WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives today passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government, by a vote of 245-182. A number of important health care provisions were also included in the bill, including the permanent repeal of the Medicare therapy caps and funding for Community Health Centers.
“The House once again acted in putting patients first, this time by advancing a number of Medicare extenders and critical public health programs," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX). “We urge the Senate to swiftly pass the CR, delivering necessary funding for our government operations and vital public health programs, and making a number of meaningful reforms."
Specifically, the CR included language from or based on:
* H.R. 3926, the Community Coordination And Resource Empowerment Act (Community CARE Act), authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding for Community Health Centers.
* H.R. 3935, the Bolstering Organizations and Options to Support Training in Primary Care Act (BOOST Primary Care Act), authored by #SubEnvironment Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding for the National Health Service Corps.
* H.R. 3394, the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Extension Act, authored by House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding for Teaching Health Centers.
* H.R. 3924, to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend funding for the special diabetes program for type I diabetes, authored by Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding.
* H.R. 3917, to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend funding for the special diabetes program for Indians, authored by Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding.
* H.R. 3900, the Youth Empowerment Act, providing FY2018 and FY2019 funding for Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education, authored by Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX).
* H.R. 938, the Medicaid Third Party Liability Act, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess. As modified, the provision will improve Medicaid Third Party Liability rules and strengthen Medicaid’s role as the payer of last resort by requiring other liable insurers to pay claims for prenatal services before Medicaid pays.
* A permanent repeal of the annual limit on per-patient therapy expenditures in Medicare (therapy caps), authored by #SubCommTech Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
* Technical corrections to MACRA, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess.
* H.R. 3263, to extend the Medicare Independence at home Medical Practice Demonstration program, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), 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. 1148, the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2017, authored by #SubOversight Vice Chairman Morgan Griffith and (R-VA) Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH). H.R. 1148 will expand the ability of patients presenting at hospitals or at mobile stroke units to receive a Medicare reimbursed neurological consult via telemedicine.
* H.R. 3163, the Medicare Part B Home Infusion Services Temporary Transitional Payment Act, authored by #SubEnergy Chairman Upton (R-MI). H.R. 3163 will create a temporary transitional payment policy, for services related to infusion drugs before a permanent payment policy, included as part of the 21st Century Cures Act is finalized.
* H.R. 3271, the Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Diana DeGette and Rep. Susan Brooks, 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. 2465, the Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act of 2017, authored by House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Rep. John Larson (D-CT). H.R. 2465 will make coverage of speech generating devices under “routinely purchased durable medical equipment" permanent under the Medicare program.
* H.R. 3245, the Medicare Civil and Criminal Penalties Act, authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL). H.R. 3245 will update both penalties within the Medicare program, many of which have not been updated in 20 years.
* H.R. 3120, to reduce the volume of future electronic health record-related significant hardship requests, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess and Rep. Debbie Dingell. H.R. 3120 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.
* Modifying the reductions in Medicaid DSH payments, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess.
* H.R. 2557, the Prostate Cancer Misdiagnosis Elimination Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), will provide for coverage of DNA specimen provenance assay (DPSA) testing for prostate cancer.
* H.R. 829, the Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable Over Lottery Winners Act of 2017, authored by #SubEnergy Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). H.R. 829 will disenroll lottery jackpot winners from Medicaid, in order to prioritize the most vulnerable.
Background:
In November, the House passed H.R. 3922, the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, largely without Democrat support. H.R. 3922 would have extended funding for CHIP, Community Health Centers, and the public health programs listed above.
H.R. 3922 was fully offset through responsible reforms like reducing federal subsidies for seniors earning more than $500,000 each year (or $40,000 each month) by limiting government contributions for their Part B and D premiums, and disenrolling lottery jackpot winners from Medicaid to prioritize the most vulnerable.
Last month the House and Senate passed a six-year extension of CHIP funding in another CR. President Trump signed it into law on Jan. 22, 2018. It is the longest and most generous extension in the program’s 20-year history.
