WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today held a markup on seven bipartisan bills designed to strengthen the Medicare Part B program.
#SubHealth advanced the following bills:
* H.R. 1148, the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), would expand the ability of patients presenting at hospitals or at mobile stroke units to receive a Medicare reimbursed neurological consult via telemedicine. H.R. 1148 passed by voice vote, as amended.
* H.R. 2465, the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act of 2017, authored by House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Rep. John Larson (D-CT), would make coverage of speech generating devices under “routinely purchased durable medical equipment" permanent under the Medicare program. H.R. 2465 passed by voice vote.
* H.R. 2557, the Prostate Cancer Misdiagnosis Elimination Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), would provide for coverage of DNA Specimen Provenance Assay (DPSA) testing for prostate cancer. H.R. 2557 passed by voice vote.
* H.R. 3120, to reduce the volume of future electronic health record-related significant hardship requests, authored by Chairman Burgess and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), would amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to remove the mandate that meaningful use standards become more stringent over time and allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be more deliberative in such evaluations. H.R. 3120 passed by voice vote.
* H.R. 3245, the Medicare Civil and Criminal Penalties Act, authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), would update both penalties within the Medicare program, many of which have not been updated in 20 years. H.R. 3245 passed by voice vote.
* H.R. 3263, to extend the Medicare Independence at home Medical Practice Demonstration program, authored by Chairman Burgess and Rep. Dingell, would extend the Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Program (IAH), which provides a home-based primary care benefit to high-need Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions, ideally allowing them to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, ER visits, and nursing home use, for two additional years. H.R. 3263 passed by voice vote.
* H.R. 3271, the Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), would address several issues beneficiaries have reported facing under the competitive bidding program regarding Diabetes Test Strips (DTS). Among them include: providing enhanced reporting that will aid Congress and CMS in ensuring beneficiaries are receiving the diabetic testing supplies they need to manage their condition. H.R. 3271 passed by voice vote, as amended.
“The policies within each of these bills exemplify our shared commitment to strengthening the Medicare program for current beneficiaries, and improving it for future generations," said Chairman Burgess.
