THC (US)


March 12, 2026

Hospitals: Latest CMS Batch of Approved Hospital-Specific DPPs [HCA, THC, UHS]

By Beth Steindecker

CMS’s latest approvals for hospital-specific Medicaid state directed payment programs (DPPs) provide incremental positive news for HCA, THC and UHS due to their footprint in certain states (Georgia, Michigan, Kentucky, and Nevada) where CMS recently…

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February 23, 2026

Hospital DPPs: Less Dependable, Though Still Relevant Post-OBBB: Questions of Where and How Much Remain? [HCA, THC, CYH, ARDT, UHS, MPT, SGRY, govt hospitals]

By Beth Steindecker

While Medicaid funding from state directed payment programs (DPPs) cannot be relied upon as much a key revenue driver – and has received less attention on recent earnings calls – these incremental dollars are still…

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January 16, 2026

MedPAC Thoughts, Congress Unlikely to Listen

By Beth Steindecker

We expect the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) FY/CY27 provider payment recommendations to meet the same fate as in prior years: largely ignored by Congress, though selectively cited by CMS to justify future regulatory tightening…

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January 15, 2026

Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan – We’ve Seen and Heard It Before

By Beth Steindecker

President Trump’s long-teased “Great Healthcare Plan”, released this morning, does little to meaningfully move the needle on healthcare redesign or cost containment beyond our prior expectations for legislative action affecting Obamacare insurers, non-ACA managed care…

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January 13, 2026

ACA Subsidy Deal Delayed, Not Derailed; 55% Odds Still Intact [OSCR, CNC, THC, CYH, DVA, FRE.DE]

By Beth Steindecker

Despite reports this afternoon that a bipartisan compromise on enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies will not be ready this week and is now expected to slip to the week of January 26, we continue to expect…

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December 17, 2025

Obamacare Subsidy Developments: Lots of Movement but Still in Same Place for Now; Path Remains for Subsidy Deal in 1Q

By Beth Steindecker

Today’s news that four House Republicans joining House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) discharge petition for a straight three-year extension of the enhanced Obamacare subsidies – and with House GOP leadership narrowly passing its own…

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December 4, 2025

ACA Situation Stuck in Place but We Remain Optimistic of Eventual HIX Deal with a Slipping Timeline

By Beth Steindecker

The recent fits-and-starts for around a compromise to avert expiration of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits (eAPTCs) at year-end unsurprisingly remains stalled, with no meaningful concessions from either side’s leaders. As we head into…

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November 24, 2025

ACA HIX Fix: Enactment Odds Improve But Details TBD [OSCR, CNC, ACHC, THC, CYH, UHS, DVA, HQY]

By Beth Steindecker

Media reports (here, here, here) indicate that an ACA compromise may be imminent, with President Trump reportedly offering to support extension of the enhanced premium tax subsidies (with limitations) while channeling a portion into health…

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November 23, 2025

ASC Wins in Final CMS Rate Rule, Slight Hospital Wins but Lingering Concerns

By Beth Steindecker

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) [SGRY, AmSurg, THC, HCA, UNH] secured some policy wins in the final CY26 Medicare outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) rule, consistent with the July proposal (notably a broadened covered procedure list,…

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November 17, 2025

CMS Provider Tax Guidance: More Details, But Not Necessarily Stricter or More Aggressive Interpretation [ARDT, CYH, HCA, THC, UHS, CNC, MOH, ELV]

By Beth Steindecker

CMS’s preliminary guidance to states on its interpretation of the One Big Beautiful Bill’s  (OBBB) Medicaid provider tax provisions does not appear to tighten the screws on states, and thereby threaten hospitals [ARDT, CYH, HCA,…

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