Keeping Patient Access Front and Center in Washington
As we move into the second half of 2026 and Congress returns to work in Washington, D.C., next week, lawmakers face a list of difficult issues that demand their attention and a shrinking legislative calendar in which to accomplish progress.
Between now and Election Day on Nov. 3, the House is scheduled to be in session for 24 days and the Senate for 34 days. Both chambers will be home for most of August and likely all of October.
There are several must-do items that will compete for lawmakers’ attention, including funding the federal government for fiscal year 2027 before Sept. 30, passing the National Defense Authorization Act, and extending or reauthorizing the farm bill. By the end of the year, Congress must extend several healthcare programs that are expiring — among them the enhanced low-volume adjustment and Medicare-dependent hospital programs that help rural hospitals provide care to patients in their communities. Some Republicans also are considering a potential third reconciliation package, which would likely include defense funding, tax provisions, parts of the “SAVE America” voter eligibility legislation, and cuts to combat waste, fraud and abuse in other programs.
At the same time, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to express a strong interest in improving affordability for patients and families, and that conversation is likely to continue through the remainder of this Congress.
The AHA shares the goal of making healthcare more affordable and accessible. We recently released actionable, achievable strategies that will help drive care transformation and make care more affordable. These solutions are focused on improving the health of individuals and communities; transforming care delivery; reducing administrative waste in the system; lowering drug and device costs; and innovating to improve care outcomes.
At the same time, it is essential that any legislative action avoid harmful proposals that could undermine access to care. Hospitals and health systems continue to face significant challenges, including persistent workforce pressures, rising labor and supply costs, increasing demand for behavioral health services, cybersecurity threats and the need for ongoing investments in technology and infrastructure.
Those challenges are compounded by the impact of upcoming Medicaid cuts and coverage losses that threaten to leave more Americans without the care and coverage they need. Hospitals are already seeing the consequences when patients lose coverage and delay needed treatment. Policies that further weaken hospitals’ ability to provide care would move us in the wrong direction at precisely the wrong time. As lawmakers consider healthcare legislation, it is critical that they understand the real-world impact policy decisions have on patient access, particularly in rural, underserved and vulnerable communities. At the same time, we are continuing to lay the predicate for Congress to reconsider certain healthcare provisions in the reconciliation bill enacted just a year ago where they clearly over-reached, and the results of the mid-term elections will certainly factor into these efforts.
Meanwhile, we aren’t focused solely on Congress. We are developing and implementing strategies and advocacy campaigns to push back on several provisions included in recently released proposed regulations. These include harmful changes to the 340B Drug Pricing Program and expanding so-called site-neutral payments to certain imaging services that were in last week’s hospital outpatient prospective payment system proposed rule, as well as proposals in a Medicaid rule that would curtail hospitals’ ability to care for some of the most vulnerable members of their community by reducing the financial resources needed to maintain essential services.
The crowded legislative agenda and condensed number of workdays over the coming weeks and months makes it more important than ever that hospital leaders share a unified and cohesive message with lawmakers as we work to ensure we can continue to deliver the quality care that patients need.
That is why the upcoming August congressional recess presents such an important opportunity. When lawmakers and candidates return home to their states and districts, hospital and health system leaders have a unique chance to engage them directly. Inviting elected officials and candidates to tour facilities, meet caregivers and learn about the challenges facing their communities can be one of the most effective ways to build understanding and support.
These conversations provide an opportunity to demonstrate the extraordinary work hospitals do every day while also explaining the pressures facing the field. They help policymakers see firsthand why hospitals are committed to being part of the solution and why their support is critical to ensuring access to care now and in the future.
To help hospital and health system leaders educate their elected officials and candidates for office, both in person and year-round, the AHA offers several resources on key issues through our AHA Advocacy Action Center and our We Care, We Vote websites. Watch for an Action Alert with more tools and resources prior to the August recess.
As we navigate the months ahead, our collective voice will be more important than ever. Hospital and health system leaders, as well as the millions of women and men who deliver healing, hope and health every day to patients and communities, are truly the best advocates with legislators. Policymakers need to hear directly from the people who care for their constituents every day. Your voice matters because you live, work and vote in the communities your elected officials represent.
When our field speaks with a unified voice about the challenges facing healthcare and the solutions that will strengthen patient access, we are at our most effective. Together, we can help ensure policymakers understand what is at stake and why supporting hospitals and health systems is essential to the health of the communities we serve.