A recent Congressional budget deal, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, would exclude hospitals from sequester relief. Medicare provider payment cuts would be extended through 2023, two years longer than the cuts set by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The American Hospital Association (AHA) released a statement on December 11, 2013, stating that the agreement “undermines hospitals’ ability to provide access to quality health care services.” To read the full AHA statement, click here.