Congress urged not to extend Medicare sequester to pay for trade legislation

Nine national hospital organizations, including the AHA, today urged members of the U.S. House and Senate to strike from a proposal to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program language that would impose additional Medicare sequestration cuts to pay for it. “While we do not have concerns with the continuation of the TAA program, we strongly object to any additional hospital Medicare cuts to pay for it,” the hospital groups wrote. “We understand that the current proposal to fund the TAA would include an extension of the sequestration on Medicare payments into the second half of 2024. This is unacceptable. Hospitals are already facing more than $121 billion in cuts imposed since 2010, and are projected to experience this year the lowest Medicare margin – negative 9% – ever recorded.” The AHA also joined the American Medical Association, American Health Care Association, and National Association for Home Care & Hospice on a similar letter to House and Senate members. “Hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, and home health and hospice providers have already absorbed hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to the Medicare program in recent years,” the groups said. “Additionally alarming is the use of Medicare cuts to pay for non-Medicare related legislation, a precedent that we believe is unwise.”