SPECIAL EDITION AHPA POLICY BRIEF

Last week, President Biden signed the $1 trillion physical infrastructure bill into law. While this bill was bipartisan, it left out many ambitious democratic priorities, such as overhauling America’s energy systems. It still provides billions to upgrade American roads and bridges, as well as resources for mass transit and rail projects. The $65 billion being allocated to broadband infrastructure will help support telehealth initiatives from the health care industry. However, to help pay for the cost of this bill, Congress enacted an extension of the 2% Medicare sequester cut for FY 2031.

President Biden’s Build Back Better legislation (social infrastructure bill), which includes more “soft” infrastructure like child care, is still being debated in Congress. While the bill has many beneficial policies, such as additional funds for Graduate Medical Education (GME), the plan includes a 12.5% reduction to Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments for non-Medicaid expansion states starting in FY 2023. The bill passed the House on Friday and is now moving to the Senate; for more details, click here. Stay tuned for more information in the near future to this social infrastructure bill and any changes made.