Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act
Legislative Progress
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
90pct
169d open
vs 7,393 other HR bills in the 115th — cohort avg 50d
Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report on how the inclusion of quality percentage increases affects certain payment calculations under Medicare Advantage.
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Filing registrants (11)
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7115)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7115)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4952.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7115-7116)
Mr. Kelly (PA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 644.
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
Bills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov
2018 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 413, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Capito) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies S. 428, ACE Kids Act (Grassley) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions S. 1016, CONNECT For Health Act (Schatz) - telehealth S. 1169, Medicaid CARE Act (Durbin-Portman) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion S. 1688, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act (Klobuchar) - Part D price negotiations S. 1804, Medicare for All Act (Sanders) - single payer health system S. 1890, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Cardin) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease S. 1909, BENES Act (Casey) - notifications of Medicare eligibility S. 2027, Medicaid Third Party Liability Act (Portman) - Medicaid third party liability S. 2051, Medicare Care Coordination Improvement Act of 2017 (Portman) - barriers to payment reform models S. 2227, EMPOWER Care Act (Portman-Cantwell) - Medicaid Money Follows the Person Demonstration S. 2707, Informing Seniors About Opioids Act (Nelson) - opioid issues S. 2901, Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (Thune) - opioid issues S. 2904, Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Via Telehealth Act (Carper) - opioid issues S. 2908, Electronic Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D Act (Roberts) - opioid issues S. 3327, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (Cortez Masto) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions S. 3496, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Daines-King) - study on MA benchmark cap S. 3497, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Daines-King) - MA benchmark cap S. 3702, Right Rebate Act (Wyden-Grassley) - Medicaid drug rebate program Draft Bill: Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act (Pallone) - Long-Term Services and Supports Program H.R. 6, SUPPORT Patients and Families Act (Walden) - opioid initiatives, Medicare and Medicaid issues, budget offsets H.R. 695, Continuing Appropriations Act (Schiff) - Money Follows the Person demonstration, spousal impoverishment protections H.R. 849, Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act (Roe) - Independent Payment Advisory Board H.R. 908, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Kelly) - MA payment cap H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Griffith) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies H.R. 1148, FAST Act (Griffith) - access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under Medicare H.R. 1316, Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Collins) - PBM standards for MA and PDP plans H.R. 1995, V-BID for Better Care Act (Black) - value-based insurance design in Medicare Advantage H.R. 2556, CONNECT For Health Act (Black) - telehealth H.R. 2575, BENES Act (Ruiz) - notifications of Medicare eligibility H.R. 2644, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Marino) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease H.R. 2687, Medicaid CARE Act (Foster-Fitzpatrick) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 3044, Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Medicare Advantage Enrollees (Meehan) H.R. 3263, Medicare Independence at Home Model of Care (Burgess) - demonstration program H.R. 3325, ACE Kids Act (Barton) - health homes for children with complex medical conditions H.R. 3360, Telehealth Enhancement Act (Harper) - telehealth in Medicare H.R. 3635, Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act (Jenkins) - procedures for Medicare administrative contractors H.R. 3727, Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act (Black) - telehealth in MA plans H.R. 4143, Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act (Smith) - alternative care delivery models and payment methodologies for patients with end-stage renal disease H.R. 4952, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Kelly) - MA benchmark cap study H.R. 5306, EMPOWER Care Act (Guthrie) - extension of Money Follows the Person demonstration H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act (Matsui) - opioid issues H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act (Ruiz) - opioid issues H.R. 5675, drug management programs for at-risk Medicare beneficiaries (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5676, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (MacArthur) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act (Kelly) - opioid issues H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (Faso) - opioid issues H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act (Paulsen) - opioid issues H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act (Renacci) - communication between Medicare plan sponsors and CMS H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors Act (Roskam) - opioid issues H.R. 5797, IMD CARE Act (Walters) - Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act (Bucshon) - opioid issues H.R. 5799, Medicaid Drug Review, Utilization, Good Governance Improvement Act (Blackburn) - opioid issues H.R. 5800, Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act (Upton) - opioid issues H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act (Shimkus) - opioid issues H.R. 5808, Medicaid Pharmaceutical Home Act (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act (Peters) - opioid issues H.R. 5810, Medicaid Health Homes for Opioid-Use-Disorder Medicaid Enrollees Encouraged Act (Lance) - opioid issues H.R. 5812, Improving Medicaid Data Timeliness Act (Griffith) - opioid issues H.R. 6431, Medigap Consumer Protection Act (Levin) - reforms to Medicare supplemental insurance H.R. 6561, Comprehensive Care for Seniors Act (Walorski) -- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly H.R. 6563, Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Seniors Act (Pallone-Neal) - Medicare Part D cliff H.R. 6662, Empowering Seniors Decision Enrollment Act (Paulsen) - special enrollment period for non-deemed Medicare Cost Plan enrollees H.R. 6690, Fighting Fraud to Protect Care for Seniors Act (Roskam) - Medicare pilot program for smart card technology H.R. 7122, Shared Accountability for Improved Patient Outcomes Act (Paulsen) - value-based payment and delivery arrangements H.R. 7217, IMPROVE Act (Barton) - Money Follows the Person demonstration, ACE Kids Act, Medicare drug rebate program, spousal impoverishment protections H.R. 7223, Right Rebate Act (Schrader-Welch) - Medicaid drug rebate program H.R. 7247, Incentivizing Shared Risk in Medicare Advantage Act (Brady) - MA prior authorization H.R. 7249, Better Prior Authorization Notification Act (Reed) - MA prior authorization H.R. 7250, Prior Authorization Improvement Act (Kelly) - MA prior authorization Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and audit issues; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2020 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; MA and Part D proposed rule on drug pricing changes for 2020; CMSs price transparency proposal for direct-to-consumer advertisements; issues relating to 2019 Rate Notice and Call Letter; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; implementation of sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of the health insurer fee for MA and Part D plans; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); CMS's proposed Part B drug demonstration program; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the Part D coverage gap; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; new payment system for physicians under MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare clinical trials; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the ACA including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; issues relating to prescription drug price blueprint; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.
Client expense: $1,550,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Telecommunications
H.R.4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S.3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · fourth_quarter · Telecommunications
5G, STEM, Trade H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · fourth_quarter · Telecommunications
Monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry. H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $100,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · fourth_quarter · Telecommunications
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 115-832, Part I.
Congress.gov source codes: 5000, H12200
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Congress.gov source codes: 1000, Intro-H
| Markup by |
| June 21, 2018 |
| Energy and Commerce Committee | House | Referred to | February 6, 2018 |
| Ways and Means Committee | House | Referred to | February 6, 2018 |
| February 6, 2018 |
2018 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 413, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Capito) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies S. 428, ACE Kids Act (Grassley) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions S. 1016, CONNECT For Health Act (Schatz) - telehealth S. 1169, Medicaid CARE Act (Durbin-Portman) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion S. 1688, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act (Klobuchar) - Part D price negotiations S. 1804, Medicare for All Act (Sanders) - single payer health system S. 1890, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Cardin) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease S. 1909, BENES Act (Casey) - notifications of Medicare eligibility S. 2027, Medicaid Third Party Liability Act (Portman) - Medicaid third party liability S. 2051, Medicare Care Coordination Improvement Act of 2017 (Portman) - barriers to payment reform models S. 2227, EMPOWER Care Act (Portman-Cantwell) - Medicaid Money Follows the Person Demonstration S. 2707, Informing Seniors About Opioids Act (Nelson) - opioid issues S. 2901, Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (Thune) - opioid issues S. 2904, Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Via Telehealth Act (Carper) - opioid issues S. 2908, Electronic Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D Act (Roberts) - opioid issues S. 3327, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (Cortez Masto) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions S. 3496, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Daines-King) - study on MA benchmark cap S. 3497, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Daines-King) - MA benchmark cap S. 3702, Right Rebate Act (Wyden-Grassley) - Medicaid drug rebate program Draft Bill: Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act (Pallone) - Long-Term Services and Supports Program H.R. 6, SUPPORT Patients and Families Act (Walden) - opioid initiatives, Medicare and Medicaid issues, budget offsets H.R. 695, Continuing Appropriations Act (Schiff) - Money Follows the Person demonstration, spousal impoverishment protections H.R. 849, Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act (Roe) - Independent Payment Advisory Board H.R. 908, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Kelly) - MA payment cap H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Griffith) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies H.R. 1148, FAST Act (Griffith) - access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under Medicare H.R. 1316, Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Collins) - PBM standards for MA and PDP plans H.R. 1995, V-BID for Better Care Act (Black) - value-based insurance design in Medicare Advantage H.R. 2556, CONNECT For Health Act (Black) - telehealth H.R. 2575, BENES Act (Ruiz) - notifications of Medicare eligibility H.R. 2644, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Marino) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease H.R. 2687, Medicaid CARE Act (Foster-Fitzpatrick) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 3044, Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Medicare Advantage Enrollees (Meehan) H.R. 3263, Medicare Independence at Home Model of Care (Burgess) - demonstration program H.R. 3325, ACE Kids Act (Barton) - health homes for children with complex medical conditions H.R. 3360, Telehealth Enhancement Act (Harper) - telehealth in Medicare H.R. 3635, Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act (Jenkins) - procedures for Medicare administrative contractors H.R. 3727, Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act (Black) - telehealth in MA plans H.R. 4143, Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act (Smith) - alternative care delivery models and payment methodologies for patients with end-stage renal disease H.R. 4952, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Kelly) - MA benchmark cap study H.R. 5306, EMPOWER Care Act (Guthrie) - extension of Money Follows the Person demonstration H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act (Matsui) - opioid issues H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act (Ruiz) - opioid issues H.R. 5675, drug management programs for at-risk Medicare beneficiaries (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5676, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (MacArthur) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act (Kelly) - opioid issues H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (Faso) - opioid issues H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act (Paulsen) - opioid issues H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act (Renacci) - communication between Medicare plan sponsors and CMS H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors Act (Roskam) - opioid issues H.R. 5797, IMD CARE Act (Walters) - Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act (Bucshon) - opioid issues H.R. 5799, Medicaid Drug Review, Utilization, Good Governance Improvement Act (Blackburn) - opioid issues H.R. 5800, Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act (Upton) - opioid issues H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act (Shimkus) - opioid issues H.R. 5808, Medicaid Pharmaceutical Home Act (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act (Peters) - opioid issues H.R. 5810, Medicaid Health Homes for Opioid-Use-Disorder Medicaid Enrollees Encouraged Act (Lance) - opioid issues H.R. 5812, Improving Medicaid Data Timeliness Act (Griffith) - opioid issues H.R. 6431, Medigap Consumer Protection Act (Levin) - reforms to Medicare supplemental insurance H.R. 6561, Comprehensive Care for Seniors Act (Walorski) -- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly H.R. 6563, Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Seniors Act (Pallone-Neal) - Medicare Part D cliff H.R. 6662, Empowering Seniors Decision Enrollment Act (Paulsen) - special enrollment period for non-deemed Medicare Cost Plan enrollees H.R. 6690, Fighting Fraud to Protect Care for Seniors Act (Roskam) - Medicare pilot program for smart card technology H.R. 7122, Shared Accountability for Improved Patient Outcomes Act (Paulsen) - value-based payment and delivery arrangements H.R. 7217, IMPROVE Act (Barton) - Money Follows the Person demonstration, ACE Kids Act, Medicare drug rebate program, spousal impoverishment protections H.R. 7223, Right Rebate Act (Schrader-Welch) - Medicaid drug rebate program H.R. 7247, Incentivizing Shared Risk in Medicare Advantage Act (Brady) - MA prior authorization H.R. 7249, Better Prior Authorization Notification Act (Reed) - MA prior authorization H.R. 7250, Prior Authorization Improvement Act (Kelly) - MA prior authorization Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and audit issues; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2020 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; MA and Part D proposed rule on drug pricing changes for 2020; CMSs price transparency proposal for direct-to-consumer advertisements; issues relating to 2019 Rate Notice and Call Letter; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; implementation of sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of the health insurer fee for MA and Part D plans; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); CMS's proposed Part B drug demonstration program; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the Part D coverage gap; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; new payment system for physicians under MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare clinical trials; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS's substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the ACA including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; issues relating to prescription drug price blueprint; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.
Client expense: $1,540,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: $730,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Education, Dept of, Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), General Services Administration (GSA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Telecommunications
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: $730,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Education, Dept of, Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), General Services Administration (GSA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R.6283 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals only enrolled in Medicare Part A to contribute to health savings accounts S.2708 - Choose Medicare Act H.R.5686 - Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act of 2018 S.2908 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for electronic prior authorization under Medicare part D for covered part D drugs, and for other purposes S.2904 - Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth Act H.R.6117 - Choose Medicare Act H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H. R. 6662 - Empowering Seniors Enrollment Decision Act of 2018 H.R. 6309 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals entitled to Medicare Part A by reason of being over age 65 to contribute to health savings accounts
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
H.R.6261 - Improving Choices in Health Care Coverage Act S.3095 - Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act H.R.6128 - HSA Employer Flexibility Act H.R.6110 - Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act of 2018 H.R.6098 - Family Medical Leave Modernization Act H.R.6097 - State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2018 H.R.6082 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act H.R.6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act S.3063 - Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2018 H.R.6071 - SERV Communities Act S.3053 - CHIP Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act S.3048 - Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2018 H.R.6050 - Increasing Access to Care Act S.3016 - Action for Dental Health Act of 2018 S.3000 - Patient Advocacy Transparency Act H.R.5997 - Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2018 H.Res.915 - Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of protecting patients' access to medically appropriate, evidence-based healthcare and information, and the ethical and professional obligations of healthcare professionals to provide that care and information H.R.5966 - Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2018 H.R.5965 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act H.R.5963 - To delay the reimposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers until after 2020 S.2960 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act S.Res.526 - A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that politicians should not interfere with a woman's personal health care decisions or attempt to prevent providers from offering their full medical recommendations to their patients H.R.5942 - Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2018 H.R.5933 - Substance Abuse Prevention Act of 2018 H.R.5932 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5925 - CRISIS Act S.2934 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5917 - Professional's Access to Health Workforce Integration Act of 2018 H.R.5914 - To require a study and report on policy and regulatory changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic S.2920 - Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors Act of 2018 S.2912 - Opioid Addiction Treatment Programs Enhancement Act H.R.6144 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 S.204 - Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 S.2680 - Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 H.R.5511 - Healthy Communities Act of 2018 H.R.5491 - Rural Health Insurance Act of 2018 H.R.5455 - Accelerating Biomedical Research Act H.R.5641 - State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018 H.R.5625 - Easy Enrollment Act of 2018 H.R.5624 - Pathway to Universal Coverage Act of 2018 H.R.5603 - Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act S.2732 - Defending Access to Mental Health Care Act H.R.5699 - HOST Act of 2018 S.2802 - Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 2018 H.R.5725 - BEST Act S.2902 - Better Data Sharing to Combat the Opioid Crisis Act S.2901 - eTREAT Act H.R.5892 - To establish an Advisory Committee on Opioids and the Workplace to advise the Secretary of Labor on actions the Department of Labor can take to address the impact of opioid abuse on the workplace H.R.5858 - Primary Care Patient Protection Act of 2018 S.2875 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R.5795 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act S.2851 - Regional Health Care Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems Act H.R.5775 - Providing Reliable Options for Patients and Educational Resources Act of 2018 H.R.5769 - Expanding Access to Treatment Act S. 2608 - Reducing Opioid Risk Act S. 2589 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018 S. 2582 - Consumer Health Insurance Protection Act of 2018 S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act H.R. 5258 - Affordable Health Insurance for the Middle Class Act H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H.R. 5223 - Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act S. 2507 - Improving Choice in Health Care Coverage Act H.R. 5155 - Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 S. 2496 - Small Business Health Account Act of 2018 S. 2494 - Fair Care Act H.R. 5138 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 5124 - Community Action Opioid Response Act of 2018 H.R. 5097 - PAVE Act of 2018 H.R. 5080 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R. 5062 - Advancing Access to Precision Medicine Act H.R. 5047 - VA Community Care Enhancement Act S. 2437 - Opioid Response Enhancement Act S. 2415 - Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act H.R. 4978 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 S. 2410 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 4938 - Respond NOW Act H.R. 4894 - Harmful Tax Prevention Act H.R. 4841 - Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 H.R. 4831 - Healthcare Tax Relief Act H.R. 4820 - ASK Act S. 2315 - Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act H.R. 4808 - Transparent Health Care Pricing Act of 2018 S. 2312 - HELP Act H.R. 4784 - ACA OUTREACH Act H.R. 4778 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 S. 2302 - Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2018 S. 2301 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 4575 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. S. 2303 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. H.R. 1625 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 5343 - Prescription Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4874 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 4872 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 302 - FAA Re authorization Act of 2018 H. R. 6662 - Empowering Seniors Enrollment Decision Act of 2018 H.R. 6305 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 6312 - Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act H.R. 6309 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals entitled to Medicare Part A by reason of being over age 65 to contribute to health savings accounts H.R. 4616 - To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide for a temporary moratorium on the employer mandate and to provide for a delay in the implementation of the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage H.R. 6311 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to modify the definition of qualified health plan for purposes of the health insurance premium tax credit and to allow individuals purchasing health insurance in the individual market to purchase a lower premium copper plan
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Many aspects of the Affordable Care Act promote changes that are consistent with the mission of the Marshfield Clinic: Extends health insurance to the uninsured Calls for Value Based Purchasing for all providers The following are key elements of the health policy agenda of the Marshfield Clinic Health System: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act With passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), Medicare physician payments will transition to an incentive-based system based on value and accountability. Starting in 2019, Medicare physician payment will be based on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Physicians who perform well on quality, value and IT metrics will be rewarded with higher pay rates and those who perform poorly will face penalties. Because the language of the statute is not specific, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing metrics that will be used to determine the bonus payments and penalties that will start in 2019. The proposed metrics simplify and consolidate the existing measurements employed under the Meaningful Use Incentive Program, the Physician Reporting System (PQRS), and the Value-Based Modifier (VBM) to streamline the reporting burden for physician practices. MIPS will then pay physicians based on four weighted performance categories: Quality, Advancing Care Information; Clinical Practice Improvement Activities; and Resource Use. Having a source of credible data as the foundation of CMS metrics is critical both to fair payment and maintaining access to medical services in rural areas. We expressed concerns about the dilution of incentives payments for good performance, due to the increased number of exceptions from MACRA requirements. Federal funding for children with complex medical needs We asked for assistance in funding care coordination for children with complex medical needs. Medicare Advantage The Medicare Advantage program provides a full-risk, capitated reimbursement to health plans for all Medicare benefits provided to enrolled beneficiaries. We believe that mechanisms for rewarding value in the Medicare Advantage program should offer incentives for those plans that demonstrate superior patient care performance. We recommend that performance bonuses should be provided for plans that: Achieve predetermined quality performance targets; Adopt health information technology; Meet standards for care coordination; and Provide data on comparative effectiveness. The Medicare Advantage Benchmark Cap - ACA SEC. 3201. (b) (4) By authorizing Quality Incentive Payments for MA plans with star ratings of 4 stars and above, Congress made a significant policy change towards value-based purchasing in the MA program. If a plan is eligible for a Quality Incentive Payment, it receives it in the form of a 5 percent increase to its benchmark. However, Congress also authorized a new methodology for calculating benchmarks, and mandated that benchmarks under the new methodology cannot be greater than what they would have been under the old benchmark methodology. This is the benchmark cap. The benchmark cap reduces or even eliminates Quality Incentive Payments. The policy issue is that the cap weakens the incentive for plans to attain higher star ratings and undermines the shift towards paying for performance in the MA program. We do not think that Congress intended to take away with one provision (the cap) the significant policy change towards paying for value that it enacted in the ACA. This change will have a significant negative impact on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. CMS has indicated that it wants to remove the cap administratively, and we believe that HHS and CMS have the discretionary authority under law to make the necessary changes. If HHS and CMS do not make the change, then a statutory change will be necessary in the 115th Congress. The benchmark cap costs Medicare Advantage enrollees in Security Health Plans population more than $25 more in their monthly premium. We supported HR 4952 introduced by Rep Ron Kind that calls for an HHS study and report of the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare Program. Graduate Medical Education MCHS is concerned about having a sufficient supply of primary care physicians to meet the demands of an expanding and aging population. This is doubly true for patients and health systems in rural settings. Currently only about 10% of physicians practice in rural areas while 25% of the population resides there. While 36% allopathic residents and 50% osteopathic residents who are trained in a rural residency end up practicing in a rural area, only 4% of the residency training actually occurs in rural areas. Currently there are more US medical students graduating from medical school than there are GME slots. An increase in GME primary care training positions is essential to maintaining high-quality, accessible, and cost efficient care. Teaching hospitals in rural locations provide an environment for residents to learn and faculty to serve as educators, providers and researchers. These roles advance the broad mission of preparing each generation of physicians, provide critical patient care and specialized services, often to the disadvantaged, facilitate the discovery of new therapies and treatments, and enable residents to acclimate to the rural setting. As new payment and delivery models emphasize primary care to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, and as more care shifts to outpatient settings, teaching faculty and residency programs must increase access to ambulatory residency rotations to serve Americans who live in areas with an under-supply of primary care physicians including Geriatrics and Psychiatry. The purpose and value of residency training in clinical settings and the financial support needed to sustain physician education will only increase as the U.S. population lives longer with more complex health conditions. To ensure GME can meet the future needs of the newly insured and aging population, Congress must commit to the consistent GME funding and lift Medicares limit on funded residency positions. We support the Teaching Health Center funding in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization ACT (MACRA) for Community Health Centers but request you extend funding beyond 2017. Geographic Adjustment of Physician Payments Recent findings by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission have demonstrated significant shortcomings in the data utilized to geographically adjust physician payments. The IOM and MedPAC studies have confirmed that the data sources currently relied upon for geographic adjustment bear no correlation to physician earnings. CMS officials have admitted that the proxies utilized for the purpose of geographic adjustment have never been validated, and there never has been a new data source utilized in the twenty years since the fee schedule was implemented. MedPAC data show that the geographic adjustment reference occupations predict earnings of rural physicians to be 25-30% less than physicians in metropolitan areas. MedPAC data show that earnings of primary care physicians in rural areas are, in fact, 13% higher than physicians in metropolitan areas. Since there is no statistical basis of support for disparities in payment we strongly recommend that Congress require CMS to correct this inequity immediately. These corrections are necessary to assure the credibility of the changes enacted in MACRA. We supported congressional requests for additional research by the GAO to understand the discrepancies in rural costs and reimbursement. Telemedicine in Medicare Changes to Medicare law and regulation are needed to improve equity in access for Medicare beneficiaries to services delivered via TeleHealth. Medicare beneficiaries should be allowed to receive services in telemedicine sites located in urban areas. The necessary changes would remove restrictions on originating sites by removing the rural requirement and the list of originating sites and allowing any certified Medicare facility to provide the services; current requirements that physician must bill for services from the originating site should be removed; restrictions on eligible practitioners should be removed to allow all Medicare approved practitioners to provide telemedicine services; and there should be no restrictions on which Medicare services may be provided through telemedicine. We recommend that the Medicare requirement for non-MSA geographic location of the patient be expanded to allow all Medicare certified organizations as originating sites regardless of rural or metropolitan statistical area designation. In addition, MCHS supports the CONNECT for Health Act that contains a provision which would permit Medicare Advantage plans to use telehealth or remote patient monitoring technologies to provide basic Medicare benefits, without the restrictions that limit originating sites, geographic locations, store-and-forward technologies, and types of health care provider. We believe that telehealth is a different way of delivering an already covered service, and that Medicare should treat remote access technologies as an alternative modality or complementary means of providing clinical services, and not a service itself. In other words, telehealth should not be seen as simply a supplement or complement to face-to-face encounters. Patients increasingly expect their health plans to provide the access to services and convenience that remote technologies facilitate. These technologies can increase communication between providers and patients, enhance care coordination, and help physicians and patients work together to treat illness and maintaining health.
Client expense: $90,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Telecommunications
H.R.4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S.3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Telecommunications
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: $910,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Education, Dept of, Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), General Services Administration (GSA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2018 · third_quarter · Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: $910,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Education, Dept of, Energy, Dept of, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), General Services Administration (GSA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office
2018 · third_quarter · Telecommunications
H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Health Issues
HR 6311--Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act of 2018--health insurance tax (HIT) HR 4952--Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act--benchmark cap
Client expense: $100,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2018 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 413, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Capito) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies S. 428, ACE Kids Act (Grassley) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions S. 1016, CONNECT For Health Act (Schatz) - telehealth S. 1169, Medicaid CARE Act (Durbin-Portman) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion S. 1688, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act (Klobuchar) - Part D price negotiations S. 1804, Medicare for All Act (Sanders) - single payer health system S. 1827, Keep Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure Act (Hatch-Wyden) - federal CHIP funding S. 1890, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Cardin) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease S. 2027, Medicaid Third Party Liability Act (Portman) - Medicaid third party liability S. 2227, EMPOWER Care Act (Portman-Cantwell) - Medicaid Money Follows the Person Demonstration S. 2707, Informing Seniors About Opioids Act (Nelson) - opioid issues S. 2901, Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (Thune) - opioid issues S. 2904, Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Via Telehealth Act (Carper) - opioid issues S. 2908, Electronic Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D Act (Roberts) - opioid issues S. 3327, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (Cortez Masto) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions S. 3496, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Daines-King) - study on MA benchmark cap S. 3497, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Daines-King) - MA benchmark cap Draft Bill: Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act (Pallone) - Long-Term Services and Supports Program Draft Bills: Prior Authorization in Medicare Advantage (House Ways and Means Committee) - prior authorization notifications, report to Congress S. 2051: Medicare Care Coordination Improvement Act of 2017 (Portman) - barriers to payment reform models H.R. 849, Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act (Roe) - Independent Payment Advisory Board H.R. 908, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Kelly) - MA payment cap H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Griffith) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies H.R. 1148, FAST Act (Griffith) - access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under Medicare H.R. 1316, Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Collins) - PBM standards for MA and PDP plans H.R. 1995, V-BID for Better Care Act (Black) - value-based insurance design in Medicare Advantage H.R. 2556, CONNECT For Health Act (Black) - telehealth H.R. 2644, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Marino) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease H.R. 2687, Medicaid CARE Act (Foster-Fitzpatrick) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 3044, Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Medicare Advantage Enrollees (Meehan) H.R. 3168, Special Needs Plans (Tiberi-Levin) - SNP reauthorization H.R. 3263, Medicare Independence at Home Model of Care (Burgess) - demonstration program H.R. 3325, ACE Kids Act (Barton) - health homes for children with complex medical conditions H.R. 3360, Telehealth Enhancement Act (Harper) - telehealth in Medicare H.R. 3635, Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act (Jenkins) - procedures for Medicare administrative contractors H.R. 3727, Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act (Black) - telehealth in MA plans H.R. 4143, Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act of 2017 (Smith) - alternative care delivery models and payment methodologies for patients with end-stage renal disease H.R. 4952, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Kelly) - MA benchmark cap study H.R. 5306, EMPOWER Care Act (Guthrie) - extension of Money Follows the Person Act H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act (Matsui) - opioid issues H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act (Ruiz) - opioid issues H.R. 5675, drug management programs for at-risk Medicare beneficiaries (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5676, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (MacArthur) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act (Kelly) - opioid issues H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (Faso) - opioid issues H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act (Paulsen) - opioid issues H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act (Renacci) - communication between Medicare plan sponsors and CMS H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors Act (Roskam) - opioid issues H.R. 5797, IMD CARE Act (Walters) - Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act (Bucshon) - opioid issues H.R. 5799, Medicaid Drug Review, Utilization, Good Governance Improvement Act (Blackburn) - opioid issues H.R. 5800, Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act (Upton) - opioid issues H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act (Shimkus) - opioid issues H.R. 5808, Medicaid Pharmaceutical Home Act (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act (Peters) - opioid issues H.R. 5810, Medicaid Health Homes for Opioid-Use-Disorder Medicaid Enrollees Encouraged Act (Lance) - opioid issues H.R. 5812, Improving Medicaid Data Timeliness Act (Griffith) - opioid issues H.R. 6431, Medigap Consumer Protection Act (Levin) - reforms to Medicare supplemental insurance H.R. 6561, Comprehensive Care for Seniors Act (Walorski) -- Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly H.R. 6563, Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Seniors Act (Pallone-Neal) - Medicare Part D cliff H.R. 6662, Empowering Seniors Decision Enrollment Act (Paulsen) - special enrollment period for non-deemed Medicare Cost Plan enrollees H.R. 6690, Fighting Fraud to Protect Care for Seniors Act (Roskam) - Medicare pilot program for smart card technology Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and audit issues; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2019 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; issues relating to 2019 Rate Notice and Call Letter; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; implementation of sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of the health insurer fee for MA and Part D plans; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); CMS's proposed Part B drug demonstration program; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the Part D coverage gap; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; new payment system for physicians under MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare clinical trials; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS' substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the ACA including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; issues relating to prescription drug price blueprint; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation. *Add MACPAC to Agency List.
Client expense: $1,500,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of
2018 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 413, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Capito) -PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies S. 428, ACE Kids Act (Grassley) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions S. 1016, CONNECT For Health Act (Schatz) - telehealth S. 1169, Medicaid CARE Act (Durbin-Portman) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion S. 1688, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act (Klobuchar) - Part D price negotiations S. 1804, Medicare for All Act (Sanders) - single payer health system S. 1827, Keep Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure Act (Hatch-Wyden) - federal CHIP funding S. 1890, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Cardin) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease S. 2027, Medicaid Third Party Liability Act (Portman) - Medicaid third party liability S. 2227, EMPOWER Care Act (Portman-Cantwell) - Medicaid Money Follows the Person Demonstration S. 2707, Informing Seniors About Opioids Act (Nelson) - opioid issues S. 2901, Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (Thune) - opioid issues S. 2904, Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Via Telehealth Act (Carper) - opioid issues S. 2908, Electronic Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D Act (Roberts) - opioid issues Draft Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act (Pallone) - Long-Term Services and Supports Program H.R. 195, Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act - CHIP funding extension for 2018-2023 and related provisions H.R. 849, Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act (Roe) - Independent Payment Advisory Board H.R. 908, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Kelly) - MA payment cap H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Griffith) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies H.R. 1148, FAST Act (Griffith) - access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under Medicare H.R. 1316, Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Collins) - PBM standards for MA and PDP plans H.R. 1892, Bipartisan Budget Act (Larson) - permanent authorization of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans; MA chronic care reforms: telehealth, supplemental benefits, value-based insurance design, star ratings; changes to Medicare Part D coverage gap and related discounts; CHIP funding extension for 2024-2027; funding for Puerto Ricos Medicaid program H.R. 1995, V-BID for Better Care Act (Black) - value-based insurance design in Medicare Advantage H.R. 2556, CONNECT For Health Act (Black) - telehealth H.R. 2644, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Marino) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease H.R. 2687, Medicaid CARE Act (Foster-Fitzpatrick) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 3044, Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Medicare Advantage Enrollees (Meehan) H.R. 3168, Special Needs Plans (Tiberi-Levin) - SNP reauthorization H.R. 3263, Medicare Independence at Home Model of Care (Burgess) - demonstration program H.R. 3325, ACE Kids Act (Barton) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions H.R. 3360, Telehealth Enhancement Act (Harper) - telehealth in Medicare H.R. 3727, Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act (Black) - telehealth in MA plans H.R. 3921, HEALTHY KIDS Act (Burgess) - CHIP funding H.R. 4952, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Kelly) - MA benchmark cap study H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act (Matsui) - opioid issues H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act (Ruiz) - opioid issues H.R. 5675, drug management programs for at-risk Medicare beneficiaries (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5676, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (MacArthur) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act (Kelly) - opioid issues H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (Faso) - opioid issues H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act (Paulsen) - opioid issues H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act (Renacci) - communication between Medicare plan sponsors and CMS H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors Act (Roskam) - opioid issues H.R. 5797, IMD CARE Act (Walters) - Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act (Bucshon) - opioid issues H.R. 5799, Medicaid Drug Review, Utilization, Good Governance Improvement Act (Blackburn) - opioid issues H.R. 5800, Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act (Upton) - opioid issues H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act (Shimkus) - opioid issues H.R. 5808, Medicaid Pharmaceutical Home Act (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act (Peters) - opioid issues H.R. 5810, Medicaid Health Homes for Opioid-Use-Disorder Medicaid Enrollees Encouraged Act (Lance) - opioid issues H.R. 5812, Improving Medicaid Data Timeliness Act (Griffith) - opioid issues Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and audit issues; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2019 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; issues relating to 2019 Rate Notice and Call Letter; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; implementation of sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of the health insurer fee for MA and Part D plans; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); CMS's proposed Part B drug demonstration program; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the Part D coverage gap; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; new payment system for physicians under MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare clinical trials; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS' substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the ACA including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; issues relating to prescription drug price blueprint; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.
Client expense: $1,410,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), 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 Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · third_quarter · Telecommunications
5G, STEM, Trade H. R. 4952, The Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES Act). S. 3157, The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act. Outreach and monitoring relating technology issues, including 5G, affecting the telecommunications industry.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Medicare Advantage; Rate Notice and Call Letter; Medicare Part D; Benchmark Caps HR 6 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Introduced June 13, 2018 by Greg Walden (R-OR) includes Medicaid, Medicare, and public health reforms to combat the opioid crisis by advancing treatment and recovery initiatives, improving prevention, protecting communities, and bolstering efforts to combat illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl. The policies contained in the legislation were advanced through regular order by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. HR 908, S 3497 Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act - This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid to disregard the application of certain percentage quality increases when calculating the maximum payment that may be made to a Medicare Advantage organization. HR 4952, S 3496 Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act - This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report on how the inclusion of quality percentage increases in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly affects certain payment calculations under Medicare Advantage.
Client expense: $300,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Health Issues
H.R.6261 - Improving Choices in Health Care Coverage Act S.3095 - Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act H.R.6128 - HSA Employer Flexibility Act H.R.6110 - Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act of 2018 H.R.6098 - Family Medical Leave Modernization Act H.R.6097 - State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2018 H.R.6082 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act H.R.6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act S.3063 - Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2018 H.R.6071 - SERV Communities Act S.3053 - CHIP Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act S.3048 - Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2018 H.R.6050 - Increasing Access to Care Act S.3016 - Action for Dental Health Act of 2018 S.3000 - Patient Advocacy Transparency Act H.R.5997 - Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2018 H.Res.915 - Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of protecting patients' access to medically appropriate, evidence-based healthcare and information, and the ethical and professional obligations of healthcare professionals to provide that care and information H.R.5966 - Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2018 H.R.5965 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act H.R.5963 - To delay the reimposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers until after 2020 S.2960 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act S.Res.526 - A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that politicians should not interfere with a woman's personal health care decisions or attempt to prevent providers from offering their full medical recommendations to their patients H.R.5942 - Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2018 H.R.5933 - Substance Abuse Prevention Act of 2018 H.R.5932 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5925 - CRISIS Act S.2934 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5917 - Professional's Access to Health Workforce Integration Act of 2018 H.R.5914 - To require a study and report on policy and regulatory changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic S.2920 - Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors Act of 2018 S.2912 - Opioid Addiction Treatment Programs Enhancement Act H.R.6144 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 S.204 - Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 S.2680 - Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 H.R.5511 - Healthy Communities Act of 2018 H.R.5491 - Rural Health Insurance Act of 2018 H.R.5455 - Accelerating Biomedical Research Act H.R.5641 - State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018 H.R.5625 - Easy Enrollment Act of 2018 H.R.5624 - Pathway to Universal Coverage Act of 2018 H.R.5603 - Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act S.2732 - Defending Access to Mental Health Care Act H.R.5699 - HOST Act of 2018 S.2802 - Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 2018 H.R.5725 - BEST Act S.2902 - Better Data Sharing to Combat the Opioid Crisis Act S.2901 - eTREAT Act H.R.5892 - To establish an Advisory Committee on Opioids and the Workplace to advise the Secretary of Labor on actions the Department of Labor can take to address the impact of opioid abuse on the workplace H.R.5858 - Primary Care Patient Protection Act of 2018 S.2875 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R.5795 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act S.2851 - Regional Health Care Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems Act H.R.5775 - Providing Reliable Options for Patients and Educational Resources Act of 2018 H.R.5769 - Expanding Access to Treatment Act S. 2608 - Reducing Opioid Risk Act S. 2589 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018 S. 2582 - Consumer Health Insurance Protection Act of 2018 S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act H.R. 5258 - Affordable Health Insurance for the Middle Class Act H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H.R. 5223 - Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act S. 2507 - Improving Choice in Health Care Coverage Act H.R. 5155 - Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 S. 2496 - Small Business Health Account Act of 2018 S. 2494 - Fair Care Act H.R. 5138 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 5124 - Community Action Opioid Response Act of 2018 H.R. 5097 - PAVE Act of 2018 H.R. 5080 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R. 5062 - Advancing Access to Precision Medicine Act H.R. 5047 - VA Community Care Enhancement Act S. 2437 - Opioid Response Enhancement Act S. 2415 - Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act H.R. 4978 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 S. 2410 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 4938 - Respond NOW Act H.R. 4894 - Harmful Tax Prevention Act H.R. 4841 - Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 H.R. 4831 - Healthcare Tax Relief Act H.R. 4820 - ASK Act S. 2315 - Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act H.R. 4808 - Transparent Health Care Pricing Act of 2018 S. 2312 - HELP Act H.R. 4784 - ACA OUTREACH Act H.R. 4778 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 S. 2302 - Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2018 S. 2301 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 4575 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. S. 2303 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. H.R. 1625 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 5343 - Prescription Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4874 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 4872 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 302 - FAA Re authorization Act of 2018 H. R. 6662 - Empowering Seniors Enrollment Decision Act of 2018 H.R. 6305 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 6312 - Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act H.R. 6309 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals entitled to Medicare Part A by reason of being over age 65 to contribute to health savings accounts H.R. 4616 - To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide for a temporary moratorium on the employer mandate and to provide for a delay in the implementation of the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage H.R. 6311 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to modify the definition of qualified health plan for purposes of the health insurance premium tax credit and to allow individuals purchasing health insurance in the individual market to purchase a lower premium copper plan
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R.6283 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals only enrolled in Medicare Part A to contribute to health savings accounts S.2708 - Choose Medicare Act H.R.5686 - Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act of 2018 S.2908 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for electronic prior authorization under Medicare part D for covered part D drugs, and for other purposes S.2904 - Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth Act H.R.6117 - Choose Medicare Act H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H. R. 6662 - Empowering Seniors Enrollment Decision Act of 2018 H.R. 6309 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals entitled to Medicare Part A by reason of being over age 65 to contribute to health savings accounts
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S.1016, the CONNECT for Health Act S. 445, the Home Health Planning Improvement Act H.R. 592 the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act S. 109, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act H.R. 6082, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety (OPPS) Act S. 1850, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act (The Legacy Act) H.R. 5483, the Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act H.R. 6378, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPA) of 2018 H.R. 1822, the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act H.R. 4952, the Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act H.R. 6311, the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act, H.R. 6199, the Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act H.R. 6312, the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act H.R. 1267, the PHIT Act S. 2901, the Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (eTREAT) H.R. 1953 , the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act S. 830, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act H.R. 2953, the Preventive Health Savings Act H.R. 4006, the Community-Based Independence for Seniors Act of 2017 H.R. 1565, the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act H.R. 959, the Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act H.R. 1676, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act H.R. 5385, the Childrens Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act H.R. 3728, the Education Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness (EMPOWER) Act H.R. 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act
Client expense: $160,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Health Issues
S.1016, the CONNECT for Health Act S. 445, the Home Health Planning Improvement Act H.R. 592 the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act S. 109, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act H.R. 6082, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety (OPPS) Act S. 1850, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act (The Legacy Act) H.R. 5483, the Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act H.R. 6378, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPA) of 2018 H.R. 1822, the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act H.R. 4952, the Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act H.R. 6311, the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act, H.R. 6199, the Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act H.R. 6312, the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act H.R. 1267, the PHIT Act S. 2901, the Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (eTREAT) H.R. 1953 , the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act S. 830, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act H.R. 2953, the Preventive Health Savings Act H.R. 4006, the Community-Based Independence for Seniors Act of 2017 H.R. 1565, the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act H.R. 959, the Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act H.R. 1676, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act H.R. 5385, the Childrens Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act H.R. 3728, the Education Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness (EMPOWER) Act H.R. 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act
Client expense: $160,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2018 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
MMM (Medicare and Medicaid) Many aspects of the Affordable Care Act promote changes that are consistent with the mission of the Marshfield Clinic: Extends health insurance to the uninsured Calls for Value Based Purchasing for all providers The following are key elements of the health policy agenda of the Marshfield Clinic Health System: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act With passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), Medicare physician payments will transition to an incentive-based system based on value and accountability. Starting in 2019, Medicare physician payment will be based on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Physicians who perform well on quality, value and IT metrics will be rewarded with higher pay rates and those who perform poorly will face penalties. Because the language of the statute is not specific, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing metrics that will be used to determine the bonus payments and penalties that will start in 2019. The proposed metrics simplify and consolidate the existing measurements employed under the Meaningful Use Incentive Program, the Physician Reporting System (PQRS), and the Value-Based Modifier (VBM) to streamline the reporting burden for physician practices. MIPS will then pay physicians based on four weighted performance categories: Quality, Advancing Care Information; Clinical Practice Improvement Activities; and Resource Use. Having a source of credible data as the foundation of CMS metrics is critical both to fair payment and maintaining access to medical services in rural areas. We expressed concerns about the dilution of incentives payments for good performance, due to the increased number of exceptions from MACRA requirements. Medicare Advantage The Medicare Advantage program provides a full-risk, capitated reimbursement to health plans for all Medicare benefits provided to enrolled beneficiaries. We believe that mechanisms for rewarding value in the Medicare Advantage program should offer incentives for those plans that demonstrate superior patient care performance. We recommend that performance bonuses should be provided for plans that: Achieve predetermined quality performance targets; Adopt health information technology; Meet standards for care coordination; and Provide data on comparative effectiveness. The Medicare Advantage Benchmark Cap - ACA SEC. 3201. (b) (4) By authorizing Quality Incentive Payments for MA plans with star ratings of 4 stars and above, Congress made a significant policy change towards value-based purchasing in the MA program. If a plan is eligible for a Quality Incentive Payment, it receives it in the form of a 5 percent increase to its benchmark. However, Congress also authorized a new methodology for calculating benchmarks, and mandated that benchmarks under the new methodology cannot be greater than what they would have been under the old benchmark methodology. This is the benchmark cap. The benchmark cap reduces or even eliminates Quality Incentive Payments. The policy issue is that the cap weakens the incentive for plans to attain higher star ratings and undermines the shift towards paying for performance in the MA program. We do not think that Congress intended to take away with one provision (the cap) the significant policy change towards paying for value that it enacted in the ACA. This change will have a significant negative impact on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. CMS has indicated that it wants to remove the cap administratively, and we believe that HHS and CMS have the discretionary authority under law to make the necessary changes. If HHS and CMS do not make the change, then a statutory change will be necessary in the 115th Congress. The benchmark cap costs Medicare Advantage enrollees in Security Health Plans population more than $25 more in their monthly premium. We supported HR 4952 introduced by Rep Ron Kind that calls for an HHS study and report of the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare Program. Graduate Medical Education MCHS is concerned about having a sufficient supply of primary care physicians to meet the demands of an expanding and aging population. This is doubly true for patients and health systems in rural settings. Currently only about 10% of physicians practice in rural areas while 25% of the population resides there. While 36% allopathic residents and 50% osteopathic residents who are trained in a rural residency end up practicing in a rural area, only 4% of the residency training actually occurs in rural areas. Currently there are more US medical students graduating from medical school than there are GME slots. An increase in GME primary care training positions is essential to maintaining high-quality, accessible, and cost efficient care. Teaching hospitals in rural locations provide an environment for residents to learn and faculty to serve as educators, providers and researchers. These roles advance the broad mission of preparing each generation of physicians, provide critical patient care and specialized services, often to the disadvantaged, facilitate the discovery of new therapies and treatments, and enable residents to acclimate to the rural setting. As new payment and delivery models emphasize primary care to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, and as more care shifts to outpatient settings, teaching faculty and residency programs must increase access to ambulatory residency rotations to serve Americans who live in areas with an under-supply of primary care physicians including Geriatrics and Psychiatry. The purpose and value of residency training in clinical settings and the financial support needed to sustain physician education will only increase as the U.S. population lives longer with more complex health conditions. To ensure GME can meet the future needs of the newly insured and aging population, Congress must commit to the consistent GME funding and lift Medicares limit on funded residency positions. We support the Teaching Health Center funding in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization ACT (MACRA) for Community Health Centers but request you extend funding beyond 2017. Geographic Adjustment of Physician Payments Recent findings by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission have demonstrated significant shortcomings in the data utilized to geographically adjust physician payments. The IOM and MedPAC studies have confirmed that the data sources currently relied upon for geographic adjustment bear no correlation to physician earnings. CMS officials have admitted that the proxies utilized for the purpose of geographic adjustment have never been validated, and there never has been a new data source utilized in the twenty years since the fee schedule was implemented. MedPAC data show that the geographic adjustment reference occupations predict earnings of rural physicians to be 25-30% less than physicians in metropolitan areas. MedPAC data show that earnings of primary care physicians in rural areas are, in fact, 13% higher than physicians in metropolitan areas. Since there is no statistical basis of support for disparities in payment we strongly recommend that Congress require CMS to correct this inequity immediately. These corrections are necessary to assure the credibility of the changes enacted in MACRA. Telemedicine in Medicare Changes to Medicare law and regulation are needed to improve equity in access for Medicare beneficiaries to services delivered via TeleHealth. Medicare beneficiaries should be allowed to receive services in telemedicine sites located in urban areas. The necessary changes would remove restrictions on originating sites by removing the rural requirement and the list of originating sites and allowing any certified Medicare facility to provide the services; current requirements that physician must bill for services from the originating site should be removed; restrictions on eligible practitioners should be removed to allow all Medicare approved practitioners to provide telemedicine services; and there should be no restrictions on which Medicare services may be provided through telemedicine. We recommend that the Medicare requirement for non-MSA geographic location of the patient be expanded to allow all Medicare certified organizations as originating sites regardless of rural or metropolitan statistical area designation. In addition, MCHS supports the CONNECT for Health Act that contains a provision which would permit Medicare Advantage plans to use telehealth or remote patient monitoring technologies to provide basic Medicare benefits, without the restrictions that limit originating sites, geographic locations, store-and-forward technologies, and types of health care provider. We believe that telehealth is a different way of delivering an already covered service, and that Medicare should treat remote access technologies as an alternative modality or complementary means of providing clinical services, and not a service itself. In other words, telehealth should not be seen as simply a supplement or complement to face-to-face encounters. Patients increasingly expect their health plans to provide the access to services and convenience that remote technologies facilitate. These technologies can increase communication between providers and patients, enhance care coordination, and help physicians and patients work together to treat illness and maintaining health. General Issue Area Code
Client expense: $110,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), SENATE
2018 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 908 -- Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act H.R. 2575/S. 1909 -- Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act ("BENES Act") H.R. 4097 / S. 2704 -- Medicare Beneficiary Opioid Addiction Treatment Act H.R. 4952 -- To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program. Issues related to Medicare Advantage quality outcomes Issues related to Medicare beneficiary education Issues related to Transitions from other health coverage
Client expense: $150,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2018 · second_quarter · Health Issues
H.R.6261 - Improving Choices in Health Care Coverage Act S.3095 - Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act H.R.6128 - HSA Employer Flexibility Act H.R.6110 - Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act of 2018 H.R.6098 - Family Medical Leave Modernization Act H.R.6097 - State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2018 H.R.6082 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act H.R.6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act S.3063 - Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2018 H.R.6071 - SERV Communities Act S.3053 - CHIP Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act S.3048 - Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 2018 H.R.6050 - Increasing Access to Care Act S.3016 - Action for Dental Health Act of 2018 S.3000 - Patient Advocacy Transparency Act H.R.5997 - Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2018 H.Res.915 - Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of protecting patients' access to medically appropriate, evidence-based healthcare and information, and the ethical and professional obligations of healthcare professionals to provide that care and information H.R.5966 - Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2018 H.R.5965 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act H.R.5963 - To delay the reimposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers until after 2020 S.2960 - Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act S.Res.526 - A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that politicians should not interfere with a woman's personal health care decisions or attempt to prevent providers from offering their full medical recommendations to their patients H.R.5942 - Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2018 H.R.5933 - Substance Abuse Prevention Act of 2018 H.R.5932 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5925 - CRISIS Act S.2934 - Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act H.R.5917 - Professional's Access to Health Workforce Integration Act of 2018 H.R.5914 - To require a study and report on policy and regulatory changes that may have contributed to the opioid epidemic S.2920 - Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors Act of 2018 S.2912 - Opioid Addiction Treatment Programs Enhancement Act H.R.6144 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 S.204 - Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 S.2680 - Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 H.R.5511 - Healthy Communities Act of 2018 H.R.5491 - Rural Health Insurance Act of 2018 H.R.5455 - Accelerating Biomedical Research Act H.R.5641 - State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018 H.R.5625 - Easy Enrollment Act of 2018 H.R.5624 - Pathway to Universal Coverage Act of 2018 H.R.5603 - Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act S.2732 - Defending Access to Mental Health Care Act H.R.5699 - HOST Act of 2018 S.2802 - Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 2018 H.R.5725 - BEST Act S.2902 - Better Data Sharing to Combat the Opioid Crisis Act S.2901 - eTREAT Act H.R.5892 - To establish an Advisory Committee on Opioids and the Workplace to advise the Secretary of Labor on actions the Department of Labor can take to address the impact of opioid abuse on the workplace H.R.5858 - Primary Care Patient Protection Act of 2018 S.2875 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R.5795 - Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act S.2851 - Regional Health Care Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems Act H.R.5775 - Providing Reliable Options for Patients and Educational Resources Act of 2018 H.R.5769 - Expanding Access to Treatment Act S. 2608 - Reducing Opioid Risk Act S. 2589 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018 S. 2582 - Consumer Health Insurance Protection Act of 2018 S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act H.R. 5258 - Affordable Health Insurance for the Middle Class Act H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H.R. 5223 - Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act S. 2507 - Improving Choice in Health Care Coverage Act H.R. 5155 - Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 S. 2496 - Small Business Health Account Act of 2018 S. 2494 - Fair Care Act H.R. 5138 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 5124 - Community Action Opioid Response Act of 2018 H.R. 5097 - PAVE Act of 2018 H.R. 5080 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R. 5062 - Advancing Access to Precision Medicine Act H.R. 5047 - VA Community Care Enhancement Act S. 2437 - Opioid Response Enhancement Act S. 2415 - Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act H.R. 4978 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 S. 2410 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 4938 - Respond NOW Act H.R. 4894 - Harmful Tax Prevention Act H.R. 4841 - Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 H.R. 4831 - Healthcare Tax Relief Act H.R. 4820 - ASK Act S. 2315 - Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act H.R. 4808 - Transparent Health Care Pricing Act of 2018 S. 2312 - HELP Act H.R. 4784 - ACA OUTREACH Act H.R. 4778 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 S. 2302 - Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2018 S. 2301 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 4575 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. S. 2303 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. H.R. 1625 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 5343 - Prescription Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4874 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 4872 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R.6283 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals only enrolled in Medicare Part A to contribute to health savings accounts S.2708 - Choose Medicare Act H.R.5686 - Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act of 2018 S.2908 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for electronic prior authorization under Medicare part D for covered part D drugs, and for other purposes S.2904 - Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth Act H.R.6117 - Choose Medicare Act H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S. 413, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Capito) -PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies S. 428, ACE Kids Act (Grassley) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions S. 1016, CONNECT For Health Act (Schatz) - telehealth S. 1169, Medicaid CARE Act (Durbin-Portman) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion S. 1688, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act (Klobuchar) - Part D price negotiations S. 1804, Medicare for All Act (Sanders) - single payer health system S. 1827, Keep Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure Act (Hatch-Wyden) - federal CHIP funding S. 1890, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Cardin) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease S. 2027, Medicaid Third Party Liability Act (Portman) - Medicaid third party liability S. 2227, EMPOWER Care Act (Portman-Cantwell) - Medicaid Money Follows the Person Demonstration S. 2707, Informing Seniors About Opioids Act (Nelson) - opioid issues S. 2901, Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act (Thune) - opioid issues S. 2904, Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Via Telehealth Act (Carper) - opioid issues S. 2908, Electronic Prior Authorization in Medicare Part D Act (Roberts) - opioid issues Draft Medicare Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act (Pallone) - Long-Term Services and Supports Program H.R. 195, Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act - CHIP funding extension for 2018-2023 and related provisions H.R. 849, Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act (Roe) - Independent Payment Advisory Board H.R. 908, Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act (Kelly) - MA payment cap H.R. 1038, Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (Griffith) - PDP/MA-PD payments on clean claims from pharmacies H.R. 1148, FAST Act (Griffith) - access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under Medicare H.R. 1316, Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (Collins) - PBM standards for MA and PDP plans H.R. 1892, Bipartisan Budget Act (Larson) - permanent authorization of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans; MA chronic care reforms: telehealth, supplemental benefits, value-based insurance design, star ratings; changes to Medicare Part D coverage gap and related discounts; CHIP funding extension for 2024-2027; funding for Puerto Ricos Medicaid program H.R. 1995, V-BID for Better Care Act (Black) - value-based insurance design in Medicare Advantage H.R. 2556, CONNECT For Health Act (Black) - telehealth H.R. 2644, Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment and Medigap Access (Marino) - Medigap coverage for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease H.R. 2687, Medicaid CARE Act (Foster-Fitzpatrick) - changes to Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 3044, Supplemental Benefits for Chronically Ill Medicare Advantage Enrollees (Meehan) H.R. 3168, Special Needs Plans (Tiberi-Levin) - SNP reauthorization H.R. 3263, Medicare Independence at Home Model of Care (Burgess) - demonstration program H.R. 3325, ACE Kids Act (Barton) - coordinated care for children with complex medical conditions H.R. 3360, Telehealth Enhancement Act (Harper) - telehealth in Medicare H.R. 3727, Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act (Black) - telehealth in MA plans H.R. 3921, HEALTHY KIDS Act (Burgess) - CHIP funding H.R. 4952, Improving Seniors Access to Quality Benefits Act (Kelly) - MA benchmark cap study H.R. 5603, Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act (Matsui) - opioid issues H.R. 5605, Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act (Ruiz) - opioid issues H.R. 5675, drug management programs for at-risk Medicare beneficiaries (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5676, SENIOR Communities Protection Act (MacArthur) - preventing fraudulent opioid prescriptions H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act (Kelly) - opioid issues H.R. 5685, Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (Faso) - opioid issues H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act (Paulsen) - opioid issues H.R. 5715, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act (Renacci) - communication between Medicare plan sponsors and CMS H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors Act (Roskam) - opioid issues H.R. 5797, IMD CARE Act (Walters) - Medicaid IMD exclusion H.R. 5798, Opioid Screening and Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act (Bucshon) - opioid issues H.R. 5799, Medicaid Drug Review, Utilization, Good Governance Improvement Act (Blackburn) - opioid issues H.R. 5800, Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act (Upton) - opioid issues H.R. 5804, Post-Surgical Injections as an Opioid Alternative Act (Shimkus) - opioid issues H.R. 5808, Medicaid Pharmaceutical Home Act (Bilirakis) - opioid issues H.R. 5809, Postoperative Opioid Prevention Act (Peters) - opioid issues H.R. 5810, Medicaid Health Homes for Opioid-Use-Disorder Medicaid Enrollees Encouraged Act (Lance) - opioid issues H.R. 5812, Improving Medicaid Data Timeliness Act (Griffith) - opioid issues Regulatory Issues: Ongoing implementation issues for the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug programs, including risk adjustment methodology, network adequacy and provider directories, encounter data and other data-related issues, and audit issues; bidding and payment issues (including MA rate assumptions, MA coding intensity, MA Secondary Payer issues, Part D reinsurance, Part D low income subsidies, Part D direct and indirect remuneration (DIR), and audits); calendar year 2019 policy and technical regulation for MA and Part D; issues relating to 2019 Rate Notice and Call Letter; in-home health risk assessments; Medicare Medical Loss Ratio issues; implementation of sequestration under the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs; implications of the health insurer fee for MA and Part D plans; application process, audits to evaluate compliance with MA and Part D program rules, benefit design rules, enrollment rules, requirements for notice and denial forms, marketing materials review and approval, marketing activities, including conduct and compensation of brokers and agents and plan sponsor marketing staff; measurement and oversight of plan performance including Special Needs Plans (SNPs); quality measures, grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance including training; contracting issues for Dual Eligible SNPs; Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to SNPs; Federal preemption of State authority under MA and Part D programs, Part D prescription drug event data reporting, Part D formulary rules, Part D pharmacy access standards, Part D coverage gap discount program, including employer group waiver plan (EGWP) issues, and other operational issues; issues raised by Part D coverage of new specialty drugs, the Part D non-interference policy and related issues (e.g., preferred pharmacy and any willing pharmacy requirements, standards for network pharmacy reimbursement, and policies regarding sponsor negotiation of pharmacy price concessions); CMS's proposed Part B drug demonstration program; Medication Therapy Management Program requirements and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Demonstration; MA EGWP issues; CMMI's value-based insurance design (VBID) demonstration; Part D requirements for offering basic and enhanced alternative plans; MA and Part D systems issues affecting enrollment and disenrollment processing and payment and other operational issues; issues relating to MA and Part D Star Rating system including measures, the methodology for calculating ratings, and the role of the ratings for payment purposes; implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changes to the Part D coverage gap; functionality of the Medicare Personal Plan Finder and Drug Plan Finder; National Medicare Education Program; Medicare demonstration program on performance-based payments for physician groups; physician quality reporting initiative; issues relating to Medicare coverage policy and national coverage decisions; new payment system for physicians under MACRA, including implications for MA and Part D plans; Medicare clinical trials; Medicare/Medicaid integration for dual eligibles, including implementation of the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstration and related issues (e.g., quality ratings); Medicaid managed care regulations and policies, including CMS' substantial revisions to the managed care regulations, mental health parity rules, the Medicaid managed care actuarial soundness standard, quality oversight, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), grievance and appeals processes, fraud and abuse compliance, beneficiary information requirements, treatment of Medicaid health plan member hospital days in the upper payment limit calculation; policies affecting State Medicaid funding, including block grants, the calculation of the federal medical assistance (federal matching) percentage (FMAP), and intergovernmental transfers (IGTs); coordination of benefits with state Medicaid programs; Medicaid prescription drug cost issues affecting Medicaid health plans including issues raised by Medicaid coverage of new specialty drugs; health plan-related Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) issues, including eligibility and outreach issues and CHIP reauthorization; implementation of Medicaid changes made in Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, including Medicaid managed care organization provider tax issues; standards for electronic prescribing; implementation of Medicaid changes of interest to Medicaid health plans made in the ACA including Medicaid expansion, the managed care organization (MCO) prescription drug rebate provisions, minimum payments to primary care providers (PCPs), interactions between the Medicaid program and health insurance exchanges, and Medicaid and CHIP maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; implications of the health insurer fee for Medicaid health plans; issues related to Medicaid Managed long-term care including home and community-based waiver services (HCBS); expanding the availability of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan telemedicine programs; implications of the new non-discrimination rules for health plans participating in public programs; issues related to Medigap coverage; issues related to business continuity in relation to pandemics or natural events (e.g., hurricane, tornado, etc.); cybersecurity; provider directories; value-based insurance design models; issues relating to prescription drug price blueprint; Part D prescriber enrollment requirements; Part D recovery audit contractor programs; issues relating to enrollment of beneficiaries with ESRD into MA plans; socioeconomic status impacts on star ratings related to MA and Part D programs; and other issues relating to health care reform implementation.
Client expense: $1,410,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), 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 Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
MMM (Medicare and Medicaid) Many aspects of the Affordable Care Act promote changes that are consistent with the mission of the Marshfield Clinic: Extends health insurance to the uninsured Calls for Value Based Purchasing for all providers The following are key elements of the health policy agenda of the Marshfield Clinic Health System: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act With passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), Medicare physician payments will transition to an incentive-based system based on value and accountability. Starting in 2019, Medicare physician payment will be based on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Physicians who perform well on quality, value and IT metrics will be rewarded with higher pay rates and those who perform poorly will face penalties. Because the language of the statute is not specific, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing metrics that will be used to determine the bonus payments and penalties that will start in 2019. The proposed metrics simplify and consolidate the existing measurements employed under the Meaningful Use Incentive Program, the Physician Reporting System (PQRS), and the Value-Based Modifier (VBM) to streamline the reporting burden for physician practices. MIPS will then pay physicians based on four weighted performance categories: Quality, Advancing Care Information; Clinical Practice Improvement Activities; and Resource Use. Having a source of credible data as the foundation of CMS metrics is critical both to fair payment and maintaining access to medical services in rural areas. We expressed concerns about the dilution of incentives payments for good performance, due to the increased number of exceptions from MACRA requirements. Medicare Advantage The Medicare Advantage program provides a full-risk, capitated reimbursement to health plans for all Medicare benefits provided to enrolled beneficiaries. We believe that mechanisms for rewarding value in the Medicare Advantage program should offer incentives for those plans that demonstrate superior patient care performance. We recommend that performance bonuses should be provided for plans that: Achieve predetermined quality performance targets; Adopt health information technology; Meet standards for care coordination; and Provide data on comparative effectiveness. The Medicare Advantage Benchmark Cap - ACA SEC. 3201. (b) (4) By authorizing Quality Incentive Payments for MA plans with star ratings of 4 stars and above, Congress made a significant policy change towards value-based purchasing in the MA program. If a plan is eligible for a Quality Incentive Payment, it receives it in the form of a 5 percent increase to its benchmark. However, Congress also authorized a new methodology for calculating benchmarks, and mandated that benchmarks under the new methodology cannot be greater than what they would have been under the old benchmark methodology. This is the benchmark cap. The benchmark cap reduces or even eliminates Quality Incentive Payments. The policy issue is that the cap weakens the incentive for plans to attain higher star ratings and undermines the shift towards paying for performance in the MA program. We do not think that Congress intended to take away with one provision (the cap) the significant policy change towards paying for value that it enacted in the ACA. This change will have a significant negative impact on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. CMS has indicated that it wants to remove the cap administratively, and we believe that HHS and CMS have the discretionary authority under law to make the necessary changes. If HHS and CMS do not make the change, then a statutory change will be necessary in the 115th Congress. The benchmark cap costs Medicare Advantage enrollees in Security Health Plans population more than $25 more in their monthly premium. We supported HR 4952 introduced by Rep Ron Kind that calls for an HHS study and report of the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare Program. Graduate Medical Education MCHS is concerned about having a sufficient supply of primary care physicians to meet the demands of an expanding and aging population. This is doubly true for patients and health systems in rural settings. Currently only about 10% of physicians practice in rural areas while 25% of the population resides there. While 36% allopathic residents and 50% osteopathic residents who are trained in a rural residency end up practicing in a rural area, only 4% of the residency training actually occurs in rural areas. Currently there are more US medical students graduating from medical school than there are GME slots. An increase in GME primary care training positions is essential to maintaining high-quality, accessible, and cost efficient care. Teaching hospitals in rural locations provide an environment for residents to learn and faculty to serve as educators, providers and researchers. These roles advance the broad mission of preparing each generation of physicians, provide critical patient care and specialized services, often to the disadvantaged, facilitate the discovery of new therapies and treatments, and enable residents to acclimate to the rural setting. As new payment and delivery models emphasize primary care to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, and as more care shifts to outpatient settings, teaching faculty and residency programs must increase access to ambulatory residency rotations to serve Americans who live in areas with an under-supply of primary care physicians including Geriatrics and Psychiatry. The purpose and value of residency training in clinical settings and the financial support needed to sustain physician education will only increase as the U.S. population lives longer with more complex health conditions. To ensure GME can meet the future needs of the newly insured and aging population, Congress must commit to the consistent GME funding and lift Medicares limit on funded residency positions. We support the Teaching Health Center funding in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization ACT (MACRA) for Community Health Centers but request you extend funding beyond 2017. Geographic Adjustment of Physician Payments Recent findings by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission have demonstrated significant shortcomings in the data utilized to geographically adjust physician payments. The IOM and MedPAC studies have confirmed that the data sources currently relied upon for geographic adjustment bear no correlation to physician earnings. CMS officials have admitted that the proxies utilized for the purpose of geographic adjustment have never been validated, and there never has been a new data source utilized in the twenty years since the fee schedule was implemented. MedPAC data show that the geographic adjustment reference occupations predict earnings of rural physicians to be 25-30% less than physicians in metropolitan areas. MedPAC data show that earnings of primary care physicians in rural areas are, in fact, 13% higher than physicians in metropolitan areas. Since there is no statistical basis of support for disparities in payment we strongly recommend that Congress require CMS to correct this inequity immediately. These corrections are necessary to assure the credibility of the changes enacted in MACRA. Telemedicine in Medicare Changes to Medicare law and regulation are needed to improve equity in access for Medicare beneficiaries to services delivered via TeleHealth. Medicare beneficiaries should be allowed to receive services in telemedicine sites located in urban areas. The necessary changes would remove restrictions on originating sites by removing the rural requirement and the list of originating sites and allowing any certified Medicare facility to provide the services; current requirements that physician must bill for services from the originating site should be removed; restrictions on eligible practitioners should be removed to allow all Medicare approved practitioners to provide telemedicine services; and there should be no restrictions on which Medicare services may be provided through telemedicine. We recommend that the Medicare requirement for non-MSA geographic location of the patient be expanded to allow all Medicare certified organizations as originating sites regardless of rural or metropolitan statistical area designation. In addition, MCHS supports the CONNECT for Health Act that contains a provision which would permit Medicare Advantage plans to use telehealth or remote patient monitoring technologies to provide basic Medicare benefits, without the restrictions that limit originating sites, geographic locations, store-and-forward technologies, and types of health care provider. We believe that telehealth is a different way of delivering an already covered service, and that Medicare should treat remote access technologies as an alternative modality or complementary means of providing clinical services, and not a service itself. In other words, telehealth should not be seen as simply a supplement or complement to face-to-face encounters. Patients increasingly expect their health plans to provide the access to services and convenience that remote technologies facilitate. These technologies can increase communication between providers and patients, enhance care coordination, and help physicians and patients work together to treat illness and maintaining health. Oral Health Coverage for the Medically Compromised and at Risk Populations There is sufficient data that demonstrates oral health impacts the systemic health of the patient and in doing can reduce the cost of care. Linkages that encourage patient compliance, patient education, provider education, and bi-directional referral and surveillance should be incented and compensated. Shared savings demonstrations should be developed for health systems and co-pay incentives developed for patients engaging in and complying with such inter-disciplinary care. Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) PAMA includes reforms to the Clinical Lab Fee Schedule (CLFS). This rule for PAMA requires reporting of Clinical lab prices and volumes. MCHS requested a delay in the reporting, and changes to expand the definition of applicable lab to represent the true market of all laboratories; requested greater transparency of calculations; more time to allow for gathering data and implementation.
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, Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2018 · first_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office
2018 · first_quarter · Health Issues
S. 2608 - Reducing Opioid Risk Act S. 2589 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act of 2018 S. 2582 - Consumer Health Insurance Protection Act of 2018 S. 2554 - Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act H.R. 5258 - Affordable Health Insurance for the Middle Class Act H.R. 5254 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding eligibility for enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans to individuals enrolled under the Medicaid program or enrolled under a group health plan H.R. 5223 - Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act S. 2507 - Improving Choice in Health Care Coverage Act H.R. 5155 - Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 S. 2496 - Small Business Health Account Act of 2018 S. 2494 - Fair Care Act H.R. 5138 - Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act of 2018 H.R. 5124 - Community Action Opioid Response Act of 2018 H.R. 5097 - PAVE Act of 2018 H.R. 5080 - COMBAT Act of 2018 H.R. 5062 - Advancing Access to Precision Medicine Act H.R. 5047 - VA Community Care Enhancement Act S. 2437 - Opioid Response Enhancement Act S. 2415 - Accelerating Kids Access to Care Act H.R. 4978 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 S. 2410 - Chronic Disease Management Act of 2018 H.R. 4952 - To direct the Secretary of HHS to conduct a study and submit a report on the effects of the inclusion of quality increases in the determination of blended benchmark amounts under part C of the Medicare program H.R. 4938 - Respond NOW Act H.R. 4894 - Harmful Tax Prevention Act H.R. 4841 - Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 H.R. 4831 - Healthcare Tax Relief Act H.R. 4820 - ASK Act S. 2315 - Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act H.R. 4808 - Transparent Health Care Pricing Act of 2018 S. 2312 - HELP Act H.R. 4784 - ACA OUTREACH Act H.R. 4778 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 S. 2302 - Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2018 S. 2301 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 4575 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. S. 2303 - A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to preserve consumer and employer access to licensed independent insurance producers. H.R. 1625 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 S. 2553 - Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018 H.R. 5343 - Prescription Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 5150 - Protecting Medicare from Excessive Price Increases Act of 2018 H.R. 4874 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 4872 - End The Shutdown Act of 2018 H.R. 5104 - A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes
Client expense: $330,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, White House Office