Overview

• The Senate Finance Committee’s draft would cap provider taxes at 3.5% for Medicaid expansion states, down from 6%, triggering warnings of hospital closures in rural areas.
• Moderate Republicans led by Sens. Josh Hawley and Susan Collins say they will block the bill without provisions to protect vulnerable hospitals from funding reductions.
• Conservatives including Sens. Ron Johnson, Rick Scott and Mike Lee are pressing for steeper Medicaid spending cuts and faster reductions in the federal matching rate.
• The proposal reinstates work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid beneficiaries and tightens eligibility checks to target waste, fraud and coverage for ineligible immigrants.
• With President Trump’s July 4 deadline looming, Senate staffers are working through the weekend to bridge GOP fractures and secure enough votes for passage.