Policy Corner: November 17, 2023
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
Congress Passed Appropriations Bill and Sent to President Biden for His Signature
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed the continuing resolution (CR), the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, by an 87-11 vote to keep government funded after Friday, today, when funding runs out for federal government. The House passed the measure on Tuesday by a 336-95 vote, with all but two of the 95 in opposition being Republicans. The bill has been sent to President Joe Biden for his signature, which he will do doubt sign before the current CR that funds the federal government expires at midnight Friday.
The CR is “clean,” with no spending cuts or controversial policy provisions, but does not include the President’s request for a supplemental package for Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian assistance or border security. The CR extends funding in the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military-Construction-Veterans, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriation bills until January 19, 2024, and extends the remaining funding through February 4, 2024, for the other federal agencies. Additionally, the CR extends the 2018-passed Farm Bill through September 30, 2024. The Farm Bill authorizes funding for the food stamp program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), although no additional funding was included for SNAP or other programs assisting individuals with low income.
The House Leadership had been committed to passing regular appropriations bills instead of lumping bills into an omnibus bill. As such, the House has passed seven of the 12 annual appropriations bills for FY 2024 for a full fiscal year, while the Senate has passed three. The Senate appropriators have planned to consider the next package to consist of the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Energy-Walter, and Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education bills.
The disagreement between the two chambers has been around the topline limits for spending. The House wants to cut programs below what was agreed to in the debt ceiling bill passed earlier this year, while the Senate wishes to stay within the parameters already set. The Senate’s bipartisan bills meet the debt limit law’s spending limits, but also adds $14 billion above to what was agreed to. It is hoped that negotiations between the two chambers will start after the Thanksgiving recess.
CMS Sets New Rule Requiring Nursing Homes to Report Ownership
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a new rule by to increase transparency of nursing home ownership and management. The final rule will require nursing homes to share with states and CMS additional ownership and management information. The rule also includes private equity and real estate investment trust definitions, setting the stage for the disclosure of whether nursing home owners are private equity investors or real estate investment trusts. It would require nursing homes enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid to disclose additional information regarding owners, operators, and management and disclose individuals or entities that provide administrative services or clinical consulting services.
The additional data required to be reported under the rule will be public, allowing families to make more informed choices about the care of their loved ones. This will also enable CMS and others to scrutinize more closely how ownership types correlate with care outcomes and to determine which environments are more likely to deliver better care for residents and patients.
Lawmakers Recess for Thanksgiving
Unable to approve a procedural vote for the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, House lawmakers left early Wednesday for Thanksgiving. The Senate passed a resolution designating November 16, 2023, as National Rural Health Day Thursday before leaving town. Lawmakers are to return to Washington D.C. after the Thanksgiving break and are scheduled to be in session until Dec. 14 and 15, for the House and Senate, respectively. They then have the rest of the month off.