WEEKLY UPDATE: 03/13/25
On Tuesday, March 11, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217-213 to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through September. The six-month funding bill that prevents a government shutdown at the end of this week also extends certain key healthcare provisions set to expire at the end of March. Current government funding is set to expire on Friday, March 14.
The stopgap measure maintains telehealth and hospital-at-home authorities under Medicare and extends the enhanced low-volume adjustment (LVA) program and Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) programs, among other provisions.
The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) supports these extensions, which are critical to preserving patient access to care. Telehealth uses technology to connect patients to a wide variety of vital healthcare services and enables access to primary care physicians, specialists, and a variety of other providers. Hospital-at-home programs are an innovative way to enhance access and enable patients to receive care in the comfort of their homes. The MDH and LVA programs provide rural, geographically isolated, and low-volume hospitals with critical financial assistance to ensure rural residents continue to have access to care.
CHA continues to advocate for federal protections to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and urge Connecticut’s congressional delegation to reject proposals that would jeopardize healthcare accessibility and affordability and negatively impact hospitals and health systems.
The legislation now heads to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.
Click here to learn more about CHA’s federal advocacy priorities.
