February 6, 2026

The President’s Message is published in the MHA Weekly News Report, a member-only publication of the Montana Hospital Association. To subscribe, click here.

The MHA Advocacy Team was in Washington, D.C. this week, meeting with the American Hospital Association and members of Montana’s congressional delegation as part of a more robust federal advocacy strategy for 2026.

Our discussions focused on priorities critical to Montana hospitals and communities, including:

• Protecting the 340B program in Montana;
• Holding commercial insurers accountable, including urging support for the Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act (H.R. 5454/S. 2879);
• Removing new federal student loan caps for professional healthcare degrees scheduled to take effect in July 2026; and
• Reforming the CNA lockout provision that is denying access to workforce training for Montana nursing homes and threatening seniors’ access to care, including support for the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act (H.R. 7096).

The visit came on the heels of the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R. 7148), which funds the vast majority of federal agencies through September including Health and Human Services. It also contains a bipartisan health package extending several critical healthcare programs.

Key provisions include:

• Extensions of vital rural Medicare programs, telehealth flexibilities, and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program;
• A one-year delay of scheduled payment reductions and data reporting requirements under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule;
• Continued support for healthcare workforce, maternal and child health, rural health, and behavioral health programs; and
• A requirement for separate, unique health identifiers for off-campus hospital outpatient departments.

With a budget for the 2026 federal fiscal year now in place, there is more certainty for patients and healthcare providers that have struggled to maintain continuity of care—especially Medicare beneficiaries receiving care via telehealth services. We are pleased to see the delay of the payment reductions and data reporting related to clinical laboratories, but are concerned about the administrative burden of implementing unique health identifiers at off-campus outpatient clinics.

Legislation this big is often a mixed bag for hospitals. But it’s rarely permanent, and it’s a reminder of the importance of our continued and coordinated advocacy on the federal level. If you have any questions or feedback for the Advocacy Team, please reach out.