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Key Takeaways from CMS's Rural Health Funding Announcement | KFF

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · 13d

States will receive more from the $50 billion rural health fund if they adopt certain Make America Health Again (MAHA) policies. This and more from a new KFF brief examining CMS's recent funding announcement:
www.kff.org/other-health...

This brief describes five key takeaways from CMS's Notice of Funding Opportunity for the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. It includes information about how CMS intends to review state ...

Key Takeaways from CMS's Rural Health Funding Announcement | KFF

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · 14d

New KFF brief examines CMS's recent rural health fund announcement. While the $50B fund could help rural areas in a number of ways, it's unclear the extent to which it will benefit rural hospitals and offset their losses under the reconciliation law. More from the brief: www.kff.org/other-health...

This brief describes five key takeaways from CMS's Notice of Funding Opportunity for the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. It includes information about how CMS intends to review state ...

Five Things to Know About Medicare Site-Neutral Payment Reforms | KFF

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · 24d

With today's announcement, it still remains to be seen how much of the $50 billion rural health fund will go to hospitals. According to CMS, payments to providers for care "cannot exceed 15% of the total" though other uses, like capital investments, could also benefit hospitals.

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Reposted by Zach Levinson

Scott Hulver @scotthulver.bsky.social · Jul 15

CMS just released its 2026 proposed rule for hospital outpatient payments. Among its proposals: lowering reimbursement for drug administration services at hospitals to the physician reimbursement rate.

Check out our brief to learn more about site neutral policies. www.kff.org/medicare/iss...

This brief examines key facts around proposals to align Medicare payments for outpatient services across care settings, otherwise known as “site-neutral payment reforms.”

How Might the Reconciliation Bill’s Medicaid Cuts Affect Rural Areas? | KFF

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

As well as the implications of the reconciliation bill for spending and coverage, including in rural areas (7/7):
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
www.kff.org/affordable-c...
www.kff.org/policy-watch...

This analysis estimates that the House-passed reconciliation bill could lead Medicaid spending in rural areas to decrease by $119 billion and a 1.5 million drop in enrollment over 10 years.

What are the Implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill for Hospitals? | KFF

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

Recent work from KFF provides a deeper dive on rural hospitals, Medicaid and hospitals, and the implications of the reconciliation bill (6/7):
www.kff.org/health-costs...
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill that includes significant reductions in federal Medicaid spending to help offset the cost of tax cuts, along with...

The Implications of Federal SNAP Spending Cuts on Individuals with Medicaid, Medicare and Other Health Coverage | KFF

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

While the fund could help prop up rural hospitals, it doesn't address concerns about the millions of individuals who could lose Medicaid or ACA Marketplace coverage in rural and other areas, many of whom would also be at risk of losing SNAP benefits (5/7)
www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

Proposed changes in eligibility rules in both SNAP and Medicaid may jeopardize some people’s access to both adequate food and health care if various provisions of the bill take effect, in part because...

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

Urban hospitals that serve a large share of Medicaid patients have been left out of the conversation and without support from the fund, though many are already in the red. These hospitals could also have a hard time absorbing any losses under the bill (4/7)

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

The relief for hospitals and other providers would also be temporary, while major Medicaid and ACA cuts would be permanent (3/7).

Medicaid Covers at Least One in Five Hospital Inpatient Days in Nearly Every State | KFF

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

It's unclear:
* How much of this fund would be used for hospitals,
* Which hospitals would be targeted, and
* Whether the fund would be enough to offset any losses for hospitals and other providers under the bill. (2/7).

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Jun 27

One of the biggest flashpoints for the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" has been its impact on roughly 1800 rural hospitals, which is why Senate Republicans are proposing a new $15 billion rural health fund. However, there are still questions and concerns about the bill 👇 (1/7)

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · May 5

A new @KFF analysis finds that Medicaid covers at least one in five hospital inpatient days in nearly every state as Congress considers potential cuts to the program. The data illustrate the importance of Medicaid to hospitals. www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

This analysis examines the share of inpatient hospital days that are covered by Medicaid nationally and by state at a time when Congress is considering potential cuts to the program. It finds that Med...

5 Key Facts About Medicaid and Hospitals | KFF

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Reposted by Zach Levinson

Larry Levitt @larrylevitt.bsky.social · Apr 16

New: New: Many rural hospitals are struggling. But, less so in states that have expanded Medicaid under the ACA.

www.kff.org/health-costs...

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Reposted by Zach Levinson

Robin Rudowitz @robinr.bsky.social · Mar 5

Federal cuts to #Medicaid could have implications for hospitals - check out new brief: www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

We explain the role of Medicaid for hospitals, including how much spending on hospital care comes from Medicaid, the share of births covered by the program, and how Medicaid expansion has impacted hos...

Hospital Margins Rebounded in 2023, But Rural Hospitals and Those With High Medicaid Shares Were Struggling More Than Others | KFF

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Reposted by Zach Levinson

Larry Levitt @larrylevitt.bsky.social · Mar 5

Medicaid covers about one-fifth of all hospital spending. There's a hospital in pretty much every Congressional district, and it's often one of the biggest employers.

www.kff.org/medicaid/iss...

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

Evaluating options to reduce spending on hospital services will require weighing the benefits of cost savings with the possibility of reduced access to care, with effects that could vary widely across hospitals and across the country. Link to full report: www.kff.org/health-costs...

This data note examines trends in hospital margins from 2018 through 2023 and how operating margins varied across different types of hospitals in 2023. It shows the industry overall experienced a rebo...

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Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

Operating margins varied across states, which could reflect a variety of unique circumstances facing hospitals across the country, such as demographics, hospital ownership and cost structure, commercial reimbursement rates, and state and local health and tax policy.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

Policymakers have explored options to rein in commercial prices. This analysis suggests that hospitals with the highest prices and largest commercial shares as a group are in a better position to absorb restraints on prices, though the impact would vary across hospitals.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

Operating margins were also higher than average among hospitals with high prices, especially among those that also had high commercial shares.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

In contrast to rural and high Medicaid share hospitals, operating margins were higher than average among hospitals with a relatively large share of commercial patients, system-affiliated hospitals, and (especially) for-profit hospitals.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

Operating margins were lower than average among rural hospitals and hospitals with a relatively large share of Medicaid patients.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

However, some hospitals struggled more than others in 2023, with about two in five (39%) having negative operating margins.

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

We evaluated hospital margins and found that they rebounded in 2023 following a large decrease in 2022.

Cassidy, Hassan Release Policy Framework on Medicare Site-Neutral Reform to Lower Health Care Costs | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy

Zach Levinson @zlevs100.bsky.social · Dec 18

For example, Senators Cassidy and Hassan recently released a framework for site-neutral payment reforms that would reinvest savings into rural and high-needs hospitals. www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/pre...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today released a legislative framework to address site-neutral Medicare payment reform to lower health care costs for pati...

www.cassidy.senate.gov