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Telehealth Extension Act of 2021
Legislative Progress
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
43pct
1d open
vs 9,698 other HR bills in the 117th — cohort avg 63d
Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 This bill expands and otherwise modifies coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, and (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner). The bill also extends any Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency until two years after the emergency ends and generally allows such flexibilities to be granted during any public health emergency. In addition, the bill (1) allows for Medicare payment of outpatient critical access hospital services consisting of telehealth behavioral therapy until two years after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends; and (2) after the emergency ends, conditions payment for certain high-cost laboratory tests and durable medical equipment that are ordered via telehealth on at least one in-person visit during the preceding six-month period.
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Filing registrants (33)
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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
Bills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov
2023 · fourth_quarter · Education
1. Student loan relief provisions generally, including student loan payment pause; and debt cancellation 2. School Staff Workforce related issues including staff shortages, teacher diversity, teacher preparation and tutoring services, teacher apprenticeship; and Grow Your Own 3. Paraprofessionals and teacher pay 4. School staff working conditions, pay, shortages, respect, benefits 5. Enforcement of program integrity rules and efforts to identify low-value programs (higher education), including gainful employment regulations 6. Climate Change Education, Entirety 7. Private school vouchers including the DC voucher program/SOAR Act FY2024 and FY2025 funding and policy provisions 8. Online program management companies, role in higher education and compliance with incentive compensation ban 9. H.R.5484/S.2822, Green Ribbon Act of 2023, Entirety 10. Public Law 118-31, The National Defense Authorization Act, FY2024, Parents Bill of Rights and Culture War amendments; Classroom Ratios; Education provisions, including Grothman amendment (#857); and 9/11 Responder and Survivor issues 11. Career and Technical Education related issues 12. H.R.6576/S.3360, Full Service Community Schools Expansion Act of 2023, Entirety 13. Proposals to expand Pell Grants to short-term programs including H.R.793/S.161, JOBS Act and H.R.6585, Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, including institutional eligibility restrictions 14. S.1409, Kids Online Safety Act, Entirety 15. H.R.5474/S.2814, Jumpstart on College Act 16. H.J.Res.88/S.J.Res.43, Providing for congressional disapproval of the SAVE income-driven repayment plan for student loans 17. Child Care, Head Start and Pre-Kindergarten, generally 18. Child Care, Head Start workforce issues, generally 19. Tutoring 20. H.R.6585,Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, Entirety 21. Artificial Intelligence 22. Executive Order 14110 -- The Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, Education related issues 23. S.Res.450, the Paraprofessional and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights 24. Executive Order 14095 -- On Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers 25. Public Law 117-200, Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act 26. H.R.5702, Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act 27. H.R.6077, Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act 28. Tuition tax credit proposals, including H.R.531, Educational Choice for Children Act 29. H.R.6593, Codifying SAVE Plan Act 30. H.R.6594, Generating Relief for Academic Debt Using Assisted Tax Efficiency (GRADUATE) Act 31. Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act 32. H.R. 6204, the See the Board Act 33. Supporting All Students Act (draft bill) 34. H.R.6251, the Helping Educators Respond to Overdoses Act 35. Climate Change Education Act, Entirety 36. Parental and Family Engagement related issues 37. H.R.6592, Fight Book Bans Act, Entirety 38. H.R.6830, Books Save Lives Act, Entirety 39. H.R.6328/S.3279, Advanced Coursework Equity Act, Entirety 40. H.R.6791, Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act of 2023, Entirety 41. H.R.6149/S.1291, Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, Entirety 42. Social Media and Platform Accountability related issues 43. H.R.6202/S.3214, Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act 44. H.R.4519/S.2217, The IDEA Full Funding Act 45. H.R.2715/S.1202, Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers (PACT) Act 46. Health Funding Correction Act 47. H.R.6576/S.3360, Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2023, Entirety 48. H.R.5894, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY2024, Opposition to funding related issues; LGBTQ restrictions and Department of Education proposed cuts 49. S.2624, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY2024, Community School related issues Monitor the following: 1. Public Law 117-169, Inflation Reduction Act, Broadband related issues; American Families Plan; Education provisions; and Climate generally 2. Public Law 117-58, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Indoor Air Quality in Schools; 3. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Improvements and generally; Including PSLF waiver, regulations, IDR account adjustment, and TEPSLF 4. Title IX and Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams 5. Teacher loan forgiveness programs, generally 6. School Bus related issues 7. TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) Grant program related issues, generally 8. Borrower defense rule issues 9.Recognizing Care Workers 10.Income-driven repayment plans (student loans), including Administrative adjustment, regulations, and generally 11. Keeping All Students Safe Act, Entirety 12. Postsecondary Student Success Grants (College completion) and funding 13. Postsecondary related issues 14. H.R.5, Parents Bill of Rights, Entirety 15. Federal Student Aid, Rulemaking Committee related issues; and Form related issues 16. New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act, Education research and Development 17. Lowering Costs and Increasing Value for Students, Institutions and Taxpayers 18. Instructional spending metrics (institutions of higher education) 19. Student Loan Servicing Reform and Consumer Protection related issues 20. Change of ownership (institutions of higher education), including ongoing University of Phoenix-University of Idaho transaction 21. H.R.5784/S.2988, Green New Deal for Public Schools, Entirety 22. H.R.5030, Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2023, Entirety 23. 2023 Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM ) grant
Client expense: $290,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Education, Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 4014, Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021, provisions relating to Graduate Medical Education S. 2094, Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021, provisions relating to Graduate Medical Education H.R. 1332, Telehealth Modernization Act, all provisions S. 368, Telehealth Modernization Act, all provisions H.R. 4058, Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2061, Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3173, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, provisions relating to Prior Authorization and attachment standards S. 3018, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, provisions relating to Prior Authorization and attachment standards H.R. 7995, Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors (GOLD CARD) Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 3259, Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction In the Nation (NO PAIN) Act, all provisions S. 586, Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction In the Nation (NO PAIN) Act, all provisions H.R. 4587, Value in Health Care Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7213, Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, all provisions S. 748, Medicare Sequester Relief Act, all provisions H.R. 2903, Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, all provisions S. 1512, Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, all provisions H.R. 2256, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, all provisions S. 834, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, all provisions H.R. 1218, Data Mapping to Save Moms Lives Act, all provisions S. 198, Data Mapping to Save Moms Lives Act, all provisions H.R. 3407, Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMAs) Act, all provisions S. 411, Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMAs) Act, all provisions H.R. 3441, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act, all provisions S. 1438, Opioid Workforce Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 955, Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021, all provisions S. 285, Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2654, Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 6020, Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, all provisions S. 3314, Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 6311, Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2021, all provisions S. 3418, Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3, Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, all provisions H.R. 19, Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021, all provisions S. 801, Connected Maternal Online Monitoring Act, all provisions H.R. 1738, Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act, all provisions H.R. 1025, Kids Access to Primary Care Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 66, Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed (CARING) for Kids Act, all provisions S. 610, Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act, all provisions H.R. 6000, Cures 2.0 Act, all provisions H.R. 4043, Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2416, New Opportunities for Value that Extend Lives (NOVEL) Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7666, Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 3746, Accountable Care in Rural America Act, all provisions H.R. 4755, Seniors Chronic Care Management Improvement Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 6308, ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 1868, To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts, and for other purposes, all provisions H.R. 315, Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act, all provisions H.R. 6048, Medicare Stability for Patients and Providers Act, all provisions H.R. 3348, SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act, all provisions H.R. 366, Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2166, Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2228, Rural Behavioral Health Access Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3447, Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act, all provisions H.R. 7051, Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022, all provisions S. 3791, Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 7878, Kidney Health Connect Act of 2022, all provisions S. 4307, Kidney Health Connect Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 6202, Telehealth Extension Act of 2021, all provisions S. 987, CARA 3.0 Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 1438, Opioid Workforce Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 925, Data to Save Moms Act, all provisions H.R. 7475, Mamas First Act, all provisions H.R. 3746, Accountable Care in Rural America Act, all provisions H.R. 4587, Value in Health Care Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3, Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, all provisions H.R. 3614, Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2021, provisions related to menstrual products coverage in Medicaid Medicare program: Physician Payment and Delivery Reform Medicare program: Impending Medicare payment cuts Medicare program: Medicare Evaluation and Management/budget neutrality Medicare program: Statutory PAYGO/Sequester Relief Medicare program: Accountable Care Organizations/specialty care Medicare program: Alternative Payment Models Medicare program: AMA Recovery Plan for Americas Physicians/payment reform Medicare program: Global and Professional Direct Contracting alternative payment model/REACH ACOs Medicare program: Appropriate Use Criteria and Prior Authorization Medicare program: Medicare Advantage/prior authorization regulation Medicare program: Automatic blood pressure measurement devices/coverage Medicare program: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) Medicare program: MIPS/Promoting Interoperability/Cost/Improvement Activities Medicare program: MIPS/data sharing/transparency Medicare program: MACRA physician burdens Medicare program: Quality Payment Program Medicare program: Health IT burden Medicare program: Public Health Emergency COVID-19 /Accelerated and Advance Payments Medicare program: Primary Care First models Medicare program: Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Medicare program: Modifier 25 Medicare program: Split/shared billing Medicare program: Interoperability/data blocking/HIPAA Medicare program: Coding Medicare program: Provider compliance/Regulatory relief Medicare program: Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) Enrollment/Revalidation Medicare program: Open Payments Medicare program: Prescription drug pricing/Pharmacy Benefits Managers Medicare program: Step Therapy Medicare and Medicaid programs: Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act (MACRA)/implementation Medicare and Medicaid programs: MACRA Oversight Medicaid program: Improving Access to Physical and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth Under Medicaid and CHIP draft Medicare and Medicaid programs: Health Equity Medicaid program: Maternal Mortality Medicaid program: Uninsured and healthcare coverage/COVID-19 Medicaid program: Special Enrollment Period Medicaid program: Sickle Cell Disease
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Analyzing the Duration of Remote Monitoring Services Act of 2021 (H.R.4347) CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 (H.R.2903 / S.1512) Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 (S.1986) SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R.3348) Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) The Telehealth Modernization Act (S.368) Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (H.R. 4040) Helping MOMS Act of 2021 (H.R. 3345) Medicaid Waivers National Coverage Determination for Self-Measured Blood Pressure Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System
Client expense: $90,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · second_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Analyzing the Duration of Remote Monitoring Services Act of 2021 (H.R.4347) CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 (H.R.2903 / S.1512) Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 (S.1986) SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R.3348) Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) The Telehealth Modernization Act (S.368) Medicaid Waivers National Coverage Determination for Self-Measured Blood Pressure Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System
Client expense: $100,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · first_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Analyzing the Duration of Remote Monitoring Services Act of 2021 (H.R.4347) CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 (H.R.2903 / S.1512) Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 (Pub.L. 117-103): sections pertaining to Telehealth Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 (S.1986) SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R.3348) Medicaid Waivers National Coverage Determination for Self-Measured Blood Pressure Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) The Telehealth Modernization Act (S.368)
Client expense: $110,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
| Democratic |
| IN |
| Angie Craig | Democratic | MN |
| Ann M. Kuster | Democratic | NH |
| Bradley Scott Schneider | Democratic | IL |
| Brendan F. Boyle | Democratic | PA |
| Brian Higgins | Democratic | NY |
| Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Republican | PA |
| C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger | Democratic | MD |
| Carol D. Miller | Republican | WV |
| Carolyn B. Maloney | Democratic | NY |
| Chellie Pingree | Democratic | ME |
| Cynthia Axne | Democratic | IA |
| Daniel T. Kildee | Democratic | MI |
| Danny K. Davis | Democratic | IL |
| Darin LaHood | Republican | IL |
| David B. McKinley | Republican | WV |
| David G. Valadao | Republican | CA |
| David J. Trone | Democratic | MD |
| David N. Cicilline | Democratic | RI |
| David Schweikert | Republican | AZ |
| Debbie Lesko | Republican | AZ |
| Devin Nunes | Republican | CA |
| Don Bacon | Republican | NE |
| Earl Blumenauer | Democratic | OR |
| Ed Case | Democratic | HI |
| Eddie Bernice Johnson | Democratic | TX |
| Eleanor Holmes Norton | Democratic | DC |
| Elise M. Stefanik | Republican | NY |
| Frank D. Lucas | Republican | OK |
| G. K. Butterfield | Democratic | NC |
| Grace Meng | Democratic | NY |
| Greg Stanton | Democratic | AZ |
| Gwen Moore | Democratic | WI |
| Jackie Walorski | Republican | IN |
| Jamie Raskin | Democratic | MD |
| Janice D. Schakowsky | Democratic | IL |
| Jim Cooper | Democratic | TN |
| John B. Larson | Democratic | CT |
| John H. Rutherford | Republican | FL |
| Joseph D. Morelle | Democratic | NY |
| Josh Gottheimer | Democratic | NJ |
| Judy Chu | Democratic | CA |
| Kathy E. Manning | Democratic | NC |
| Katie Porter | Democratic | CA |
| Lizzie Fletcher | Democratic | TX |
| Lloyd Smucker | Republican | PA |
| Madeleine Dean | Democratic | PA |
| Madison Cawthorn | Republican | NC |
| Marc A. Veasey | Democratic | TX |
| Mark Takano | Democratic | CA |
| Markwayne Mullin | Republican | OK |
| Matt Cartwright | Democratic | PA |
| Melanie A. Stansbury | Democratic | NM |
| Michelle Steel | Republican | CA |
| Mike Gallagher | Republican | WI |
| Mike Kelly | Republican | PA |
| Mike Thompson | Democratic | CA |
| Nanette Diaz Barragán | Democratic | CA |
| Paul Tonko | Democratic | NY |
| Peter A. DeFazio | Democratic | OR |
| Raja Krishnamoorthi | Democratic | IL |
| Raúl M. Grijalva | Democratic | AZ |
| Ron Kind | Democratic | WI |
| Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. | Democratic | GA |
| Stephanie N. Murphy | Democratic | FL |
| Stephen F. Lynch | Democratic | MA |
| Steve Cohen | Democratic | TN |
| Steven Horsford | Democratic | NV |
| Susan Wild | Democratic | PA |
| Suzan K. DelBene | Democratic | WA |
| Sylvia R. Garcia | Democratic | TX |
| Ted Budd | Republican | NC |
| Terri A. Sewell | Democratic | AL |
| Tom Cole | Republican | OK |
| Tom O’Halleran | Democratic | AZ |
| Tom Rice | Republican | SC |
| Tony Cárdenas | Democratic | CA |
| Vern Buchanan | Republican | FL |
| Yvette D. Clarke | Democratic | NY |
Client expense: $4,550,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 -Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act;H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 5981, S. 1704 - Telehealth Expansion Act; H.R. 7353 Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act; H.R. 7573/S. 3593 Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; H.R. 2617 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 -Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; H.R. 2617 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $60,000
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Affordable prescription drugs; 340B Drug pricing program; Health care privacy; Patient privacy issues; Issues related to the American Rescue Plan Act, PL 117-2; Issues related to expanding health care coverage, including in non-Medicaid expansion states; Issues related to improving social determinants of health; Issues related to extending and expanding flexibilities for virtual care; Financial support for providers for diagnosis and treatment related to COVID-19, coverage of COVID-19 related conditions, access to PPE and other materials and equipment related to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, including funding for the Provider Relief Fund; Issues related to affordable health care coverage; H.R. 2228 - Rural Behavioral Health Access Act; Issues related to drug pricing; Issues related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework; Issues related to telehealth; Efforts to extend Medicare sequester delay, including H.R.1868; Issues related to Medicare policy on virtual care; Issues related to vaccine mandates; S. 168/H.R. 708 - Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act; S. 346/H.R. 959 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act; S. 773/H.R. 3203 - Legislation related to 340B eligibility; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; S. 368/H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act ; S. 1512/H.R. 2903 - CONNECT for Health Act; S. 1988 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act; H.R. 3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; S.773/H.R. 3203 - A bill to enable certain hospitals that were participating in or applied for the drug discount program under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency to temporarily maintain eligibility for such program; H.R. 4943 - Childrens Mental Health Infrastructure Act; H.R. 4944 - Helping Kids Cope Act; H.R. 5376 - Build Back Better Act; H.R. 1667 - Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act; Issues related to workforce retention; H.R. 2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY 2022 Omnibus); H.R. 7007 - Covid-19 Supplemental Appropriations Act; H.R. 7053/S. 3792 - Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act; issues related to the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver; H.R. 4407/S. 1568 - Technical Reset to Advance the Instruction of Nurses (TRAIN) Act; S. 3493 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 5376 - Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169); H.R. 6833 - Continuing Resolution; H.R. 2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; Issues related to adequate financing for hospitals and providers; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; Issues related to extending the Medicare Dependent Hospital and Low Volume Hospital programs; Issues related to extending bonus payments for Advanced Alternative Payment models; H.R. 4587 - Value in Health Care Act; Issues related to coding and coverage of spiritual care through chaplain services; Issues related to value-based care programs, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model; Issues related to data and quality measure reporting and eligibility for corresponding reimbursements; Issues related to prior authorization; H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act; Issues related to Rural Emergency Hospital designation; Issues related to safety net hospital reimbursements.
Client expense: $310,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Issues related to Medicare and Medicaid coverage and Medicaid disproportionate share program; Financial support for providers for diagnosis and treatment related to COVID-19; coverage of COVID-19 related conditions; access to PPE and other materials and equipment related to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, including funding for the Provider Relief Fund; PL 117-2; Issues related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework; Issues related to telehealth; Efforts to extend Medicare sequester delay, including H.R.1868; Issues related to Medicare policy on virtual care; Childrens Health Graduate Medical Education; issues related to drug pricing; Issues related to hospital DSH eligibility; Issues related to Home and Community Based Services (HCBS); Medicaid waiver-related issues; Childrens transplant program issues; S. 346/H.R. 959 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act; S.773/H.R. 3203 - legislation to enable certain hospitals that were participating in or applied for the drug discount program under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency to temporarily maintain eligibility for such program; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act; S. 1024/H.R. 2255 - Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; S. 368/H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act; S. 1512/H.R. 2903 - CONNECT for Health Act ; S. 1988 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act; H.R. 3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; H.R. 5376 - Build Back Better Act; H.R. 2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; Efforts to delay statutory PAYGO payment reductions; Efforts to offset physician payment reductions; Efforts to improve hospital reimbursement; Issues related to cuts to Medicaid DSH; Issues related to cuts to uncompensated care pools; Issues related to hospital at home programs; H.R. 2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY 2022 Omnibus); H.R. 7007 - Covid-19 Supplemental Appropriations Act; H.R. 7053/S. 3792 - Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act; issues related to the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver; S. 3493 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 5376 - Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169); H.R. 6833 - Continuing Resolution; Issues related to adequate financing for hospitals and providers; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; Issues related to extending the Medicare Dependent Hospital and Low Volume Hospital programs; Issues related to extending bonus payments for Advanced Alternative Payment models; H.R. 4587 - Value in Health Care Act; Issues related to coding and coverage of spiritual care through chaplain services; Issues related to value-based care programs, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model; Issues related to data and quality measure reporting and eligibility for corresponding reimbursements; Issues related to prior authorization; H.R. 3173 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act; Issues related to Rural Emergency Hospital designation; Issues related to safety net hospital reimbursements.
Client expense: $310,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Analyzing the Duration of Remote Monitoring Services Act of 2021 (H.R.4347) CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 (H.R.2903 / S.1512) Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 (S.1986) Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act (H.R.3089/ S.1544) SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R.3348) Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) The Telehealth Modernization Act (S.368) Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (H.R. 4040) Helping MOMS Act of 2021 (H.R. 3345) Medicaid Waivers National Coverage Determination for Self-Measured Blood Pressure
Client expense: $70,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Healthcare issues related to clinical laboratories; H.R. 8188/S. 4449, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), provisions relating to reform of Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory services under Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, Pub. L. 113-93; H.R. 4128/S. 2209, the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act, included as Subtitle C of Title VIII of S. 4348, the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act (FDASLA), provisions relating to FDA oversight of laboratory-developed tests; H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act, and H.R. 7573/S. 3593, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, provisions relating to extension of Medicare coverage of telehealth services and limitations on payment for certain laboratory tests; H.R. 8152, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), provisions relating to data privacy; S. 3799, the PREVENT Pandemics Act, provisions relating to demographic data reporting obligations for laboratories; Federal policy related to implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pub. L. 116-127, provisions relating to coverage of and funding for COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Federal policy related to implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Pub. L. 116-136, provisions relating to coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 diagnostic tests and Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory tests; Federal policy relating to the National Correct Coding Initiative and manual instructions inconsistent with American Medical Association guidelines for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding; and Federal policy relating to availability of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $110,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Telehealth provisions following PHE; HR6202/S3593 - provisions requiring in person visits prior to ordering lab tests Legislation on best practices for pharmacogenomic testing; S4633
Client expense: $290,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
21st Century Cures Act (PL 114-255) implementation an oversight; SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (PL 115-271) implementation and oversight; issues related to health data privacy, unique patient identifier and patient matching, patient access to data, pharmacy real-time benefit transactions; standards to increase interoperability; Medicare coverage of telehealth services, S 368, the Telehealth Modernization Act; the COVID-19 pandemic response including CDC data infrastructure modernization, telemental and telebahavioral health, broadband access and infrastructure development, Telehealth Expansion Act, H.R. 5981; Telehealth Extension Act, H.R. 6202; S. 3799, the PREVENT Pandemics Act; H.R. 8152 - the American Data Privacy and Protection Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $30,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Issues related to telehealth; S. 3593, Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 6202, Telehealth Extension Act of 2021; Physician coverage and reimbursement issues
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
RHC Payment Modernization - Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 - H.R. 133 RHC Payment Modernization Implementation RHC Payment Modernization Grandfathering Fix - H.R. 1868 Reintroduction of the RHC Modernization Act RHC Medicare Telehealth Coverage - Ensuring Telehealth Expansion Act - H.R. 341 Reintroduction of the CONNECT for Health Act Reintroduction of the HEALTH Act Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 S. 934 Rural Health Clinic Protection Act S. 935 H.R. 1838 to improve rural health clinic payments H.R. 1885 to adjust certain rural health clinic payments H.R. 6202 Telehealth Extension Act ~ extends and fixes telehealth policy for RHCs Connecting Rural Telehealth to the Future Act Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 - HR 2617
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Public Health Emergency, Telehealth, and Physician Virtual Supervision issues. H.R.2168/S.3193 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act, H.R.2903/S.1512- CONNECT for Health Act, H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Expansion Act, H.R.1332/S.368 - Telehealth Modernization Act, H.R.7573/S.3593 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R.9247 - The Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, H.R.1319; Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, (S.2061/H.R.4058); Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act, H.R.3447; Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act of 2021, S.2069; FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, H.R.4502; FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations Act, H.R.4502; Build Back Better Act, H.R.5376; Telehealth Extension Act of 2021, H.R.6202 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R.2471; 988 Implementation Act, H.R.7116; 988 and Parity Assistance Act of 2022, H.R.7232; Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, S.2938; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R.8295; 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R.2617
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2024, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth and prevent a 4.42 percent Medicare payment cut as contained in H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. Recommended modifications to Medicare law to establish a mechanism for savings to be calculated across all aspects of the program-that is, increased investment in relative and absolute payments for primary care and preventive health care services (Part B) results in savings due to reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations (Part A)-and to allow these savings to be reinvested back into primary and preventive care, as well as into social and public health services. With regard to Medicares Quality Payment Program, advocated with Congress to provide flexibility to CMS to set performance thresholds, improve the cost performance category, provide scoring flexibility to CMS to allow for multi-category credit, provide CMS flexibility to score and benchmark measures as appropriate and to test and incentivize new measures and MVPs to ensure successful implementation, update the Promoting Interoperability performance category, Extend the $500 million exceptional performance bonus for an additional six years , align comparisons in the MIPS Quality performance category and Physician Compare. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Advocated with Congress for passage of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021, to extend coverage for critical telehealth services beyond the public health emergency. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs. Scope of Practice: Urged Congress to oppose the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act, or the I CAN Act, H.R. 8812, which allows non-physician clinicians to deliver care that is not commensurate with their training, skills, and demonstrated competencies in accord with national standards
Client expense: $69,651 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
TRAIN Act (S. 1568/H.R. 4407) to stop cuts to nursing and allied health programs Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 7961) to protect healthcare workers. Sequestration relief Rural hospital policies (Rural Health Clinic payment - H.R. 1868; Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act H.R. 1639/S.644; Rural and Underserved Small Hospital Protection Act/RUSH Act (H.R. 1885); Rural America Health Corps Act (S. 924/H.R. 2130); Rural America Health Corps Act S.54); Rural Hospital Support Act (S. 4009) and the Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act (H.R. 8747) to extend the MDH and LVA programs) Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (S. 3792/H.R. 7053) Value in Health Care Act (H.R. 4587) Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding (Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021 S. 834/H.R. 2256); Opioid Workforce Act S. 1438/ Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act H.R. 3441 Telehealth flexibilities and payment (Telehealth Extension Act - H.R. 6202; TREAT Act - S. 168/H.R. 708; Telehealth Modernization Act - S. 368/H.R. 1332; TREATS Act - S. 340; CONNECT for Health Act S. 1512/H.R. 2903; Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act S. 150/H.R. 2166) Resetting the Impact (TRIA) Act of 2021 H.R. 2455 Technical Reset to Advance the Instruction of Nurses (TRAIN) Act Value in Healthcare Act (H.R. 4587) Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act (S. 3018/H.R. 3173) Annual Prospective Payment System Rules
Client expense: $200,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2024, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth and prevent a 4.42 percent Medicare payment cut as contained in H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. Recommended modifications to Medicare law to establish a mechanism for savings to be calculated across all aspects of the program-that is, increased investment in relative and absolute payments for primary care and preventive health care services (Part B) results in savings due to reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations (Part A)-and to allow these savings to be reinvested back into primary and preventive care, as well as into social and public health services. With regard to Medicares Quality Payment Program, advocated with Congress to provide flexibility to CMS to set performance thresholds, improve the cost performance category, provide scoring flexibility to CMS to allow for multi-category credit, provide CMS flexibility to score and benchmark measures as appropriate and to test and incentivize new measures and MVPs to ensure successful implementation, update the Promoting Interoperability performance category, Extend the $500 million exceptional performance bonus for an additional six years , align comparisons in the MIPS Quality performance category and Physician Compare. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Advocated with Congress for passage of H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021, to extend coverage for critical telehealth services beyond the public health emergency. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs. Scope of Practice: Urged Congress to oppose the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act, or the I CAN Act, H.R. 8812, which allows non-physician clinicians to deliver care that is not commensurate with their training, skills, and demonstrated competencies in accord with national standards.
Client expense: $300,406 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Healthcare issues related to clinical laboratories; H.R. 8188/S. 4449, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), provisions relating to reform of Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory services under Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, Pub. L. 113-93; H.R. 4128/S. 2209, the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act, included as Subtitle C of Title VIII of S. 4348, the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act (FDASLA), provisions relating to FDA oversight of laboratory-developed tests; H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act, and H.R. 7573/S. 3593, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, provisions relating to extension of Medicare coverage of telehealth services and limitations on payment for certain laboratory tests; H.R. 8152, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), provisions relating to data privacy; S. 3799, the PREVENT Pandemics Act, provisions relating to demographic data reporting obligations for laboratories; H.R. 5030/S. 2706, the DIVERSE Trials Act, provisions relating to enhancing diversity in clinical trials and data collection and reporting by clinical laboratories; H.R. 2565/S. 2952, the FDA Modernization Act, provisions relating to biomedical research; H.R.3173/S. 3018, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act, provisions relating to prior authorization of health care services; Federal policy related to implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pub. L. 116-127, provisions relating to coverage of and funding for COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Federal policy related to implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Pub. L. 116-136, provisions relating to coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 diagnostic tests and Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory tests; Federal policy related to supply chain issues affecting pre-clinical biomedical research for drug development; Federal policy relating to the National Correct Coding Initiative and manual instructions inconsistent with American Medical Association guidelines for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding; and Federal policy relating to availability of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.
Client expense: $250,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medical/Disease Research/Clinical Labs
Implementation of Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, P.L.113-93 (changes to reimbursement for clinical laboratory services), H.R.8188, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the accuracy of market-based Medicare payment for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, to reduce administrative burdens in the collection of data, and for other purposes; Policies impacting Medicare coverage and reimbursement for clinical laboratory services; FDA regulation of clinical laboratory services; Coronavirus impact and response; Implementation of H.R.3584/S.3049, Laboratory Access for Beneficiaries Act (P.L.116-94); H.R.8188/S.4449, Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act; H.R.7667, Food and Drug Amendments of 2022; S.4348, FDASLA Act of 2022; S.2209/H.R.4128, Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development Act 6 of 2021; H.R.6000, Cures 2.0 Act; FY2023 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R.8295, S.4659); S.3799, PREVENT Pandemics Act; H.R.8152, American Data Privacy and Protection Act; H.R.6202, Telehealth Extension Act of 2021; H.R.2617, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R.2168) Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2021 (H.R.3650/S.2048) Creating Opportunities Now and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021 (S.1512/H.R.2903) Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act of 2021 (H.R.5536) Telehealth Extension Act (H.R.6202) Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (S.610) Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R.3173/S.3018) Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (H.R.8188/S.4449) Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 (H.R.4040) Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 (H.R.8800) H.Res 1177 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services developing a mobility metric to guide providers in preventing mobility loss among hospitalized older adults.
Client expense: $39,516 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S 1315/HR 3630 - The Lymphedema Treatment At: Support passage. HR 5536 - Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act: Advocated for passage of SMART Act and related S5 (To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate supervision requirements for outpatient physical therapy and outpatient occupational therapy), which contained provision of SMART Act that revised supervision rules for Occupational Therapy Assistants. HR 2168/S3193 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act: Advocated for passage. S. 368/HR 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act: Advocated for passage. HR 1990/S 2556 - Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act: Lobbied for changes to the bills to ensure the legislation does not disrupt the ability of occupational therapy practitioners to provide and bill for orthotics and prosthetics and related services under Medicare. S.4712-OT Mental Health Parity Act: Support Passage of bill to direct CMS to put forward guidance clarifying that occupational therapy services can be provided to a person with a mental or behavioral health diagnosis under Medicare and Medicaid. HR3173/S3018-Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act: Support passage. HR 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act: Endorsed S.3593 - Telehealth Extension & Evaluation Act: Endorsed HR 6770-PACE Plus Act and S 3626 PACE Expanded Act: Support passage HR 8800 - Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022: Advocate for passage HR 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beond COVID-19 Act of 2021 - Support Senate adoption to extend telehealth waivers through the end of 2024. Provision adopted as part of the year-end Omnibus. H.R. 2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023: Support inclusion of all above provisions in end of year Omnibus bill. No bill: Supported efforts to include occupational therapy in new school-based Medicaid guidelines, where appropriate. No bill number: Support for passage of legislative provisions to clarify providers who are exempt from competitive bidding when providing orthotics and prosthetics, and reducing fraud in the provision of orthotics and prosthetics.
Client expense: $180,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 - Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; H.R. 2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act
Client expense: $120,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Health Issues
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 - Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 5981, S. 1704 - Telehealth Expansion Act; H.R. 7353 - Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act; H.R. 7573, S. 3593 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; H.R. 2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act
Client expense: $120,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · fourth_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 1587/S. 1731, the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2021 H.R. 2168/S. 3193, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 H.R. 4311, the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act H.R. 6020/S. 3314, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021 H.R. 7876, the Connecting Rural Telehealth to the Future Act H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) Implementation of S. 610, the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act Implementation of H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) Issues related to enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage in Medicaid Various issues related to CMS Actions surrounding: Medicare supervision requirements audits of medical records and claims for Part A and B services code development and reimbursement of personal protective equipment Quality reporting under MIPS Implementation of the IMPACT Act Medicare physician fee schedule Prospective payments systems Demonstration projects/episodic payment models Accountable Care Organizations Federally-facilitated marketplace Medicare Advantage Reimbursement of telehealth services COVID-19 emergency telepractice coverage of Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Medicare telehealth coverage under Part A and B Essential and Non-essential personnel designation Implementation of CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) Provision and payment for Part A therapy Various issues related to implementation of ACA Various issues related to Medicaid in schools Advocated for Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Sequestration H.R. 3173/S. 3018, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act Issues related to extension of COVID-19 public health emergency H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 Issues related to coverage of augmentative and alternative communication devices and systems and their role in integration of individuals with disabilities in work and community settings Issues related to Medicare beneficiaries accessing services provided by audiologists without a physician order H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 H.R. 2617, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
Client expense: $270,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Administration on Aging, Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R.2168) Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2021 (H.R.3650/S.2048) Creating Opportunities Now and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021 (S.1512/H.R.2903) Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act of 2021 (H.R.5536) Telehealth Extension Act (H.R.6202) Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (S.610) Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R.3173/S.3018) Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (H.R.8188/S.4449) Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 (H.R.4040) Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 (H.R.8800) H.Res 1177 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services developing a mobility metric to guide providers in preventing mobility loss among hospitalized older adults.
Client expense: $39,516 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Affordable prescription drugs; 340B Drug pricing program; Health care privacy; Patient privacy issues; Issues related to the American Rescue Plan Act, PL 117-2; Issues related to expanding health care coverage, including in non-Medicaid expansion states; Issues related to improving social determinants of health; Issues related to extending and expanding flexibilities for virtual care; Financial support for providers for diagnosis and treatment related to COVID-19, coverage of COVID-19 related conditions, access to PPE and other materials and equipment related to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, including funding for the Provider Relief Fund; Issues related to affordable health care coverage; H.R. 2228 - Rural Behavioral Health Access Act; Issues related to drug pricing; Issues related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework; Issues related to telehealth; Efforts to extend Medicare sequester delay, including H.R.1868; Issues related to Medicare policy on virtual care; Issues related to vaccine mandates; S. 168/H.R. 708 - Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act; S. 346/H.R. 959 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act; S. 773/H.R. 3203 - Legislation related to 340B eligibility; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; S. 368/H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act ; S. 1512/H.R. 2903 - CONNECT for Health Act; S. 1988 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act; H.R. 3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; S.773/H.R. 3203 - A bill to enable certain hospitals that were participating in or applied for the drug discount program under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency to temporarily maintain eligibility for such program; H.R. 4943 - Childrens Mental Health Infrastructure Act; H.R. 4944 - Helping Kids Cope Act; H.R. 5376 - Build Back Better Act; H.R. 1667 - Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act; Issues related to workforce retention; H.R. 2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY 2022 Omnibus); H.R. 7007 - Covid-19 Supplemental Appropriations Act; H.R. 7053/S. 3792 - Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act; issues related to the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver; H.R. 4407/S. 1568 - Technical Reset to Advance the Instruction of Nurses (TRAIN) Act; S. 3493 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 5376 - Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169); H.R. 6833 - Continuing Resolution; Issues related to adequate financing for hospitals and providers; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; Issues related to extending the Medicare Dependent Hospital and Low Volume Hospital programs; Issues related to extending bonus payments for Advanced Alternative Payment models; H.R. 4587 - Value in Health Care Act; Issues related to coding and coverage of spiritual care through chaplain services; Issues related to value-based care programs, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model
Client expense: $660,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Issues related to Medicare and Medicaid coverage and Medicaid disproportionate share program; Financial support for providers for diagnosis and treatment related to COVID-19; coverage of COVID-19 related conditions; access to PPE and other materials and equipment related to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, including funding for the Provider Relief Fund; PL 117-2; Issues related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework; Issues related to telehealth; Efforts to extend Medicare sequester delay, including H.R.1868; Issues related to Medicare policy on virtual care; Childrens Health Graduate Medical Education; issues related to drug pricing; Issues related to hospital DSH eligibility; Issues related to Home and Community Based Services (HCBS); Medicaid waiver-related issues; Childrens transplant program issues; S. 346/H.R. 959 - Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act; S.773/H.R. 3203 - legislation to enable certain hospitals that were participating in or applied for the drug discount program under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency to temporarily maintain eligibility for such program; S. 834/H.R. 2256 - Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act; S. 1024/H.R. 2255 - Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act; S. 368/H.R. 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act; S. 1512/H.R. 2903 - CONNECT for Health Act ; S. 1988 - Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act; H.R. 3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; H.R. 5376 - Build Back Better Act; Efforts to delay statutory PAYGO payment reductions; Efforts to offset physician payment reductions; Efforts to improve hospital reimbursement; Issues related to cuts to Medicaid DSH; Issues related to cuts to uncompensated care pools; Issues related to hospital at home programs; H.R. 2471 - Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY 2022 Omnibus); H.R. 7007 - Covid-19 Supplemental Appropriations Act; H.R. 7053/S. 3792 - Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act; issues related to the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver; S. 3493 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 5376 - Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117-169); H.R. 6833 - Continuing Resolution; Issues related to adequate financing for hospitals and providers; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act; Issues related to extending the Medicare Dependent Hospital and Low Volume Hospital programs; Issues related to extending bonus payments for Advanced Alternative Payment models; H.R. 4587 - Value in Health Care Act; Issues related to coding and coverage of spiritual care through chaplain services; Issues related to value-based care programs, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced Model
Client expense: $660,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Issues regarding healthcare work force shortages. Palliative Care and Hospice Education & Training Act (S. 2460). Issues related to community based palliative care and advanced care illness management. The Grief Resilience Investment and Education Fund (GRIEF) Act (H.R. 9109) and issues regarding bereavement care. The Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act (S. 2565). Issues affecting hospice providers. The extension of sequestration relief provided under H.R.1868, the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act (H.R. 315) and Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (H.R. 610); the Telehealth Modernization Act (S. 368/H.R.1332) and the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) Act (S. 1512/H.R. 2903) as it relates to use of telehealth in the certification of a beneficiary for the hospice benefit; The Childrens Program of All-inclusive Coordinated Care (ChiPACC) Act of 2021 (H.R. 4952); The Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act (S.2565). The Health Care Workforce Resilience Act (S. 1024/H.R. 2255); The Provider Training in Palliative Care Act (S. 2890); The Palliative Care Training for Providers Act (H.R. 5376); The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) as related to Medicare sequester relief, telehealth flexibilities, and hospice payment reimbursement; care; Issues related to regulatory relief; Issues involving hospice providers and COVID relief; Issues related to coronavirus; Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act (S. 3593); the Telehealth Extension Act (H.R. 6202). Issues related to healthcare workforce shortages; Issues related to community-based palliative care and advanced care illness management. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) and issues concerning bereavement care. Issues related to safe opioid disposal and implementation of the SUPPORT Act (H.R. 2379).
Client expense: $280,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Issues concerning access to the Medicare hospice benefit and palliative care. Issues regarding reimbursement for the Medicare hospice benefit. Issues related to community based palliative care and advanced care illness management. Issues related to regulatory relief. Issues concerning Medicare Advantage and the hospice benefit. Issues related to COVID. H.R. 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beyond Covid-19 Act of 2021; S. 368 / H.R. 1332, the Telehealth Modernization Act; as they relate to use of telehealth in the certification of a beneficiary for the hospice benefit. S. 1512 / H.R. 2903, The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) Act. Medicare sequestration relief. Issues regarding program integrity. H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), the Inflation Reduction Act, as it relates to home and community-based services and palliative care. S. 2565, Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act. Issues regarding bereavement care. The FY 2023 Proposed Hospice Wage Rule, as it relates to hospice reimbursement. H.R.8505 - To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule, and for other purposes. Issues related to hospice codes. Issues related to hospice telehealth flexibilities. Issues concerning hospice payment and alternative payment models. Issues regarding in-patient and in-home respite care. Issues related to COVID-19 emergency funding, extension of the public health emergency, testing, vaccines, and COVID-19 related legislation. Issues related to regulatory flexibilities granted under the public health emergency. Issues related to the hospice and palliative care workforce. Issues pertaining to the hospice election statement and election statement addendum. Issues pertaining to concurrent care. Issues related to children's access to hospice and palliative care. The extension of sequestration relief provided under H.R.1868, Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act (H.R. 315), and Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (H.R. 610); The Children's Program of All-inclusive Coordinated Care (ChiPACC) Act of 2021 (H.R. 4952); H.R. 2471 (P.L. 117-103), The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) (S. 4260); The Telehealth Extension & Evaluation Act (S. 3593); the Telehealth Extension Act (H.R. 6202). Medicare Hospice Payment Rule. Issues related to the implementation of the Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort Environments (HOSPICE) Act and the Rural Access to Hospice Act.
Client expense: $280,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, White House Office
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Analyzing the Duration of Remote Monitoring Services Act of 2021 (H.R.4347) CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 (H.R.2903 / S.1512) Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 (S.1986) SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R.3348) Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) The Telehealth Modernization Act (S.368) Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (H.R. 4040) Helping MOMS Act of 2021 (H.R. 3345) Medicaid Waivers National Coverage Determination for Self-Measured Blood Pressure Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System
Client expense: $180,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 1332, Telehealth Modernization Act, all provisions S. 368, Telehealth Modernization Act, all provisions H.R. 3259, Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction In the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, all provisions S. 586, NOPAIN Act, all provisions H.R. 2903, Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021, all provisions S. 1512, CONNECT for Health Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2256, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021, all provisions S. 834, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7995, Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors (GOLD CARD) Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 3407, Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMAs) Act, all provisions S. 411, MOMMAs Act, all provisions H.R. 3173, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, all provisions S. 3018, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 8487, Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 4058, Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2061, Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3441, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act, all provisions S. 1438, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act, all provisions H.R. 955, Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021, all provisions S. 285, Medicaid Reentry Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2654, Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2021, provisions related to scope of practice H.R. 6020, Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, all provisions S. 3314, Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 4587, Value in Health Care Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2938, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, all provisions H.R. 8800, Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 8850, Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, all provisions S. 2173, Promoting Responsible and Effective Virtual Experiences through Novel Technology to Deliver Improved Access and Better Engagement with Tested and Evidence-based Strategies (PREVENT DIABETES) Act, all provisions S. 4873, Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act, all provisions H.R. 4014, Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2094, Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7213, Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act, all provisions H.R. 8594, Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, all provisions S. 4750, Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act, all provisions H.R. 8188, Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), all provisions S. 4449, SALSA Act, all provisions H.R. 3, Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, all provisions H.R. 19, Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 1868, To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts, and for other purposes, all provisions H.R. 315, Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act, all provisions S. 610, Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act, all provisions H.R. 6048, Medicare Stability for Patients and Providers Act, all provisions H.R. 3434, Territories Health Equity Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 4406, Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021, all provisions S. 801, Connected Maternal Online Monitoring Act, all provisions S. 346, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 1738, Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act, all provisions H.R. 1025, Kids Access to Primary Care Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 66, Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed (CARING) for Kids Act, all provisions S. 748, Medicare Sequester Relief Act, all provisions H.R. 6000, Cures 2.0 Act, all provisions H.R. 4043, Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act of 2021, all provisions S. 2416, New Opportunities for Value that Extend Lives (NOVEL) Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7666, Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 3746, Accountable Care in Rural America Act, all provisions H.R. 4755, Seniors Chronic Care Management Improvement Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 6308, ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 366, Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2166, Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 2228, Rural Behavioral Health Access Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 3447, Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act, all provisions H.R. 7051, Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022, all provisions S. 3791, Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 7573, Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, all provisions S. 3593, Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, all provisions H.R. 7878, Kidney Health Connect Act of 2022, all provisions S. 4307, Kidney Health Connect Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 6202, Telehealth Extension Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 7053, Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, all provisions S. 3792, Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, all provisions H.R. 7116, 9-8-8 Implementation Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 8879, Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Improvement Act, all provisions H.R. 8878, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure adequate coverage of outpatient mental health services under the Medicare program, all provisions H.R. 432, Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 8910, Behavioral Health Integration Awareness Act of 2022, all provisions H.R. 8884, To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide outreach and reporting on opioid use disorder treatment services furnished by opioid treatment programs under the Medicare program, all provisions S. 987, CARA 3.0 Act of 2021, all provisions H.R. 925, Data to Save Moms Act, all provisions H.R. 7475, Mamas First Act, all provisions H.R. 5067, Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, all provisions S. 2652, Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, all provisions H.R. 8812, To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to increase access to services provided by advanced practice registered nurses under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes, provisions related to scope of practice Medicare program: 21st Century Cures Act/implementation Medicare program: EHR Certification Medicare program: Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Reform Medicare program: MACRA implementation Medicare program: Laboratory testing/Diagnostics/PAMA Medicare program: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) quality/cost/improvement activities/promoting interoperability Medicare program: Merit-based Value Pathway Medicare program: Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) inflation updates/budget neutrality rules Medicare program: 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule/4.5% cut Medicare program: Accountable specialty care/payments Medicare program: Alternative Payment Models/incentive payments Medicare program: Telehealth/COVID flexibilities Medicare program: Health IT burdens Medicare program: Self-measured blood pressure devices/benefit category Medicare program: Coding Medicare program: Primary Care First models Medicare program: Appropriate Use Criteria Medicare program: Opioids Medicare program: Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Medicare program: Dental benefits Medicaid program: Uninsured and healthcare coverage/COVID-19 Medicare program: Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)/revalidation Medicare program: Open Payments Medicaid program: Special Enrollment Period Medicaid program: Sickle Cell Disease Medicaid program: Improving Access to Physical and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth Under Medicaid and CHIP/draft Medicare program: Provider compliance and regulatory relief Medicare program: Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs)/Downcoding Medicare and Medicaid programs: Health Equity Medicare and Medicaid programs: Modifier 25, Impossible Day Medicare and Medicaid programs: Connected health technologies Medicare and Medicaid programs: Diabetes
Client expense: $4,360,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Healthcare issues related to clinical laboratories; H.R. 8188/S. 4449, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), provisions relating to reform of Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory services under Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, Pub. L. 113-93; H.R. 4128/S. 2209, the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act, included as Subtitle C of Title VIII of S. 4348, the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act (FDASLA), provisions relating to FDA oversight of laboratory-developed tests; H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act, and H.R. 7573/S. 3593, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, provisions relating to extension of Medicare coverage of telehealth services and limitations on payment for certain laboratory tests; H.R. 8152, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), provisions relating to data privacy; S. 3799, the PREVENT Pandemics Act, provisions relating to demographic data reporting obligations for laboratories; Federal policy related to implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pub. L. 116-127, provisions relating to coverage of and funding for COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Federal policy related to implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Pub. L. 116-136, provisions relating to coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 diagnostic tests and Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory tests; Federal policy relating to the National Correct Coding Initiative and manual instructions inconsistent with American Medical Association guidelines for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding; and Federal policy relating to availability of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $110,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 - Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act
Client expense: $120,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 - Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 - Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 5981, S. 1704 - Telehealth Expansion Act; H.R. 7353 - Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act; H.R. 7573, S. 3593 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 4040 - Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act
Client expense: $120,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
TRAIN Act (S. 1568/H.R. 4407) to stop cuts to nursing and allied health programs Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 7961) to protect healthcare workers. Sequestration relief Rural hospital policies (Rural Health Clinic payment - H.R. 1868; Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act H.R. 1639/S.644; Rural and Underserved Small Hospital Protection Act/RUSH Act (H.R. 1885); Rural America Health Corps Act (S. 924/H.R. 2130); Rural America Health Corps Act S.54); Rural Hospital Support Act (S. 4009) and the Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act (H.R. 8747) to extend the MDH and LVA programs) Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (S. 3792/H.R. 7053) Value in Health Care Act (H.R. 4587) Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding (Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2021 S. 834/H.R. 2256); Opioid Workforce Act S. 1438/ Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act H.R. 3441 Telehealth flexibilities and payment (Telehealth Extension Act - H.R. 6202; TREAT Act - S. 168/H.R. 708; Telehealth Modernization Act - S. 368/H.R. 1332; TREATS Act - S. 340; CONNECT for Health Act S. 1512/H.R. 2903; Ensuring Parity in MA and PACE for Audio-Only Telehealth Act S. 150/H.R. 2166) Resetting the Impact (TRIA) Act of 2021 H.R. 2455 Technical Reset to Advance the Instruction of Nurses (TRAIN) Act Value in Healthcare Act (H.R. 4587) Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act (S. 3018/H.R. 3173) Annual Prospective Payment System Rules
Client expense: $200,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Mental health legislation; no draft, no bill introduced - access to genetic testing for mental health treatment decisions Telehealth provisions following PHE; HR6202/S3593 - provisions requiring in person visits prior to ordering lab tests
Client expense: $210,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 -Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act; H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $80,000
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Telemedicine legislation including H.R. 2903, S. 1512 - CONNECT for Health Act; H.R. 1332, S. 368 Telehealth Modernization Act; H.R. 366 -Protecting Access to Post-COVID Telehealth Act; H.R. 4058, S. 2061 - Telemental Health Care Access Act; H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act;H.R. 1647, S. 340 - TREATS Act; H.R. 5981, S. 1704 - Telehealth Expansion Act; H.R. 7353 Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act; H.R. 7573/S. 3593 Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act; H.R. 4040 Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act.
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $80,000
Government targets: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, replace or revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs.
Client expense: $302,378 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, P.L. 111-152): Continued advocacy with Congress in support of expanding coverage and improving Medicare benefits; Providing needed protections to guard against insurance practices that unfairly limit, deny or rescind coverage based on health status; public and private health insurers should encourage preventive health care by providing full coverage, with no cost-sharing, for preventive services recommended by an expert advisory group, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; Ensuring access to primary care physicians; and beginning to bend the cost curve; Prohibiting insurers from excluding or charging excessive rates to children based on pre-existing conditions, which later will be expanded to all persons; Covering young adults on their parents' plans; Eliminating lifetime and annual limits on health insurance coverage; Requiring that health insurers spend more on patient care and less on administration; Eliminating patient cost-sharing for preventive services offered by Medicare or private insurers; Increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians; Supporting the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to help physicians and patients make care decisions based on the best available evidence; Supporting the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to fund pilots of delivery models to improve outcomes and reduce costs, including patient-centered medical homes; Advocated against a December 2018 ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. Access to Primary Care (H.R. 3962/H.R. 3590/H.R. 4872): Provide sliding scale subsidies based on income to buy coverage from qualified plans; Qualified plans should: provide evidence-based benefits, including preventive services; and be prohibited from excluding persons with pre-existing conditions, charging them more, cherry-picking enrollees, or cancelling or failing to renew coverage; Expand Medicaid to cover all persons below the Federal Poverty Level and ensure fair payments to participating physicians; As coverage becomes affordable, all persons should participate and coverage should be guaranteed; Responsibility for financing should be shared by individuals, employers and government. Medicare Payments to Physicians: Urged that Congress provide incentives to physicians who transform their practices into Advanced Alternative Payment Models and continue to provide stability for physicians in the MIPS program. Specifically, Congress should extend the five percent Qualified Alternative Payment Model participant bonus beyond the 2022 performance year, replace the zero percent baseline payment updates under Medicare with positive updates. Urged congressional committees with jurisdiction over Medicare to exercise their oversight authority and urge CMS to expedite approval of more Advanced APMS, particularly those that work for small and specialty practices and to simplify the scoring structure and reporting requirements under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in order to fulfill Congress intent of a more streamlined program that reduces burdens on physicians; Supported S.2648, the Rural ACO Improvement Act, amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the benchmarking process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to ensure that all ACOs have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location; Provided recommendations to CMS on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway (MVP), which aims to reduce reporting burden and complexity within MIPS while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of performance measurement. The College noted specifically that a robust, multi-year transition period will be critical to the success of the MVP, that it does not support making the MVP mandatory, that CMS should continue to support numerous reporting mechanisms, including qualified registries and clinical data registries, which have been instrumental in developing specialty-specific performance measures, among other things. Urged that any legislation to hold some Medicare physician payment codes harmless from budget neutrality do so for just one year and to allow evaluation and management increases. Regarding CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules, expressed support for extending some of the services and increased flexibility for telehealth through the end of 2023, namely some audio-only services that were allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), support for collecting additional data on health equity issues to analyze disparities that occur across their programs, support for including chronic care management as one of the seven MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) for 2023. Urged CMS to discontinue its split/shared visits policy and not move forward with the transition set to take effect in 2023. Urged Congress to support inclusion in must-pass legislation this year provisions to provide financial stability through a baseline positive annual update to the physician fee schedule reflecting inflation in practice costs, and eliminate, replace or revise budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth; Extend the moratoriums on sequester and PAYGO cuts that were approved by Congress at the end of last year. FY2023 Appropriations: Urged Congress to support funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions programs in the FY 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as well as funding shared evenly between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Advocated for funding for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA); Title VII, Section 747, Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); National Health Service Corps (NHSC); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). COVID-19: Urged congressional appropriators to provide the highest possible funding level for research, prevention, control, and treatment of illnesses associated with the virus that is commensurate with the public health emergency that the virus represents. Expressed support to Congress and the administration for a variety of COVID-related bills from the 116th Congress as follows: the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, H.R. 6201, and other stimulus reforms related to COVID-19 including: Emergency paid leave benefits, paid sick days for public health emergencies, coverage of testing for COVID-19, waiving of cost sharing under Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and CHIP, increasing the federal FMAP under Medicaid, providing reimbursement for CPT codes 99441 - 99443, which are telephone evaluation and management services, expediting entrance of international medical graduates who are citizens of other nations (non-US IMGs) into the country and ensuring that lawfully present non-U.S. IMGs are not negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for physician practices under the Public Health and Social Service Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), providing tax relief, grants, and loans to small and medium size practices impacted by COVID-19, increasing funding for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring Medicaid pay parity with Medicare for primary care services; Urged support for H.R. 7059, the Coronavirus Provider Protection Act, which extend liability protections to those who provide care in good faith during the COVID-19 public health emergency (plus a reasonable time, such as 60 days, after the emergency declaration ends), and not in situations of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The College also urged that pay parity between telephone claims and in-person visits and between all telehealth and in-person visits be maintained after the PHE is lifted. Urged congress to mitigate the impact of covid across racial and ethnic minority populations by collect covid-19 and racial disparity data, equitably distribute covid-19 vaccines and treatments, protect essential workers, permanently expand access to family and medical leave, address environmental and social drivers of health, integrate primary care and behavioral health, improve mental health parity with increased federal oversight and enforcement, make naloxone more available to prevent overdose, expand medication-assisted treatment (mat) for physicians, establish a national prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP); urged support for administering COVID-19 vaccinations to all eligible immigrants in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Urged CMS to support increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake by ensuring clinicians are appropriately paid for vaccine counseling for beneficiaries of Medicaid and Medicare. Urged that telehealth services should remain in place for at least two years after the end of the PHE to ensure that our physicians are able to continue to use this modality to enhance patient care. Urged Congress to support the concept of a congressionally-mandated bipartisan commission to examine the U.S. preparations for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to inform future public policy and health systems preparedness. Urged that any uses of technology in the U.S. in the context of the pandemic should be demonstrated to be effective, be temporary, and ensure that safeguards for privacy and confidentiality are in place. Womens Health: Urged HHS to support Title X funding and ensure unencumbered access to affordable, comprehensive, evidence-based reproductive health care; eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions and inappropriate political interference in the patient-physician relationship; and protect funding for and ensures consistent treatment of qualified service sites. Urged support for mandatory, permanent extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage, from 60 days to 12 months after delivery. Urged support for the Womens Health Protection Act of 2021 and 2022 (H.R. 3755/S. 1975), bills that would protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and to protect the health care clinicians ability to provide abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions such as waiting periods, biased counselling and admitting privilege requirements for clinicians. Access to Care: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 340, the Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act of 2021, to expand federal matching assistance for states that choose to expand Medicaid, regardless of when such expansion takes place: Cosponsor and pass H.R. 369, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2021, to permanently expand eligibility for higher premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Primary Care and the Physician Workforce: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2256/S. 834, the Resident Physician Reduction Shortage Act of 2021, to increase the number of GME slots to 14,000 over seven years for specialties facing shortages, including internal medicine; Cosponsor and pass S. 1024, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, to recapture 40,000 unused visas and use them to provide additional green cards to 15,000 physicians and 25,000 professional nurses; Cosponsor and pass H.R. 3541/S. 1810, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, to allow states to sponsor foreign-trained physicians to work in medically underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of the physicians' two-year foreign residence requirement; Cosponsor and pass H.R.4122/S.3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, to make it possible for residents to defer interest on their loans; Support inclusion in FY2023 appropriations legislation funding for Title VII Primary Care and Training Enhancement (PCTE) at $71 million to support and expand the pipeline for individuals training in primary care. Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness: Urged members of Congress to support funding in FY2023 appropriations - $11 billion total for the CDC, $35 million for the CDCs Injury Prevention and Control, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; $49 billion in total for the NIH, $25 million for the Office of the Director, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research; Cosponsor and pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 7007, or a similar supplemental funding package, to provide $15.6 billion in additional funding for COVID relief; Cosponsor and pass the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 2903/S. 1512) and the Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202/S. 3593), to remove arbitrary restrictions on where a patient must be located to utilize telehealth services; enable patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes; ensure federally-qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services and improve data collection and analysis for at least two years. Prescription Drug Reform: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass S. 898, the Fair Drug Pricing Act, to require drug companies to disclose and provide more information about imminent drug-price increases, including data about research and development costs; Cosponsor and pass S. 833, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021, to help to reduce drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries; Cosponsor and pass S. 464/H.R. 2163, the Safe Step Act, to ensure patient access to appropriate treatments based on clinical decision-making and medical necessity rather than arbitrary step therapy protocols. Telehealth Services: Urged Congress to support H.R. 2903/S. 1512, the CONNECT for Health Act, to remove arbitrary barriers to telehealth services such as geographic and site of service restrictions; S. 168/H.R. 708, the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act or the TREAT Act, to ensure that telehealth services can be provided across states lines after the public health emergency ends; H.R. 8487, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that would help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care and reduce administrative burdens on physicians by standardizing and streamlining the prior authorization approval process in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Mental and Behavioral Health: Urged members of Congress to cosponsor and pass H.R. 5218, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner Act, to provide grants through the Department of Health and Human Services to primary care physicians who choose to deliver behavioral health care through the Collaborate Care Model (CoCM); Support enhanced reimbursement for CoCM payment codes under Medicare to more appropriately reflect the value of services provided to patients with mental health and substance use disorder needs.
Client expense: $68,579 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), President of the U.S., SENATE, State, Dept of (DOS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA)
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Issues related to telehealth S.3593 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act H.R.6202 - Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 Physician coverage and reimbursement issues
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
S 1315/HR 3630 - The Lymphedema Treatment At: Support passage. HR 5536 - Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy (SMART) Act: Advocated for passage and support introduction of similar legislation in the Senate. HR 2168/S3193 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act: Advocated for passage. S. 368/HR 1332 - Telehealth Modernization Act: Advocated for passage. HR 1990/S 2556 - Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Patient-Centered Care Act: Lobbied for changes to the bills to ensure the legislation does not disrupt the ability of occupational therapy practitioners to provide and bill for orthotics and prosthetics and related services under Medicare. S.4712-OT Mental Health Parity Act: Support Passage of bill to direct CMS to put forward guidance clarifying that occupational therapy services can be provided to a person with a mental or behavioral health diagnosis under Medicare and Medicaid. HR3173/S3018-Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act: Support passage. HR 6202 - Telehealth Extension Act: Endorsed S.3593 - Telehealth Extension & Evaluation Act: Endorsed HR 6770-PACE Plus Act and S 3626 PACE Expanded Act: Support passage HR 8201: Promoting Health Care Quality Act of 2002 - support passage. No bill: Supported efforts to include occupational therapy in new school-based Medicaid guidelines, where appropriate. HR 8800 - Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022: Advocate for passage
Client expense: $120,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Healthcare issues related to clinical laboratories; H.R. 8188/S. 4449, the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA), provisions relating to reform of Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory services under Section 216 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, Pub. L. 113-93; H.R. 4128/S. 2209, the Verifying Accurate Leading-edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act, included as Subtitle C of Title VIII of S. 4348, the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act (FDASLA), provisions relating to FDA oversight of laboratory-developed tests; H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act, and H.R. 7573/S. 3593, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, provisions relating to extension of Medicare coverage of telehealth services and limitations on payment for certain laboratory tests; H.R. 8152, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), provisions relating to data privacy; S. 3799, the PREVENT Pandemics Act, provisions relating to demographic data reporting obligations for laboratories; H.R. 5030/S. 2706, the DIVERSE Trials Act, provisions relating to enhancing diversity in clinical trials and data collection and reporting by clinical laboratories; H.R. 2565/S. 2952, the FDA Modernization Act, provisions relating to biomedical research; H.R. 8693, the No Cost for Monkeypox Testing Act, provisions relating to third party payer coverage of monkeypox testing; S. 4734, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, provisions relating to patent subject matter eligibility; Federal policy related to implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Pub. L. 116-127, provisions relating to coverage of and funding for COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Federal policy related to implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Pub. L. 116-136, provisions relating to coverage and reimbursement of COVID-19 diagnostic tests and Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory tests; Federal policy relating to the National Correct Coding Initiative and manual instructions inconsistent with American Medical Association guidelines for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding; and Federal policy relating to availability of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.
Client expense: $260,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
H.R. 1587/S. 1731, the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2021 H.R. 2168/S. 3193, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 H.R. 4311, the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act H.R. 6202, the Telehealth Extension Act H.R. 6020/S. 3314, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021 H.R. 7876, the Connecting Rural Telehealth to the Future Act H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) Implementation of S. 610, the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act Implementation of H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) Issues related to enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage in Medicaid Various issues related to CMS Actions surrounding: Medicare supervision requirements audits of medical records and claims for Part A and B services code development and reimbursement of personal protective equipment Quality reporting under MIPS Implementation of the IMPACT Act Medicare physician fee schedule Prospective payments systems Demonstration projects/episodic payment models Accountable Care Organizations Federally-facilitated marketplace Medicare Advantage Reimbursement of telehealth services COVID-19 emergency telepractice coverage of Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Medicare telehealth coverage under Part A and B Essential and Non-essential personnel designation Implementation of CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) Provision and payment for Part A therapy Various issues related to implementation of ACA Various issues related to Medicaid in schools Advocated for Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Sequestration H.R. 3173/S. 3018, the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act Issues related to extension of COVID-19 public health emergency H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 Issues related to coverage of augmentative and alternative communication devices and systems and their role in integration of individuals with disabilities in work and community settings Issues related to Medicare beneficiaries accessing services provided by audiologists without a physician order
Client expense: $240,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Administration on Aging, Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
Public Health Emergency, Telehealth, and Physician Virtual Supervision issues. H.R.2168/S.3193 - Expanded Telehealth Access Act, H.R.2903/S.1512- CONNECT for Health Act, H.R. 6202 - Telehealth Expansion Act, H.R.1332/S.368 - Telehealth Modernization Act, H.R.7573/S.3593 - Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Medicare/Medicaid
RHC Payment Modernization - Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 - H.R. 133 RHC Payment Modernization Implementation RHC Payment Modernization Grandfathering Fix - H.R. 1868 Reintroduction of the RHC Modernization Act RHC Medicare Telehealth Coverage - Ensuring Telehealth Expansion Act - H.R. 341 Reintroduction of the CONNECT for Health Act Reintroduction of the HEALTH Act Save Rural Hospitals Act of 2021 Strengthening Rural Health Clinics Act of 2021 S. 934 Rural Health Clinic Protection Act S. 935 H.R. 1838 to improve rural health clinic payments H.R. 1885 to adjust certain rural health clinic payments H.R. 6202 Telehealth Extension Act ~ extends and fixes telehealth policy for RHCs Connecting Rural Telehealth to the Future Act
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $50,000
Government targets: Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), SENATE
2022 · third_quarter · Health Issues
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, H.R.1319; Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021, (S.2061/H.R.4058); Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act, H.R.3447; Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act of 2021, S.2069; FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, H.R.4502; FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations Act, H.R.4502; Build Back Better Act, H.R.5376; Telehealth Extension Act of 2021, H.R.6202 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R.2471; 988 Implementation Act, H.R.7116; 988 and Parity Assistance Act of 2022, H.R.7232; Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, S.2938; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R.8295;
Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $10,000
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE