House Drops FMAP from Extenders Bill Just Before Passage - June 2, 2010

On May 28, just before recessing for Memorial Day, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4213, a scaled-down “extenders package,” which does not include a six-month extension of enhanced federal Medicaid payments to states (FMAP). The decision to drop the FMAP provision – which costs an estimated $25 billion – was made after it became clear to House leaders they could not muster enough votes to pass a full extenders bill, and despite repeated promises to Medicaid advocates that the FMAP provision was “safe.” The scaled-down extenders bill did include a limited extension of 340B drug discounts to the inpatient setting of certain safety net hospitals. The Senate, which is on recess until June 7, will likely bring up its own extenders bill when it returns to session. NAPH is advocating that the Senate bill include the FMAP provision. We encourage all hospitals to speak to their Senate offices about the importance of enhanced FMAP and the need to include it in the extenders package when it is introduced next week. Please see NAPH’s one-page OurView document on the issue.

Read an NAPH staffer's take on this issue.