Issue #2: What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Means for Clinics Like Yours
On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21)—a sweeping law combining historic tax reforms with over $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and Medicare over the next decade. While political headlines focused on tax relief, the ripple effects for healthcare providers—especially small and rural clinics—are significant and immediate.
Top 4 Impacts to Watch
1. Medicaid Cuts Mean More Uninsured Patients
With work requirements, 6-month re-verifications, and tightened eligibility, many clinics will see a spike in self-pay or unbilled care.
Risk: Increased bad debt, strained staff, and overwhelmed intake workflows.
2. Medicare Rate Adjustments Aren’t Guaranteed to Help
A proposed 2.5% rate bump in 2026 may not offset the long-term $500B+ in program reductions.
Risk: Ambiguity in reimbursements complicates budget planning and risk modeling.
3. Compliance Complexity Is Growing
New verification rules, tighter eligibility audits, and more frequent documentation reviews raise the stakes for privacy, access control, and patient data handling.
Risk: Failing to adjust access and record retention policies could trigger OCR scrutiny.
4. Operational Gaps Will Be Exposed
Clinics that rely on outdated intake systems or undertrained staff will struggle to adapt.
Risk: Gaps in documentation and role-based access controls increase the likelihood of HIPAA violations under 45 CFR §164.308(a)(3).
How SecureHealth Can Help
Our GRC approach is built for this environment. Here's what we're offering in light of the new law:
📊 Medicare/Medicaid Revenue Exposure Review – See how coverage changes might affect your cash flow
🧩 Policy + Workflow Gap Assessment – Align your staff access and documentation with updated HIPAA/NIST expectations
🧠 Staff Briefing Kit – Educate your team on what the new rules mean for intake, billing, and patient data
What to Do This Month
1. Review Patient Mix: Estimate how many Medicaid patients may be affected
2. Update Role-Based Access Policies: Ensure only current staff have EMR access (HIPAA §164.308(a)(3))
3. Audit Billing & Intake Workflows: Are you prepared for more manual verifications and billing holds?
Final Thought
Regulatory change doesn’t just affect policy—it impacts how you run your clinic every day. Now’s the time to build resilience, tighten compliance, and protect your bottom line. SecureHealth is here to help.
