Clifton J. Porter II

Long-term care lobbyists often gather in Washington to promote legislation they favor.

Most recently, however, advocates did the opposite and went on a search-and-destroy mission. 

Providers were urged to dissuade their respective congressional representatives from supporting potentially damaging proposals. The occasion was the American Health Care Association’s annual Capitol Hill fly-in.

The biggest target was the Medicare Post-Acute Value-Based Purchasing Act of 2015 (HR 3298). The measure would withhold 8% of nursing facilities’ Medicare payments and redistribute 50% to 70% of the withholding based on subsequent quality improvement.

“I hate this bill,” shouted Clifton J. Porter II, AHCA’s director of government relations. “Basically, it’s putting 8% of our Medicare payments at risk based on how we perform on cost, not quality.”