Bill to Fund Federal Agencies Through September Includes Key Healthcare Provisions

On March 11, the House of Representatives voted 217-213 to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Sept. 30, the American Hospital Association (AHA) reported. The bill also extends certain key healthcare provisions that are set to expire at the end of March.

AHA wrote that some of the healthcare provisions in the bill are:  

• Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Relief. The bill would eliminate the Medicaid DSH cuts through Sept. 30, 2025.   
• Medicare Rural Extenders. The bill would extend the enhanced low-volume adjustment program through Sept. 30, 2025, and the Medicare-dependent hospital program through Oct. 1, 2025.  
• Medicare Telehealth and Hospital-at-home Extensions. The bill would extend key telehealth waivers and the hospital-at-home program through Sept. 30, 2025. Our contributing senior editor, David Raths, explained more in an article on March 11.
• Extension of the Work Geographic Index Floor under the Medicare Program. The bill will extend a 1.0 floor on the work geographic practice cost index through Oct. 1, 2025.  
• Medicare Rural Ambulance. The bill will extend add-on payments for ambulance services through Oct. 1, 2025.

“The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare,” Kevin Freking with the Associated Press reported. “Funding for those two programs is on autopilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress.”

Current government funding is set to expire on March 14.