WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), today continued its efforts to protect Medicare and Medicaid for the most vulnerable and to ensure government operates as effectively and efficiently as possible.
“Together, these five bills continue the commitment this Congress has made to strengthen the Medicare and Medicaid programs to help sustain these important safety net programs for those most reliant on them," said Chairman Pitts.
The bills that were reviewed by the subcommittee included:
Updated language for H.R. 1361, Medicaid HOME Improvement Act - Authored by 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 When originally enacted, states could set the maximum home equity-level between $500,000 and $750,000.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 - Also 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. Guthrie commented, “These are good-government bills that help strengthen the Medicaid program and protect valuable taxpayer dollars. With the growing burden the Medicaid program is placing on the federal budget and our state budgets, it is important that we know how states are coming up with the dollars necessary to meet their Medicaid match, and H.R. 1362 will play a critical role in that effort."
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. During the hearing, Collins stated, “By imposing reporting requirements on non-DSH supplemental payments, clarifying payment policies for such funding and requiring annual independent audits of states’ non-DSH supplemental payments, we can boost oversight and transparency."
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.
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.
