U.S. House Passes Healthcare Budget Package

U.S. House Passes Government Funding Legislation with Healthcare Provisions

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 341 to 88 on January 22 to pass a government funding package that includes several healthcare provisions backed by hospital and other healthcare groups.

The three-bill package is part of broader bipartisan legislation to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2026 and avoid a partial shutdown ahead of a January 30 deadline. The legislation provides appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and several other agencies.

Key Healthcare Provisions

• The funding bill extends pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities through 2027 and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hospital-at-home waiver program through 2030.
• The package includes one-year extensions for two Medicare payment programs that support rural hospitals. It also delays Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts until fiscal year 2028.
• Additionally, the legislation provides funding for rural health, behavioral health, maternal care, and healthcare workforce programs.

What's Not Included & Next Steps

Notably, the spending package does not address enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expired at the end of 2025. The Senate is expected to consider the bill next week.

Information in this article was sourced from Becker's Hospital Review.