Latest
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Right Wing “Data” Arguing for Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements is Fatally Flawed
We don’t usually write a blog like this that dissects the flawed methodology of the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) – a right-wing group that is well known for promoting work reporting requirements at the state and federal level – as well as cuts to Medicaid and the safety net more broadly. FGA’s own annual…
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CMS Issues New Rule Again Going Beyond H.R. 1 Requirements to Further Restrict State Use of Medicaid Provider Taxes
On July 21, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new proposed rule that would implement two of H.R. 1’s restrictions on states’ use of provider taxes to finance their share of Medicaid costs. H.R. 1 included three provider tax restrictions: (1) a prohibition on new provider taxes and increases in…
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Trump Administration Issues Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Financing Guidance Which Goes Far Further Than H.R. 1 (Again)
On Friday, June 11 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance on the Secretary’s approach to implementing Section 1115(g) which was added to the Social Security Act by H.R. 1 – the President’s signature budget bill enacted last year. (Our explainer of the health provisions in the bill can be found…
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New CMS Guidance on H.R. 1’s Restrictions of State Directed Payments
On February 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance implementing section 71116 of H.R. 1 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” or P.L. 119-21), which restricts state-directed payments (SDPs) to hospitals and other health care providers. Under SDPs, states may require Medicaid managed care plans to increase provider rates or…
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CMS Issues Final Rule Implementing H.R. 1’s Prohibition of Certain Uniformity Waiver Provider Taxes
On January 29, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule implementing the H.R. 1 provision prohibiting certain “uniformity waiver” provider taxes that states use to support their Medicaid programs. (The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on February 2, 2026). Nearly all states use taxes…
