OSCR (US)


August 7, 2025

Health Insurer / Provider Legislative Agenda: Band-Aid Likely in September CR, More Substantial Package Potentially Later in the Year

By Beth Steindecker

With the August recess in full swing for the next few weeks, the various healthcare-related legislative items on Congress’s to-do list (see below) remains lengthy for the rest of the calendar year. We are still…

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July 22, 2025

Obamacare Enhanced Subsidy Debate – Where We Stand [OSCR, CNC, ELV, THC, CYH, UHS]

By Beth Steindecker

While exchange insurers (OSCR, CNC, ELV) and hospitals (THC, CYH, ARDT, UHS, HCA) try to figure out their  Obamacare businesses for next year with the various regulatory and reconciliation-related changes leading to anticipated enrollment declines…

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June 30, 2025

Healthcare and Reconciliation: Where Things Stand Amid Floor Debate

By Beth Steindecker

We expect the Senate to pass the reconciliation bill within the next 24 hours, despite the current reconciliation drama (parliamentarian rulings, CBO projection of deficits post-2034, Senator Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) retirement announcement, House member opposition,…

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June 26, 2025

Hospitals, Obamacare, Medicaid: Parliamentarian Decisions Likely to Force Rewriting on Provider Tax, Uncertain about CSR and Enhanced FMAP Policies

By Beth Steindecker

The sizable hole left by the Senate parliamentarian decisions on various Medicaid and Obamacare provisions, which were reported this morning by Senate democrats (here and here) injects uncertainty for hospitals, Obamacare insurers, Medicaid managed care,…

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June 22, 2025

Obamacare: Program Integrity Rule Meets Overall Expectations, Though Relative Slight Improvement; Risk Remains

By Beth Steindecker

Amidst the behind-the-scenes Senate debate of its draft reconciliation bill, CMS made good on its threat to jettison improper and fraudulent Obamacare enrollment, impacting ACA insurers [OSCR, CNC, ELV, MOH] and hospitals / behavioral facilities…

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June 17, 2025

Healthcare: Thoughts on the Senate Finance Draft’s Healthcare Provisions

By Beth Steindecker

The Senate Finance Committee’s (SFC) draft healthcare and tax portion of the reconciliation bill makes some changes, relative to the House-passed measure, but is overall consistent with that version, with the implications being lower Medicaid…

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June 3, 2025

Potential Targets for Change Among Healthcare Reconciliation Policies [THC, ARDT, CNC, MOH, ELV]

By Beth Steindecker

As we await the Senate’s likely release of its reconciliation measure over the next week or so, we continue to expect the upper chamber to smooth the edges around some of the House-passed reconciliation bill’s…

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May 16, 2025

[CNC, MOH, ELV, OSCR, ARDT, THC, ACHC]: What’s Next for Healthcare in House’s Reconciliation Proposal

By Beth Steindecker

As we head into this weekend, below are our latest thoughts on the healthcare components of the reconciliation bill and where things stand and what changes may be in store. This afternoon’s sidelining of the…

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May 13, 2025

[ELV, CNC, MOH, UNH, CVS] CMS Managed Care Provider Tax Proposal

By Beth Steindecker

Yesterday’s CMS proposal confirms our suspicion that the agency would seek to tighten state provider taxes – primarily those on managed care [ELV, UNH, CNC, MOH, CVS, CI, OSCR]– used to secure sizable federal Medicaid…

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May 6, 2025

Optimism for Longer Term Resolution on Obamacare eAPTCs Remains but CMS Suggests Expiration [OSCR, CNC, MOH, ELV, HCA, THC]

By Beth Steindecker

Notwithstanding a recent CMS memo advising insurers to design their Obamacare plan bids assuming expiration of the enhanced premium subsidies at year-end, we remain optimistic that Congress ultimately settles on a middle ground (revision and…

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