WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), today held a hearing to review three bills that would strengthen the Medicare program for seniors. Subcommittee members discussed, H.R. 556, the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), H.R. 1934, the Cancer Care Payment Reform Act authored by House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and draft legislation that addresses home health care regulations authored by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR).
Pitts said, “Together these three bills continue the commitment this Congress has to strengthen the Medicare program and keep the promise for seniors - which was started earlier this year by permanently repealing and replacing the broken Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) - an effort spanning several years to enactment this past April."
H.R. 556, the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) explained the need for H.R. 556. Bilirakis said, “Currently, Medicare allows a wide range of medical providers, including doctors of medicine, osteopathy, and chiropractors the ability to bring in other licensed professionals under their provider number. This allows for substitutes when a practice is short staffed for a short time period for reasons such as illness, maternity or paternity leave, or vacation. Such instances are referred to as locum tenens arrangements. Physical therapists currently are excluded from employing locum tenens in their practices, forcing seniors to either find a new physical therapist or not receive treatment during the time their therapists is out."
Sandra Norby,a physical therapist and the owner of HomeTown Physical Therapy, LLC, spoke about the benefits of H.R. 556. Norby said, “Now that medicine has evolved to fully recognize physical therapy as part of a comprehensive care model, it is high time that access to physical therapy also receive the same protections against delays due to unavoidable absences by their standard provider. H.R. 556, the Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2015, would improve access to care by providing needed regulatory relief from an impediment caused by a simple technical issue. This fix will keep clinics open to provide our communities with medically necessary services."
H.R. 1934, the Cancer Care Payment Reform Act
Full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said, “Sponsored by Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Steve Israel, the bipartisan legislation would build off of the promise in the SGR repeal legislation by promoting innovative payment reforms designed to increase the quality of care delivered to Medicare seniors and reduce costs to the program. We will continue our work to keep the promise to seniors and improve the Medicare program."
Dr. Bruce Gould, president of Community Oncology Alliance, said, “Community oncology practices like mine want to be part of the alternative payment reform path that the Energy and Commerce committee developed in the SGR legislation; however, we need a Medicare alternative payment model in oncology for that to happen. H.R. 1934 is a critical bridge to getting us to that point. I ask Congress to pass this important legislation that will lower the costs of cancer care while enhancing the quality of care for patients."
Draft Legislation Regarding Home Health Care
Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) addressed the value of home health care services for seniors. Walden said, “Our nation had made a promise to seniors who rely on Medicare, and we must keep it. And one way to keep this promise is through home health services. In general home health is less expensive, more convenient, and just as effective as care in a skilled nursing facility. Receiving care at home gives seniors more control over their health care and provides a sense of comfort, familiarity, and normalcy for the patient and for their loved ones."
Sarah Myers, the Executive Director of the Oregon Association for Home Care, spoke to the challenges home health care providers are facing with the implementation of the face-to-face requirement. Myers said, “What has created such a burden on physicians and home health providers is not the policy but how it has been implemented. Simply put, this important safeguard has been implemented with impossible-to-meet documentation requirements that go well beyond what was written in the law by Congress. … Fortunately, there is a solution: Congressman Walden authored legislation that would establish a simple approach to documenting physicians’ face-to-face encounter with their patients. In place of confusing requirements, this reform would ensure the policy is clearly and logically upheld through physician recording of the date of the encounter and use of a standardized form to identify the clinical condition for which home health is needed."
