Legislation and Legislative Advocacy

The American Hospital Association (AHA) shares resources on health care legislation being considered by the U.S. House and Senate and legislative advocacy opportunities for hospitals and health systems.

Budget reconciliation is an optional process under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that allows for expedited consideration of certain fiscal legislation that makes changes to mandatory spending, revenues and/or the debt limit.
This year, House and Senate Republicans are expected to use the budget reconciliation process to pass key agenda items on taxes, energy and border security, and they may look to health measures to pay for this legislation.
A federal government shutdown began at midnight Sept. 30. The impact on health care is that government funding and certain health care programs and waivers expired.
The federal government shut down Oct. 1 following a failed Senate vote on the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government by midnight Sept. 30.
Advisory revised Sept 28. with fiscal year 2026 agency contingency plans. Government funding is set to expire at midnight Sept. 30 without congressional action.
The AHA Sept. 24 expressed support for the Medical Student Education Authorization Act (H.R. 5428), legislation introduced in the House Sept. 17 that would authorize a federal program to award grants to public institutes of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians. It…
The AHA expressed support Sept. 22 to House and Senate sponsors of the Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act (H.R. 5454/S. 2879), legislation that would apply a federal prompt payment standard to MA plans to help ensure that health care providers receive timely payments from MA plans for necessary…
The Senate Sept. 19 failed to adopt a continuing resolution by a 44-48 vote that would have funded the government through Nov. 21. The CR was passed by the House earlier in the day.
Today, the House Committee on Appropriations released the legislative text for a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Nov. 21, 2025.