President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” took shape as the House passed the sweeping tax-and-spend act in the early hours of May 22. If it passes the Senate, its impact could fundamentally restructure the health care system.
In the crosshairs – Medicaid.
If successful, the legislation will enact work requirements, limit provider taxes, adjust eligibility requirements and reduce funding in general. It’s estimated nearly 8 million people could lose coverage and that number could grow over time.
For our nation’s providers, the worry is palpable – and visible.
Hospitals and health systems are already walking a tight rope, balancing the needs of their communities and keeping the doors open as costs rise, labor expenses dominate, Medicare and Medicaid rates stagnate, the population gets older with more chronic diseases, tariffs threaten to increase supply, drug and medical device costs, and policy changes flip-flop almost daily.
This balancing act is especially tenuous for rural and safety net hospitals in communities that are often more reliant on government-funded insurance.
It’s overwhelmingly chaotic. Even decisive leaders can feel momentarily paralyzed. But hear this: Now is not the time to sideline communications efforts. A strong advocacy, engagement or change management initiative can mean the difference between alignment with your stakeholders built on transparency and trust and barriers to your ability to continue to meet your mission and serve your communities.
Be the local source.
No matter what, ramp up communication, education and transparency. In the face of increasing uncertainty, communicating with your stakeholders – internal and external – is essential to ensure buy-in, maintain support and calm fears. At this particular moment, providers have a prime opportunity to gain an audience with local and federal elected leaders to advocate on their behalf. Leadership and teams at every level of the organization can leverage the attention Washington is giving to the health care industry to turn the spotlight. But first: Do you know what your message is and how to deliver it?
Set the stage.
Delivering uncertain or evolving news is never easy, but sharing information can help set the stage for decisions to come that may impact your organization and your community. Most health care organizations will experience a change in the coming weeks and months, if not already, that will impact finances, services lines, workforce or operations. Messaging that reinforces your mission and positions you as a transparent, trusted leader lays the groundwork for whatever difficult or potentially upsetting or complex news or decisions you may have to share in the future.
Invest in the right strategy for you.
Whether you’re a hospital, payer, physician practice, IT company, rev cycle management team or anything in between, all sectors of health care are facing pressures following a turbulent few months in Washington. How your organization responds is not one-size-fits all and can’t be found in an off-the-shelf playbook. Investing in a communications strategy that includes messaging, custom outreach channels and stakeholder identification and that aligns with your mission, operations and community needs will pay dividends to help you achieve long-term goals during short-term unease.
Let’s Connect
When regulations impacting the health care industry undergo considerable change, so do your internal and external communications needs. Contact us to develop your communications strategy or for help distilling complex information to inform your key stakeholders.
Amanda Maynord, CEO, Lovell Communications
