MWW Health Policy Pulse | Congressional Healthcare Policy Updates: Five Healthcare Issues That Will Shape Hospitals, Payers and Innovators Going Forward 

Congress is back in Washington with a compressed fall calendar and a long list of deadlines that will define the healthcare landscape for years to come. For health systems, payers, MedTech innovators, and every organization across the continuum of care, these debates are about far more than policy. They’re about how we lead, how we communicate, and how we protect trust in a moment when healthcare is under more scrutiny and pressure than ever before. 

At MWW Health, we are monitoring these developments in real time on behalf of our clients. By combining healthcare expertise with government relations insight, we help organizations understand what’s happening now, why it matters, and how to respond strategically.

Here are the five healthcare issues we’re watching most closely as Congress reconvenes. 

1. Government Funding & Health Extenders

Congress faces a September 30, 2025, deadline to fund the government, but the bigger story for healthcare is the fate of critical health extenders, programs that keep care accessible and sustainable. These include Medicare telehealth waivers that have transformed care delivery since the pandemic, community health center and rural hospital funding that serve as lifelines for underserved areas, and Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, which underpin the stability of safety-net and teaching hospitals. 

2. Medicaid & ACA Subsidies Under Pressure

The administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” introduces Medicaid work requirements and scales back ACA premium subsidies. If enacted, these provisions could leave millions uninsured or underinsured, significantly increase uncompensated care burdens on hospitals and health systems, and slow adoption of innovative therapies and technologies that depend on broad coverage. 

3. Hospital Financing & Workforce Stability

Hospitals are balancing significant financial and operational pressures. Coverage losses and reduced Medicaid provider tax revenues are straining budgets, while rising uncompensated care threatens margins further. Meanwhile, workforce shortages, especially in nursing and specialty care, remain one of the most urgent challenges facing healthcare leaders. Congress may choose to provide targeted relief, but many systems may need to adapt on their own. This is one area where we are seeing significant interest in tech-oriented solutions, particularly AI, to augment human capital and streamline workflows.  

4. Drug Pricing, PBM Oversight & Transparency

Drug pricing reform continues to be one of the rare bipartisan priorities on Capitol Hill. Expect heightened focus on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) oversight, greater supply chain transparency, and ongoing debates around affordability that impact patients, hospitals, and innovators alike. 

5. Bipartisan Health Package

Despite deep divides, lawmakers are exploring a narrow bipartisan healthcare package. While sweeping reforms remain unlikely, a smaller deal could deliver renewed funding for expiring health extenders and provide targeted policy updates to stabilize planning as we head toward 2026. 

Strategic Implications 

The decisions Congress makes this fall will have a direct impact on how patients access care, how hospitals and systems protect their financial stability, and how quickly new innovations reach the market. But beyond operational impact, these shifts will shape public perception and stakeholder trust, and that’s where strategic communications are mission critical. We are urging our client partners and the industry at large to fight the urge to stay quiet and “wait and see.”  

In today’s environment, how we communicate matters as much as what we do. Leaders need to reassure patients about continuity of care, show policymakers and partners how they’re adapting, and demonstrate to employees and investors that they have a clear path forward. Messaging must be clear, credible, and compassionate, not only to respond to change but also to shape how organizations are seen in the middle of it. 

At MWW Health, we thrive by helping our clients translate policy volatility into strategic positioning and opportunities. We work alongside leadership teams to anticipate stakeholder concerns, prepare rapid-response frameworks, and elevate executive voices so that our partners aren’t just reacting to change; they’re leading the conversation and building trust when it matters most. This transformation is ongoing and much of the old “playbooks” are being reimagined. The appetite for genuine thought leadership and innovative problem solving has never been higher, opening the door for the people and brands that are willing to take a stance and guide the industry forward.  

This is the inaugural edition of the MWW Health Policy Pulse, but stay tuned for regular installments. The MWW Health team will continue to work closely with our lobbyists and government relations teams to monitor the almost daily health policy changes coming out of Washington. In addition to reporting on what’s happening and what it means, we will also do our best to continue providing sound communications council and insights.  

Please don’t hesitate to contact Ryan Lilly (rlilly@mww.com) if you have any questions or would like to explore ways that we can help you or your brand to navigate these shifting sands.