Healthcare Extenders in FY25 Spending Bill: What Is Likely, Unlikely or Toss-Up?

By Beth Steindecker Published on November 19, 2024 PDF

With likelihood growing that Congress focuses on emergency spending and a short-term continuing resolution funding the government into Q1 next year during this lame duck period, we expect that translates to Congress punting on nearly-annual, must-pass healthcare extenders for physicians, hospitals, telehealth, ambulances, and community health centers and the concomitant healthcare savings policies (Medicare providers, nursing homes, hospices, hospital-owned physician offices, and PBMs) also into next quarter as part of an FY25 government appropriations bill.

Congress has neither detailed which health-related spending items are set to expire at year-end that it plans to extend or which new health spending items it plans to attach nor spelled out which healthcare payfors it is likely to tap for offsets. We list below those healthcare policies we think are likely to be included, which are on the bubble and therefore ascribe toss-up odds, and ones that are likely to end up on the cutting room floor.

Source: Congressional Budget Office, Office of Management and Budget, Capitol Policy Partners