Congress is bickering over health care again as they race toward a March 23 deadline to pass a government spending bill and avoid another government shutdown. The final budget may include funding for reinsurance and cost-sharing reductions intended to stabilize the individual insurance market. Negotiations continue with mixed messages from the White House, Republicans pushing...Continue reading→

As the weeks pass, fewer bills continue through the legislative process and budget proposals garner increased attention. A recent uplifting revenue forecast provides budget writers an additional $647 million to work with. In our new legislative update, we follow the progress of health care access legislation still alive as we near the deadline for bills...Continue reading→

The Trump Administration’s FY19 budget proposal was released last week and unsurprisingly includes significant health care threats. Most notably, the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid block grants – similar to (but with a lower inflation index than) the Graham-Cassidy proposal from last fall. Additional Medicaid proposals include asset tests, denying...Continue reading→

Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would threaten the ability of disabled persons to sue for discrimination. Disability and civil rights advocates fear HR 620 weakens incentives for businesses to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, “Notice and cure” requires the...Continue reading→

In December, it was widely reported that the Administration had instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) not to use seven words. It was later reported to be mischaracterization and that they were only instructed not to use them in budget documents to protect against political ideologies. The National Health Law Program’s Executive...Continue reading→