COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010

H.Res. 1493 (Spratt) budget enforcement resolution; H.R. 1468, Medical Justice Act (Burgess) medical liability reform; H.R. 1493, Quality Health Care Coalition Act (Paul) antitrust exemption for physicians (cont.) H.R. 1658, Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act (Tiahrt) third party billing by VA for service-connected disabilities; H.R. 2221, Data Accountability and Trust Act (Rush) data security; H.R. 2249, Health Care Price Transparency Promotion Act (Burgess) price transparency; H.R. 2607: Small Business Health Coverage (Johnson) association health plans; H.R. 3081, Continuing Appropriations Act (Lowey) continuing resolution with temporary funding for HHS programs and agencies; H.R. 4061, Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (Lipinski) privacy protections for health information technology; H.R. 4213, Tax Extenders Act (Rangel/Baucus) premium assistance for unemployed, Roberts amendment addressing individual coverage requirement; H.R. 4700, Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act (Kagen) transparency in health care pricing; H.R. 4803, Patients' Right to Know Act (Barton) health benefits plan information, transparency in hospital price and quality information; H.R. 5136, National Defense Authorization Act (Skelton) coverage for dependents under TRICARE; H.R. 5324, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act (Davis) COBRA extension; H.R. 5690, MedMal Act (Gingrey) medical liability reform; H.R. 5777, Best PRACTICES Act (Rush) data security, privacy; DRAFT Boucher-Stearns privacy proposal collection and disclosure of certain personal information; S. 45, Medical Care Access Protection Act (Ensign) medical liability reform; S. 139, Data Breach Notification Act (Feinstein) data security; S. 458, False Claims Act Clarification Act (Grassley) fraud and abuse; S. 988, SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act (Snowe) cafeteria plans, flexible spending arrangements; S. 1490, Personal Data Privacy and Security Act (Leahy) privacy, identity theft; S. 1734, Medical Liability Reform (Kyl) medical liability reform; S. 2730, COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act (Brown) premium assistance for unemployed; S. 3393, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act (Brown) COBRA extension; S. 3421, Temporary Extension Act (Grassley) premium assistance for unemployed; S. 3548, Extend COBRA Premium Assistance Program Act (Casey) premium assistance for unemployed; S. 3579, Data Security Act (Carper) data security, privacy; S. 3686, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act (Harkin) funding for HHS programs and agencies; S. 3742, Data Security and Breach Notification Act (Pryor) data security, privacy HCR (Regulatory Issues): HIPAA administrative simplification issues, including standards for privacy, security, and electronic transactions and code sets; HIPAA enforcement; FEHBP enrollment data clearinghouse initiative; issues relating to health insurance plan participation in FEHBP, including contract requirements related to interoperability of health information technology, community rating policies, and similarly sized subscriber group (SSSG) requirement; implementation of the health savings account provisions of the Medicare Act; issues related to Medicare Secondary Payer requirements; issues related to implementation of the National Health Information Infrastructure; issues relating to market consolidation; issues relating to quality improvement; issues related to potential priority research topics for the effective health care program; issues relating to the national health data stewardship; issues relating to hospital outpatient measurement and reporting; issues related to genetics and genetic nondiscrimination; issues relating to mental health parity; issues relating to data breach requirements; issues relating to "meaningful use" requirements for health information technology; issues relating to Form 5500 reporting requirements; medical loss ratios; review of rates for reasonableness; health insurance exchanges; pre-existing condition insurance plans; accountable care organizations; internal claims and appeals and external review processes; coverage of preventive services; pre-existing condition exclusions; lifetime and annual dollar limits on benefits rescissions; patient protections; grandfathered health plan provisions; health insurance web portal requirements; dependent coverage; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.

Client expense: $2,330,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Social Security Administration (SSA), Treasury, Dept of

Implementation of healthcare reform legislation, coverage expansions, quality improvements, delivery system reforms, cost containment, health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, administrative simplification, health disparities, prevention and wellness, public heath and workforce issues, fraud and abuse - Executive Branch actions re PL 111-148/PL 111-152 *Data security - HR 2221, To protect consumers by requiring reasonable security policies and procedures to protect computerized data containing personal information, and to provide for nationwide notice in the event of a security breach; S 139, A bill to require Federal agencies, and persons engaged in interstate commerce, in possession of data containing sensitive personally identifiable information, to disclose any breach of such information. *Price transparency - HR 2249, To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for increased price transparency of hospital information and to provide for additional research on consumer information on charges and out-of-pocket costs. *Association health plans - HR 2607, To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to improve access and choice for entrepreneurs with small businesses with respect to medical care for their employees. *Privacy, identity theft - S 1490, A bill to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information. *Coverage for dependents under TRICARE - HR 5136, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. *Budget enforcement resolution - H.Res 1493, Providing for budget enforcement for fiscal year 2011. *Premium assistance for unemployed - S 3421, Protecting Against Indebting our Descendants through Fully Offset Relief (PAID FOR) Temporary Extension Act of 2010; S 3548, Extend COBRA Premium Assistance Program Act of 2010. *Continuing resolution with temporary funding for HHS programs and agencies - HR 3081, Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011; S 3686, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011. *Data security, privacy - HR 5777, To foster transparency about the commercial use of personal information, provide consumers with meaningful choice about the collection, use, and disclosure of such information; S 3579, Data Security Act of of 2010; S 3742, Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2010. *Privacy proposal, collection and disclosure of certain personal information - Proposed legislation re this issue. *Medical liability reform - HR 1468, To provide health care liability reform, and for other purposes; S 45, A bill to improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system; HR 5690, Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010; S 1734, A bill to reduce the cost of health care and ensure patient access to doctors by ending excessive malpractice verdicts through common-sense lawsuit reform. *Antitrust exemption for physicians - HR 1493, To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by exempting health care professionals from the Federal antitrust laws in their negotiations with health plans and health insurance issuers. *Third-party billing by VA for service-connected disabilities - HR 1658, To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the recovery by the United States of charges from a third party for hospital care or medical services furnished to a veteran for a service-connected disability. *COBRA assistance - HR 4213, American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010. * COBRA subsidies for the unemployed - S 2730, COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act of 2009. *COBRA extension - HR 5324, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010; S 3393, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010. *Transparency in healthcare pricing - HR 4700, Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010. *Health benefits plan information, transparency in hospital price and quality information - HR 4803, To ensure health care consumer and provider access to certain health benefits plan information and to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide transparency in hospital price and quality information. *Privacy protections for health information technology - HR 4061, To advance cybersecurity research, development, and technical standards, and for other purposes. *Fraud and abuse - S 458, A bill to amend the False Claims Act. *Cafeteria plans, flexible spending arrangements - S 988, A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow small businesses to set up simple cafeteria plans to provide nontaxable employee benefits to their employees, to make changes in the requirements for cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, and benefits provided under such plans or accounts, and for other purposes.

S 2781 - Rosa's Law HR 3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HR 2381, S 1788 - Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 S 1031 - National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act HR 2273 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2009 Improving quality of care and patient safety Health Care Reform Law Implementation HR 4213 - Increasing FMAP HR 5324 - COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act HR 3200, HR 3962, S. 1679, S 1796 - Health Care Reform HR 847, S 1334 - James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act

Client expense: $750,000 · Firm income: Not reported

H.Res. 1493 (Spratt) budget enforcement resolution; H.R. 1468, Medical Justice Act (Burgess) medical liability reform; (cont.) H.R. 1493, Quality Health Care Coalition Act (Paul) antitrust exemption for physicians; H.R. 1658, Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act (Tiahrt) third party billing by VA for service-connected disabilities; H.R. 2221, Data Accountability and Trust Act (Rush) data security; H.R. 2249, Health Care Price Transparency Promotion Act (Burgess) price transparency; H.R. 2607: Small Business Health Coverage (Johnson) association health plans; H.R. 3590, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Reid) coverage expansions, quality improvements, delivery system reforms, cost containment, health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, administrative simplification, health disparities, prevention and wellness, public health and workforce issues, fraud and abuse; H.R. 4061, Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (Lipinski) privacy protections for health information technology; H.R. 4213, Tax Extenders Act (Rangel/Baucus) premium assistance for unemployed, Roberts amendment addressing individual coverage requirement; H.R. 4691, Temporary Extension Act (Rangel) premium assistance for unemployed; H.R. 4700, Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act (Kagen) transparency in health care pricing; H.R. 4803, Patients' Right to Know Act (Barton) health benefits plan information, transparency in hospital price and quality information; H.R. 4851, Continuing Extension Act (Levin) premium assistance for unemployed, electronic health records; H.R. 5136, National Defense Authorization Act (Skelton) coverage for dependents under TRICARE; H.R. 5324, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act (Davis) COBRA extension; H.R. 5486, Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act (Levin) Camp motion addressing individual coverage requirement; H.R. 5690, MedMal Act (Gingrey) medical liability reform; S.Con.Res. 60, FY 2011 Budget Resolution (Conrad) reserve funds for health priorities; S. 45, Medical Care Access Protection Act (Ensign) medical liability reform; S. 139, Data Breach Notification Act (Feinstein) data security; S. 458, False Claims Act Clarification Act (Grassley) fraud and abuse; S. 988, SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act (Snowe) cafeteria plans, flexible spending arrangements; S. 1490, Personal Data Privacy and Security Act (Leahy) privacy, identity theft; S. 1734, Medical Liability Reform (Kyl) medical liability reform; S. 2730, COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act (Brown) premium assistance for unemployed; S. 3393, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act (Brown) COBRA extension; S. 3421, Temporary Extension Act (Grassley) premium assistance for unemployed; S. 3548 (Casey) premium assistance for unemployed HCR (Regulatory Issues): HIPAA administrative simplification issues, including standards for privacy, security, and electronic transactions and code sets; HIPAA enforcement; FEHBP enrollment data clearinghouse initiative; issues relating to health insurance plan participation in FEHBP, including contract requirements related to interoperability of health information technology, community rating policies, and similarly sized subscriber group (SSSG) requirement; implementation of the health savings account provisions of the Medicare Act; issues related to Medicare Secondary Payer requirements; issues related to implementation of the National Health Information Infrastructure; issues relating to market consolidation; issues relating to quality improvement; issues related to potential priority research topics for the effective health care program; issues relating to the national health data stewardship; issues relating to hospital outpatient measurement and reporting; issues related to genetics and genetic nondiscrimination; issues relating to mental health parity; issues relating to data breach requirements; issues relating to "meaningful use" requirements for health information technology; issues relating to Form 5500 reporting requirements; and issues relating to health care reform implementation.

S 2781 - Rosa's Law HR 3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HR 2381, S 1788 - Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 S 1031 - National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act HR 2273 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2009 Improving quality of care and patient safety Health Care Reform Law Implementation HR 4213 - Increasing FMAP HR 5324 - COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act HR 3200, HR 3962, S. 1679, S 1796 - Health Care Reform HR 847, S 1334 - James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act

Client expense: $740,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Implementation of healthcare reform legislation, PL 111-148 (coverage expansions, quality improvements, delivery system refors, cost containment, health information technology, comparative effectiveness research, administrative simplification, health disparities, prevention and wellness, public health and workforce issues, fraud and abuse) - Executive Branch actions re these issues. *Data security - HR 2221, To protect consumers by requiring reasonable security policies and procedures to protect computerized data containing personal information, and to provide for nationwide notice in the event of a security breach; S 139, A bill to require Federal agencies, and persons engaged in interstate commerce, in possession of data containing sensitive personally identifiable information, to disclose any breach of such information. *Price transparency - HR 2249, To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for increased price transparency of hospital information and to provide for additional research on consumer information on charges and out-of-pocket costs. *Association health plans - HR 2607, To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to improve access and choice for entrepreneurs with small businesses with respect to medical care for their employees. *Privacy, identity theft - S 1490, A bill to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information. *Coverage for dependents under TRICARE - HR 5136, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. *Camp motion addressing individual coverage requirement - HR 5486, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for small business job creation, and for other purposes. *Budget enforcement resolution - H.Res 1493, Providing for budget enforcement for fiscal year 2011. *Premium assistance for unemployed - S 3421, Protecting Against Indebting our Descendants through Fully Offset Relief (PAID FOR) Temporary Extension Act of 2010; S 3548, Extend COBRA Premium Assistance Program Act of 2010. *Reserve funds for health priorities - S Con Res 60, An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2011, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2010, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2012 through 2015. *Medical liability reform - HR 1468, To provide health care liability reform, and for other purposes; S 45, A bill to improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system; HR 5690, Meaningful End to Defensive Medicine & Aimless Lawsuits (MedMal) Act of 2010; S 1734, A bill to reduce the cost of health care and ensure patient access to doctors by ending excessive malpractice verdicts through common-sense lawsuit reform. *Antitrust exemption for physicians - HR 1493, To ensure and foster continued patient safety and quality of care by exempting health care professionals from the Federal antitrust laws in their negotiations with health plans and health insurance issuers. *Third-party billing by VA for service-connected disabilities - HR 1658, To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the recovery by the United States of charges from a third party for hospital care or medical services furnished to a veteran for a service-connected disability. *COBRA assistance - HR 4213, American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 ; HR 4691, Temporary Extension Act of 2010 *COBRA assistance, electronic health records - HR 4851, Continuing Extension Act of 2010. * COBRA subsidies for the unemployed - S 2730, COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act of 2009. *COBRA extension - HR 5324, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010; S 3393, COBRA Health Benefits Extension Act of 2010. *Transparency in healthcare pricing - HR 4700, Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010. *Health benefits plan information, transparency in hospital price and quality information - HR 4803, To ensure health care consumer and provider access to certain health benefits plan information and to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide transparency in hospital price and quality information. *Privacy protections for health information technology - HR 4061, To advance cybersecurity research, development, and technical standards, and for other purposes. *Fraud and abuse - S 458, A bill to amend the False Claims Act. *Cafeteria plans, flexible spending arrangements - S 988, A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow small businesses to set up simple cafeteria plans to provide nontaxable employee benefits to their employees, to make changes in the requirements for cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, and benefits provided under such plans or accounts, and for other purposes.

S. 1796, to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending HR 1558 To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions in group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets H.R. 1897 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes H.R. 2520 to provide comprehensive solutions for the health care system of the United States, and for other purposes HR 2847COBRA, extend benefits period; extend termination date eligibility to June 30, 2010 HR 3200 America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 H.R.3590: An act entitled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. H.R.3596: To ensure that health insurance issuers and medical malpractice insurance issuers cannot engage in price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations to the detriment of competition and consumers. H.R. 3930, to extend for 6 months the maximum COBRA continuation coverage period for individuals who were involuntarily terminated between April 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009, and to amend the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 to extend the eligibility period and maximum assistance period for COBRA premium assistance under such Act. H.R.3962: To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending. H.R. 3326: Extends from nine to 15 months the 65% COBRA health insurance subsidy for individuals who have lost their jobs. The job lost eligibility date is extended in the provision to February 28, 2010. Approximately seven million people benefited from the premium subsidy provided in the Recovery Act. HR 4757 to provide for the establishment of a health insurance rate authority to establish limits on premium rating HR 4872 The bill makes a number of health-related financing and revenue changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted by H.R.3590 and modifies higher education assistance provisions H.R. 5324, to provide for extension of COBRA continuation coverage until coverage is available otherwise under either an employment-based health plan or through an American Health Benefit Exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act S 623 To amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit preexisting condition exclusions in group health plans and in health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets S 803 A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to employers for the costs of implementing wellness programs, and for other purposes. S. Amdt 98 In the nature of a substitute S. 1099 to provide comprehensive solutions for the health care system of the United States, and for other purposes S. 1488 to extend temporarily the 18-month period of continuation coverage under group health plans required under COBRA continuation coverage provisions so as to provide for a total period of continuation coverage of up to 24 months S. 1679 the Affordable Health Choices Act -- An original bill to make quality, affordable health care available to all Americans, reduce costs, improve health care quality, enhance disease prevention, and strengthen the health care workforce. S.1681: A bill to ensure that health insurance issuers and medical malpractice insurance issuers cannot engage in price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations to the detriment of competition and consumers S. 1796, to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending S. 3078 to provide for the establishment of a health insurance rate authority to establish limits on premium rating