Senate

All eyes turn to the Senate over the fate of the CLASS Act

McKnight's Staff February 03, 2012

Providers will be among the interested stakeholders watching closely for signs whether the Senate will follow the House's lead and vote to repeal the CLASS Act. Many observers believe the Democrat-led Senate will not, but there has been at least a minor shift in momentum for it recently. Various news reports have detailed what it could mean to have the dormant measure still on the books, and fiscal conservatives don't like it. Meanwhile, proponents of the first-ever government long-term care benefit continue to press their opponents with the question: If not CLASS, then what?
 

Congress votes to prevent whopping physician pay cut

December 23, 2011

The House and Senate voted Friday morning to pass a two-month extension of the so-called "doc fix," preventing a scheduled 27.4% cut in Medicare payments for physicians.
 

Long-term care operators join the rest of the nation in wondering: Will Congress pull a rabbit out of its hat?

December 22, 2011

Long-term care providers and other caregivers — as well as significant other groups of people around the country — will be anxiously watching to see if the Senate and the House can get together on compromise funding legislation before the end of the year. At risk with the dawning of 2012 will be major funding cutbacks to Medicare doctors, expiration of the Medicare therapy exceptions process, among other items. An impasse was created after the Senate overwhelmingly passed a package that included a two-month extension to payroll tax cuts last weekend, but then the Republican-led House voted down the same measure. Millions of people will be affected one way or another.
 

CMS instructs contractors to hold physician payment claims as House votes down payroll tax cut bill

December 20, 2011

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has instructed claims contractors to withhold physician payment claims for the first 10 days of 2012, citing Congress' inability to address the "doc fix."
 

Providers tense, as House leaders vow to vote around Senate-approved measure with 'doc fix' and therapy cap extender bills

December 19, 2011

Provider groups were anxiously awaiting a vote that is expected to be held Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives. The balloting could determine the short-term fate of Medicare spending for the "doc fix" and an extension to the therapy caps exception process.
 

Providers 'working very hard' to ensure Senate doesn't vote for CLASS Act repeal

December 01, 2011

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to repeal the CLASS Act on Wednesday, making a full House vote possible by the end of the year. Meanwhile, providers in favor of the law have intensified efforts to ensure the Senate doesn't follow the House's lead.
 

Repeal excise tax on medical devices, letters state

July 20, 2011

More than 400 organizations and companies have sent letters to House and Senate leaders asking for the repeal of a 2.3% medical device excise tax. The tax is scheduled to begin in 2013. If enacted, it would cost vendors more than $2.7 billion each year, letters warn.
 

Bill would correct post-hospitalization Medicare loophole

April 15, 2011

A bipartisan group of House and Senate members have proposed legislation that would ensure that seniors have access to skilled nursing care after being hospitalized for observation.
 

Berwick supporters urge Obama, Senate to hold confirmation hearings

March 22, 2011

Embattled Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick received a shot of support recently from a number of high-profile colleagues in the medical field, according to news sources.
 

Consumer advocates to ask for more regulation of assisted living at Senate roundtable today

March 15, 2011

Assisted living should be subject to more government oversight and regulation, at least one consumer group is expected to recommend this afternoon at a Senate Special Committee on Aging roundtable.
 

Pssssst! Have we got a deal for you!

March 10, 2011

We might have just been subjected to the biggest dose of chutzpah seen in a long, long while. It smacked of the old image of the leering used-car salesman (sorry, used car sales people) rubbing his thumb and forefinger together to imply he could save YOU money.
 

What we have here is a failure to capitulate

March 07, 2011

The saga of Donald Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services took an interesting, if not sadly predictable, turn last week. Opponents of his patron, President Obama, called for Berwick to be pulled from consideration for renomination.
 

Lawmakers fail to repeal provision designed to help finance healthcare reform

December 01, 2010

The Senate failed to muster the votes Monday to repeal an unpopular tax reporting mandate that was passed to help finance the healthcare reform law.
 

Democrats prevent filibuster in health reform vote, Christmas Eve passage likely

December 22, 2009

The U.S. Senate could be just two days away from passing a massive healthcare reform package, based on reports out of the nation's capital that the Democrats have attained a 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority.
 

The gloves to come off in reform debate

October 29, 2009

Now that House Democrats, the dominant party in that chamber, have issued their proposal for healthcare reform, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office will put a price tag on it. The full House then could vote on the measure by the end of next week.
 

Big vote at hand for healthcare reform

October 09, 2009

The next heavy shoe in the nationwide healthcare reform debate is about to drop on Tuesday. That's when the Senate Finance Committee has decided to vote on what will likely become that chamber's model for reconciliation with a House version.
 

Long-term care providers find silver linings among healthcare reform proposals

September 24, 2009

After two days and more than 560 proposed amendments, adjustments to the Senate Finance Committee healthcare proposal are still a long way from being completed, but long-term care providers have found at least a few plums among them.
 
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