Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Insurance Trade Group AHIP Against Medicaid Bill, Vows To Battle It
The New York Times: ‘Little Lobbyists’ Urge Senators To Oppose Trump’s Bill Cutting Medicaid
Landry Bell, a 1-year-old boy who was born with Down syndrome, wriggled and smiled in his big sister’s lap on the floor outside Republican Senator Mike Lee’s office this week as he took a break from going office to office with his mother while she explained how cuts to Medicaid would devastate their family. Wearing a bright blue T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Little Lobbyists,” Landry was among a group of children with serious medical needs who crisscrossed the Capitol with their parents urging senators to vote “no” on the sprawling Republican bill carrying President Trump’s agenda. The legislation would cut deeply into Medicaid to help pay for large tax cuts that would benefit businesses and the richest Americans. (Mineiro and Sanger-Katz, 6/19)
KFF Health News: Q&A: What Does The Budget Bill Mean For Your Health?
Health programs including Medicaid, Affordable Care Act subsidies, and food assistance are facing cuts in the budget reconciliation bill making its way through Congress. If passed as written, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” could dramatically reduce health care access for millions of Americans. And even those who don’t rely on these programs could see local hospitals close. KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on June 18 to answer listeners’ questions and break down how the bill could reshape U.S. health care. (Rovner, 6/20)
More health industry news —
The New York Times: Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed At U.S. Hospitals
Travel and visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration threaten patient care at hundreds of hospitals that depend on medical residents recruited from overseas. Foreign medical residents often serve as the frontline caregivers at busy safety-net hospitals in low-income communities. Normally the residents begin work on July 1. Orientation programs for some of them already started this week. Now some of those hospitals are racing to prevent staffing shortages. (Rabin, 6/19)
Modern Healthcare: Medtech Venture Capital And Private Equity Deals On The Rise
Medtech venture capital funding rose to $4.1 billion in the year’s first three months, the best quarterly performance in two years. There were at least 216 transactions during the first quarter, and 11 of them were for $100 million or more, according to a report Friday from PitchBook, a financial and data company that tracks public and private investments. There were 237 transactions in 2024’s first quarter. (Dubinsky, 6/20)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital Bad Debt Rises As Patients Must Cover More Costs
Bad debt is rising among some hospitals, largely driven by an increased burden on patients to cover the costs of care. Hospitals and health systems are working to mitigate the financial impact of bad debt by shoring up revenue cycle processes and payment collection procedures, but obstacles such as claim denials are creating more challenges. (Hudson, 6/19)
