Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Stakes Are Sky High For Hospitals, Which Could Be Particularly Hard-Hit By New Health Bill
Hospitals could face a huge financial hit from the Medicaid overhaul as they grapple with lost payments and reduced volume. Republicans would freeze the expansion in 2020 (11 million people have gained Medicaid coverage under Obamacare) and impose block grants, or per capita limits in state funding, by 2020...The GOP replacement could also expose hospitals to greater financial risk from patients who buy insurance in the individual insurance market. The proposal would replace the current subsidy program by 2020 with age-based tax credits. Robert Huckman, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, said the change would broaden financial assistance across the income scale, but provide less assistance per person than Obamacare to the people most in need. (Ross, 3/7)
The long-awaited House Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act will hurt low-income consumers who rely on federal subsidies or Medicaid for their coverage, as well as the hospitals who are required聽to treat them whether or not they are insured, health care experts say. It's harder to find the winners under the new聽bill, a joint effort by House Republicans including Speaker Paul Ryan. (O'Donnell, 3/7)
The American Hospital Association聽announced Tuesday its opposition to the GOP's healthcare reform plan.聽The hospital association is the first health industry group to expressly come out against the legislation, dubbed the American Health Care Act, which House GOP leadership unveiled聽on Monday. (Wilson, 3/7)
