Prospects for funding the government after Friday remain highly uncertain just hours before the current funding measure expires at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The House of Representatives appeared poised to vote to fund the government through February 16, extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program for six years and repeal three taxes levied in the Affordable Care Act. But President Trump potentially blew up that plan this morning, tweeting that CHIP should not be part of a short-term funding bill.
Meanwhile Democrats’ concerns about immigration policy and conservative Republicans’ concerns about defense spending also cloud the picture. WSHA and other hospital advocates had urged lawmakers to also include in the CR a two-year delay in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payment cuts, relief from a 28.5 percent payment cut in the 340B drug pricing program and extensions of expiring Medicare provisions. (John Flink, WSHA Federal Lobbyist)
