Lawmakers raise the heat on states that forced nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients
Five Democratic governors are facing additional heat for their policies that forced nursing homes to take in COVID-19 residents.
House Of Representatives
Providers disturbed by GOP tax plan passed by House
LeadingAge said it was “profoundly disappointed” the House of Representatives passed a Republican tax plan that would eliminate medical expense deductions and lower the corporate income tax rate to 20%.
New bill improves on nursing home surveys and surveyor training
A new House bill aims to improve the nursing home survey process, enhance whistleblower protections for surveyors and establish an advisory committee for CMS that would include skilled nursing facility administrators, directors of nursing and other stakeholders. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) introduced the bill on Tuesday.
Congressional leaders call for hearings on deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacteria
The House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee should hold hearings on deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the rise, according to a March 7 letter from lawmakers.
House Republicans aim to block board’s Medicare authority
Republican House leaders say they will continue to fight a part of the healthcare reform law that could lead to Medicare spending reductions without direct input from Congress. The House was scheduled to vote on rules for the 113th Congress Thursday. Part of them would include a GOP-promoted package that would disallow powers of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).
Nursing home lobbyists fight back against proposed provider tax reduction
As lawmakers negotiated a budget deal Thursday, the American Health Care Association voiced its objection to cutting the Medicaid Provider Assessment statutory threshold.
House bill hopes to determine if there really is an app for that
Providers can now download thousands of mobile health applications. These apps allow users to examine issues ranging from glucose levels to resident movement. But it’s not always easy to tell which apps truly deliver as promised.
Congress votes to prevent whopping physician pay cut
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.
Medicare Part D sponsors may be overcharging beneficiaries; investigation sought
Congressional Democrats are calling for a full review of the Medicare Part D program following a recent audit that found that many program sponsors have been overcharging beneficiaries by underestimating manufacturer rebates in their bids.
