Bipartisan infrastructure bill passes Senate

The Senate, today by a 69-30 vote, passed the massive, bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending to the House a package that contains provisions that align with hospitals’ and health systems’ priorities. The $1 trillion bill includes funding for broadband internet deployment, equity and affordability, as well as investments to improve federal coordination and assistance with response and recovery from significant cybersecurity incidents.

The package does not rescind any Provider Relief Funds as offsets, though it does extend the Medicare sequester for one additional year, through Fiscal Year 2031. The Senate has also started consideration of a concurrent budget resolution giving Congress fast-track procedures to pass a second, “human” infrastructure package of up to $3.5 trillion with a simple majority vote in the Senate. The second infrastructure package, based on President Biden’s American Families Plan, which was released in April, would make investments in health care, education and child care.