Pa. Children’s Hospitals Take DSH Advocacy to Congress

October 14, 2024

HAP's children's hospital advisory group convenes quarterly to highlight key issues and identify opportunities for advocacy. Recently, the coalition called on members of Congress to prevent impending cuts to the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program.

• This issue:  Impending DSH cuts would amount to $8 billion in reductions in fiscal year (FY) 2024 nationally and $500 million in Pennsylvania.
• What it means for hospitals:  Medicaid DSH payments are especially crucial for children’s hospitals and their ability to provide health care to all children, regardless of income.
• Quotable:  “Congress has acted in a bipartisan manner on multiple occasions over the last eleven years to avert Medicaid DSH cuts. We ask you to continue this effort and act before these reductions take place,” the coalition said in a letter to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation last month.

Read the letter to Pennsylvania's delegation online.