Fair Care for the Uninsured Act of 2003

P.L.108-173-Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law to provide for expeditious coverage of new medical devices and to strengthen and improve and modernize the Medicare program.) S.2493-Safe Importation of Medical Products and Other Rx Therapies Act of 2004 (Bill to protect the public from the unsafe importation of medical products.) H.R.4257/S.2426-Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2003 (Bills to clarify the treatment of payment under Medicare for clinical laboratory tests by critical access hospitals.) H.R.2342/S.1179-Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2003 (Bills to expand Medicare benefits to prevent, delay, and minimize the progression of chronic conditions and develop national policies on effective chronic condition care.) H.R.4491-To Amend Part B of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the reduciton in Medicare payment for certain items of durable medical equipment. (Bill to repeal the reduction of payment for some durable medical eqipment in the Medicare program.) S. 1570-The Fair Case for the Uninsured Act of 2003 (Bill to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax purchase of private health insurance, and establish state health insurance safety net programs.)

Client expense: $2,900,000 · 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, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Public Law 107-250: "Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002" Implementation of legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make improvements in the regulation of medical devices, and for other purposes. PL 108-214, S. 1881, H.R. 3493: “Medical Devices Technical Corrections Act” Legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make technical corrections relating to the amendments made by the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002, and for other purposes. S. 16: “Protecting Americans Medical Privacy Act” Legislation to protect the civil rights of all Americans, and for other purposes. S. 720, H.R. 663: “Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the improvement of patient safety and to reduce the incidence of events that adversely affect patient safety. S. 1450, H.R. 1177 Legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide additional choice regarding unused health benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements. S. 1570: “Fair Care for the Uninsured Act of 2003” Legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance, and to establish State health insurance safety-net programs. S. 1909, H.R. 3658: “Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to strengthen education, prevention, and treatment programs relating to stroke, and for other purposes. S. 2003: “Health Information for Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote higher quality health care and better health by strengthening health information, information infrastructure, and the use of health information by providers and patients. S. 2163: “Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2004” Legislation to establish a national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes. S. 2421: “Health Care Modernization, Cost Reduction, and Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to modernize the health care system through the use of information technology and to reduce costs, improves quality, and provides a new focus on prevention with respect to health care. S. 2553, H.R. 4626: “Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently Act of 2004” Legislation to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of screening ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysms under part B of the Medicare program. S. AMDT 2803: Legislation to provide $60 billion over five years for greater health security for working Americans and their families through a combination of public and private efforts to expand quality, affordable health insurance coverage and cut health care costs by eliminating certain tax loopholes. H.R. 815: “Aneurysm Awareness Act” Legislation to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study with respect to aneurysms, and for other purposes. H.R. 1709: “Stop Taking Our Health Privacy (STOHP) Act of 2003” Legislation to restore standards to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information that were weakened by the August 2002 modifications, and for other purposes. H.R. 2698: “Health Insurance Certificate Act of 2003” Legislation to provide for a system of health insurance certificates to increase the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. H.R. 2915: “National Health Information Infrastructure Act of 2003” Legislation to provide for a National Health Information Infrastructure and data and communication standards for health Information system interoperability. H.R. 3035: “Medication Errors Reduction Act of 2003” Legislation to establish an informatics grant program for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in order to encourage health care providers to make major information technology advances. H.R. 4622: “Health Care Choice Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for cooperative governing of individual health insurance coverage offered in interstate commerce. H. Res. 522: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there is a critical need to increase awareness and education about heart disease and the risk factors of heart disease among women.

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

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Public Law 107-250: "Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002" Implementation of legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make improvements in the regulation of medical devices, and for other purposes. PL 108-214, S. 1881, H.R. 3493: “Medical Devices Technical Corrections Act” Legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make technical corrections relating to the amendments made by the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002, and for other purposes. S. 16: “Protecting Americans Medical Privacy Act” Legislation to protect the civil rights of all Americans, and for other purposes. S. 720, H.R. 663: “Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the improvement of patient safety and to reduce the incidence of events that adversely affect patient safety. S. 1450, H.R. 1177 Legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide additional choice regarding unused health benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements. S. 1570: “Fair Care for the Uninsured Act of 2003” Legislation to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance, and to establish State health insurance safety-net programs. S. 1909, H.R. 3658: “Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to strengthen education, prevention, and treatment programs relating to stroke, and for other purposes. S. 2003: “Health Information for Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote higher quality health care and better health by strengthening health information, information infrastructure, and the use of health information by providers and patients. S. 2163: “Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2004” Legislation to establish a national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes. S. 2421: “Health Care Modernization, Cost Reduction, and Quality Improvement Act” Legislation to modernize the health care system through the use of information technology and to reduce costs, improves quality, and provides a new focus on prevention with respect to health care. S. 2553, H.R. 4626: “Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently Act of 2004” Legislation to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of screening ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysms under part B of the Medicare program. S. AMDT 2803: Legislation to provide $60 billion over five years for greater health security for working Americans and their families through a combination of public and private efforts to expand quality, affordable health insurance coverage and cut health care costs by eliminating certain tax loopholes. H.R. 815: “Aneurysm Awareness Act” Legislation to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study with respect to aneurysms, and for other purposes. H.R. 1709: “Stop Taking Our Health Privacy (STOHP) Act of 2003” Legislation to restore standards to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information that were weakened by the August 2002 modifications, and for other purposes. H.R. 2698: “Health Insurance Certificate Act of 2003” Legislation to provide for a system of health insurance certificates to increase the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. H.R. 2915: “National Health Information Infrastructure Act of 2003” Legislation to provide for a National Health Information Infrastructure and data and communication standards for health Information system interoperability. H.R. 3035: “Medication Errors Reduction Act of 2003” Legislation to establish an informatics grant program for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in order to encourage health care providers to make major information technology advances. H.R. 4622: “Health Care Choice Act” Legislation to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for cooperative governing of individual health insurance coverage offered in interstate commerce. H. Res. 522: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there is a critical need to increase awareness and education about heart disease and the risk factors of heart disease among women.

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

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Commerce, Dept of (DOC), Executive Office of the President (EOP), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), SENATE, Treasury, Dept of, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)