CAH Cuts Help Fund New Medicare Deal

The House Ways and Means Committee struck a bipartisan deal last week to extend certain Medicare programs, an agreement likely to be included in a massive, end-of-the-year bill. The health extender package is expected to be part of legislation to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program, which in turn is expected to be part of a year-end omnibus bill. There are differences between the House and Senate extenders legislation. Unlike the House bill, the Senate's home health rural add-on is not a straight extension, and the low-volume Medicare hospital extender also differs slightly. To pay for extending these Medicare programs, the deal includes modifications to home health agency payments and payment reductions for critical access hospital swing beds. Click here for the outline of the deal in the House. The CAH Coalition is leading a letter to lawmakers urging that the legislation drop the cuts to CAHs. Click here for more on the CAH Coalition.