CHA is urging Congress to address three priority issues in legislation that will be moving forward in the lame-duck session before the end of the year. They are:

• Support for hospitals and long-term care facilities to address the ongoing financial challenges, including elimination of the pending 4% Medicare Pay-As-You-Go Act sequestration cuts from taking effect in 2023.
• Extending current telehealth waivers for two years to allow Congress to continue to evaluate and work on a permanent expansion of telehealth programs and ensure continued access to care for rural and underserved communities.
• Establishing 12-month Medicaid postpartum coverage and Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance continuous coverage for children as required federal benefits to address maternal mortality and improve the health and well-being of mothers, babies, and children.

We encourage you to ask your members of Congress to ensure that these priorities are included in the year-end spending package — CHA is making the following resources available to assist you in your advocacy efforts:

• CHA Board of Directors Letter on Year-End Priorities
• CHA's Letter to Congress on Year-End Priorities
• Joint Letter on Medicaid Post-Partum Coverage
• Telehealth and Maternal Health Informational Resource
• Joint Letter on PAYGO Cuts
• Information About the Current Fiscal Situation of Catholic Hospitals
• Current Issues for Catholic Health Care
• Information About Medicaid Maternal Health Including Our Video: Extending Postpartum Care
• View CHA’s Year-End Advocacy Alert and Sample Letters to Congress on e-Advocacy