Today, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 1868 as amended, which will continue to delay the implementation of the 2% Medicare sequester until the end of the 2021 calendar year. The House passed the bill last week.
Without action by the House and Senate, the Medicare sequester was set to resume on April 1. The House version included additional protections from cuts to Medicare beginning in 2022; the Senate version did not so the House will have to take up the Senate version. It’s expected to pass, and the President is expected to sign the measure. CHA supported H.R. 1868 and thanks all member hospitals that advocated on behalf of the bill.
In addition to the protection against sequestration, the bill also includes a CHA-supported technical amendment to correct a drafting error in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 that would have impeded California’s safety net hospitals from accessing necessary Medicaid funds. Sens. Feinstein and Padilla were instrumental in securing the Senate’s support for this important correction. CHA appreciates the senators’ work and thanks Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy for their leadership to protect California’s Medicaid program.