ACA Implementation Threatens Hospitals' United Front

That has not been forgotten by House Republicans opposed to the ACA, and who this month renewed their push for additional cuts to hospital Medicare reimbursements.

The reductions detailed in H.R. 3630 would take funding from hospitals and use it to cover the deficit created by the extensions of the Social Security tax holiday and unemployment benefits, and by the so-called "doc fix" that aims to address cuts to physician reimbursements.

AHA has issued a media release saying that the additional Medicare funding cuts under consideration in Congress, which include the cuts under mandatory sequestration, could cost the nation's hospitals $61.4 billion over the next decade, forcing them to trim their payrolls of nearly 278,000 jobs.

The Republican-controlled House Ways and Means Committee in a recent press release mocked the AHA's claims that the cuts would gravely harm the nation's hospitals.

"Not so long ago, the major hospital trade associations endorsed and strongly supported legislation that became law. It contained $155 billion in hospital Medicare cuts—more than 10 times the reductions in H.R. 3630," the GOP media release said.

When the leadership of one of the most powerful committees in the House issues a public statement ridiculing your fears, brace yourself. For House Republicans, it's payback time.