Your Voice Is Critical As Congress Wraps Up

Once again we are facing a year-end legislative traffic jam.

As early as next week, Congress could vote on a final tax reform bill. The House and Senate have each passed different versions, and now both houses have appointed conferees to shape the final bill. Now is the time to contact your legislators, especially if they are Republicans, and urge them to support AHA’s advocacy positions on issues critical to the field, including protecting the individual mandate, access to tax-exempt bond financing and the interest expense deduction for debt, among other items.

In addition, Congress still has to decide on critical legislation that would keep the government open, fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, extend expiring Medicare provisions, provide additional disaster assistance, and stabilize the private health insurance marketplace. All of these issues are important to hospitals and health systems and the entire health care system.

On top of all this, funding for the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and waiving pay-go rules to prevent cuts to Medicare are also on our legislative “to do” list. Action could come on any of these topics before year’s end. Please follow our legislative tracker and make your voice heard today. Our patients and communities are counting on us.