The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Examining Legislation to Improve Medicare and Medicaid." The subcommittee will continue its efforts to protect Medicare and Medicaid for the most vulnerable and ensure government operates as effectively and efficiently as possible.
The bills to be discussed are:
H.R. ____, Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act - Authored by Reps. Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), the discussion draft would authorize $31 million for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify and publish quality measures for maternal and infant health and to award grants to develop or expand collaborative activities related to maternity and infant care quality.
Updated language for H.R. 1361, Medicaid HOME Improvement Act - Authored by Health Subcommittee Vice Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), this measure updates Medicaid which currently prevents certain individuals with substantial home equity from receiving coverage for long-term care services. When originally enacted, states could set the maximum home equity-level between $500,000 and $750,000. This provision would eliminate the option for states to increase the home equity allowance above $552,000 (adjusted for inflation).
Updated language for H.R. 1362, Medicaid REPORTS Act - Authored by Vice Chairman Guthrie, the bill requires states to submit annual reports that identify the sources and amounts of funds used by the state to finance the non-federal share of Medicaid.
H.R. 2151, Improving Oversight and Accountability in Medicaid Non-DSH Supplemental Payments Act - Authored by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), the legislation seeks to address serious concerns raised by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. H.R. 2151 would impose reporting and annual auditing requirements on non-disproportionate share hospital (DSH) supplemental payments and clarify payment policies for non-DSH supplemental funding, and require annual independent audits of states’ non-DSH provider payments as outlined by GAO.
H.R. 2878, to provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2015 - Authored by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), this bill would require HHS to continue to instruct Medicare contractors not to enforce requirements for direct physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2015. The bill would simply extend last year’s extension that bars enforcement of the physician supervision requirement until the end of 2015.as they are posted.
