Urban Medicare-Dependent Hospitals Preservation Act of 2013

HR567, HR676, HR1390, HR1787, S739, S842, New York State 1115 Medicaid Waiver Application.

Client expense: $28,809 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Urged strong support for an extension of NJs imputed wage index floor in the FY2014 IPPS Rule. Urged support for keeping the budget neutrality for imputed and rural floors at a national practice. Strongly urged New Jerseys congressional delegation to prevent the automatic 2 percent cut to providers Medicare payments and advocate that Congress not impose arbitrary payment cuts to providers, but instead offer real solutions to our nation's fiscal problems.Urged Congress to prevent the 27 percent cut to doctor payments but not at the expense of providers. While Congress was deliberating how to address our fiscal woes, NJHA continued to oppose any reductions to Medicare and Medicaid payments as well as cuts to GME, IME, E/M services, bad debt, among other proposed reductions harmful to providers. Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA), that delayed the automatic spending reductions for two months and pushed off the 27 percent doctors payment cuts by 12 months as well as extended other expiring Medicare payment provisions. NJHA expressed dismay that Congress decided to pay for these provisions in part by implementing a documentation and coding offset and extending current Medicaid disproportionate share hospital reductions for an additional year. These reductions will have direct impact hospital payments. Urged support to reverse CMMI's decision to suspend the implementation of NJ's Bundled Payment Model 1 Gainsharing Demonstration Project. Support Congressional letter to CMS regarding proposed changes to Medicare payments for dementia and their negative implications for the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which would eventually reduce Medicare payments to PACE organizations by an average of 10 percent. Support H.R. 297, to reauthorize the Childrens Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program, which provides funding to help freestanding children's hospitals train pediatric residents. Support H.R. 1390, the Urban Medicare-Dependent Hospitals (UMDH) Preservation Act, a measure to protect hospitals in New Jersey and other-urban areas that are facing unsustainable Medicare payment losses. Support H.R. 1250, the Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2013. This legislation that would make much needed improvements to the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program and other Medicare audit programs. Support S. 351, legislation to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board created by the PPACA. Strongly oppose S. 183, The Hospital Payment Fairness Act, a bill that would sunset the national budget neutrality for rural and imputed floors at the end of the fiscal year and replace it with a state-specific adjustment. Strongly opposed an amendment offered in the Senate Budget measure that proposed to reinstate a state budget neutrality for rural and imputed floors. NJHA supported an amendment that was offered in the Senate Budget measure that sought a larger review of the area wage index.

Client expense: $80,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Medicaid Funding in the Federal Budget; Medicare Funding in the Federal Budget; Urban Medicare Dependent Hospital Act HR 1390; Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act HR 1179, S 569; Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act HR 574; Training Tomorrow's Doctor's Act-GME Funding HR 1201; MedPAC Recommendations on Medicare Payments

Client expense: $100,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE