said: 'The bill asks poor and disabled Americans to pay more for medical care and imposes burdensome work requirements and bureaucratic paperwork designed to exclude people from the coverage they need. 'Let's call this what it is: taking Medicaid away from sick people and low-income families in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires and turbocharge deporting immigrants who have lived, worked, and raised their families here for years. 'The Senate must do its job, represent their constituents, and reject this upside-down world bill." Following the vote in the House, President Trump took to his social media network, Truth Social, writing: 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' has PASSED the House of Representatives! 'This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!' "Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote
The Trump administration's budget reconciliation bill has passed the US House of Representatives by a wafer-thin single-vote majority. Passing the House by 215-214 votes and now set for a vote in the US Senate, observers warn that the bill, which the White House estimates will save the government around $900bn over the next decade, will have a profound impact on the US's Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programmes. The bill outlines changes to Medicaid, including new work requirements for claimants. Critics have warned that such changes could inadvertently kick qualified candidates off the programme due to increased administrative hurdles such as stricter eligibility checks and a ban on using Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for minors. Analysing policy options previously touted by Republicans to reduce Medicaid funding following the bill's release on 11 May, non-partisan think tank the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that it could cut the number of people eligible for coverage by around 8.6 million over the next decade and result in up to 13.7 million Americans losing their health insurance by 2034. Calling the Medicaid and health insurance marketplace provisions currently included in the bill 'harmful', American Hospital Association (AHA) president and CEO Rick Pollack said the 'sheer magnitude' of the level of reductions to the Medicaid programme alone will 'impact all patients, not just Medicaid beneficiaries, in every community across the nation'. 'Hospitals – especially in rural and underserved areas – will be forced to make difficult decisions about whether they will have to reduce services, reduce staff and potentially consider closing their doors,' Pollack said. 'Other impacts could include longer waiting times to receive care, more crowded emergency departments, and hospitals not being able to invest in technology and innovations for clinical care.' The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asserts that the bill will also have a disproportionate impact on healthcare for individuals with disabilities and block access to reproductive healthcare. ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer Deirdre Schifeling said: 'The bill asks poor and disabled Americans to pay more for medical care and imposes burdensome work requirements and bureaucratic paperwork designed to exclude people from the coverage they need. 'Let's call this what it is: taking Medicaid away from sick people and low-income families in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires and turbocharge deporting immigrants who have lived, worked, and raised their families here for years. 'The Senate must do its job, represent their constituents, and reject this upside-down world bill." Following the vote in the House, President Trump took to his social media network, Truth Social, writing: 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' has PASSED the House of Representatives! 'This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!' "Medicaid on a spit after Republicans' budget bill passes House by single vote" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
