ABI-Live: Federal Budget Initiatives and Implications for Health Care Providers in 2026
Health care providers nationally, including hospitals, long-term-care facilities and others, were already in precarious financial situations coming out of the pandemic. Many are heavily dependent on Medicare and Medicaid program receivables, which historically do not pay enough to cover the costs of care. Now, implications of Medicaid and Medicare reform in The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and other federal initiatives, including those related to immigration, are forecast to have significant negative effects on the finances of health care providers. This panel, hosted by ABI's Health Care Committee, will discuss the “pre-existing” financial difficulties facing health care providers, the proposed and implemented legislative and regulatory changes likely to affect them in 2025, and the likely implications for providers in 2026 and beyond.