Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital cuts are delayed for the duration of a continuing resolution passed by Congress to fund the government through Nov. 17, according to the American Hospital Association.
The funding cuts, part of the Affordable Care Act, were set to begin Oct. 1. Funding would be cut by $8 billion in fiscal years 2024 through 2027 — a $32 billion reduction total.
Hospitals are pushing Congress to halt the reduction. In a Sept. 14 letter signed by more than 250 hospitals and health systems, America's Essential Hospitals said the need for DSH funding is even greater now as hospital expenses per patient have increased significantly since the pandemic.
The continuing resolution also extended authorizations for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education, according to the AHA.