The following is a listing of bills from the 106th Congress, including bill numbers, that address concerns of home health providers.
H.R. 3872, the "Long-Term care and Reimbursement Act of 2000," introduced by Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Rep. Karen Thurman (D-FL) would allow individuals a deduction for long-term care insurance premiums, use of such insurance under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements, and a tax credit for individuals with long-term care needs. H.R. 3872 currently has 71 cosponsors:
H.R. 4028, the "Alzheimer's Disease Medicare Home Health Care Benefit Clarification Act of 2000," introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), would allow those with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementia to participate in an adult day care program without forfeiting their Medicare home health benefit. Currently, H.R. 4028 has no cosponsors
H.R. 4219, introduced by Reps. Wes Watkins (R-OK), William Jefferson (D-LA), John Peterson (R-PA), and J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-OK), is the companion bill to S. 2365 and would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15-percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system for home health services. Currently, H.R. 4219 has 146 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 4623, introduced by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise the calculation of base payment rates for the prospective payment system for home health services furnished under the Medicare Program. Currently, H.R. 4623 has 7 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 4727, introduced by Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), would eliminate the additional 15% cut in home health services, provide an add-on to the home health prospective payment system (PPS) base payment for patients in rural areas and a pass-through for security costs, provide interim payment system overpayment relief, and recognize telemedicine as a legitimate means of delivering home health services. Currently, H.R. 4727, has 52 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 5163, introduced by Reps. James McGovern (D-MA), Earl Hillliard (D-AL), Wes Watkins (R-OK), William Jefferson (D-LA), and Phil English (R-PA), would eliminate the 15% reduction in payment rates under PPS, provide additional payments for outliers and additional payments in rural areas and security services, exclude nonroutine medical supplies under PPS for home health services, and provide a study for telehomehealth services. Currently, H.R. 5163 has 55 cosponsors, including:
S. 2298, the "Homebound Clarification Act of 2000," introduced by Sen. Jim Jeffords (R-VT), would base homebound determination solely on the existing standard of whether leaving home requires considerable or taxing effort, eliminating the number or length of absences as a criteria. Currently, S. 2298 has 4 cosponsors:
S. 2365, the "Home Health Payment Fairness Act of 2000," introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 15-percent reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system for home health services. Currently, S. 2365 has 54 cosponsors, including:
S. 2766, introduced by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), would eliminate the additional 15% cut in home health services, provide an add-on to the home health prospective payment system (PPS) base payment for patients in rural areas and a pass-through for security costs, provide interim payment system overpayment relief, and recognize telemedicine as a legitimate means of delivering home health services. Currently, S. 2766 has 1 cosponsor:
S. 2835, introduced by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), would provide: emergency cash-flow assistance for home health agencies, reimbursement of home health agencies for unfunded PPS-related costs and OASIS labor costs, and nonroutine medical supplies furnished by home health agencies. Currently, S. 2835 has 2 cosponsors:
S. 2999, introduced by Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI), seeks to reform the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) regula-tory processes, appeals, over-payment procedures, voluntary disclosure, criminal enforcement, and provider education. Currently, S. 2999 has 3 cosponsors, including:
S. 3034, introduced by Senator John Kerry (D-MA), would eliminate the 15% reduction in payment rates under PPS, provide additional payments for outliers and additional payments in rural areas and security services, exclude nonroutine medical supplies under PPS for home health services, and provide a study for telehomehealth services. Currently S. 3034 has no cosponsors.
S. 3077the Balanced Budget Act Refinements of 2000, introduced by Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), would completely eliminate the additional 15% cut in the Medicare home health benefit and provide a 10% add-on for 2 years to the PPS base payment for rural patients; eliminate the bundling and consolidated billing of non-routine medical supplies for 18 months to give the Secretary of HHS time to study whether bundling and consolidated billing are appropriate for medical supplies; help to clarify branch office rules; provide full market basket updates in hospice payments for fiscal years 2001 and 2002 and a 10% upward adjustment in the underlying hospice rates; provide full inflation update payments for medical equipment, oxygen, and other supplies; provide that regular attendance at adult day care by those with Alzheimer's Disease or other dementias would not result in a loss of homebound status. Currently, S. 3077 has 31 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 1917, introduced by Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Rep. Robert Weygand (D-RI), directs the Secretary of Health & Human Services to make additional payments under the Medicare Program to certain home health agencies with high-cost patients and provides for a 36-month interest-free grace period for IPS-related overpayments. Currently has 98 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 2240, introduced by Rep. William Coyne (D-PA), modifies IPS, eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments, if PPS is enacted the 15% cut remains in place, establishes payment for medically-complex patients. Currently has 33 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 2361, introduced by Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT), repeals IPS, eliminates the mandatory 15% reduction payment amounts for such services under PPS, continues periodic interim payments for such services. The bill currently has no cosponsors.
H.R. 2492, introduced by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Rick Lazio (R-NY), eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments; provides a 60-month, interest-free, IPS-related overpayment repayment period; and eliminates 15-minute increment billing requirement but retains the timing requirement. The bill currently has 4 cosponsors.
*H.R. 2546, introduced by Rep. Bob Riley (R-AL) is the House companion bill to S. 1358. The bill currently has 4 cosponsor:
H.R. 2618, introduced by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), eliminates the 15% reduction in payment amounts and provides for a 36-month grace period for home health agencies to repay overpayments made by the Secretary of HHS. The bill currently has 40 cosponsors, including:
H.R. 2628, introduced by Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK), eliminates the 15% reduction in home health payments, provides for an exception and outlier process, forgives overpayments relating to an agency's per-beneficiary limit, increases the per-visit limit to 108% of the median, and provides provisions for prorating an agency's per-beneficiary limit. The bill currently has 5 cosponsors:
H.R. 2744, introduced by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), modifies IPS, eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments, establishes payment for medically-complex patients, extends periodic interim payments, eliminates 15-minute increment requirement, requires surety bond solely to protect against fraudulent claims. The bill currently has no cosponsors.
H. Con. Res. 79, introduced by Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the regulatory burdens on home health agencies. The resolution currently has 84 cosponsors, including:
S. 1063, introduced by Sen. Collins (R-ME) would amend title XVIII of the Social Security to provide for a special rule for long-existing home health agencies with partial fiscal year 1994 cost reports in calculating the per-beneficiary limits under the interim payment system for such agencies. The bill currently has 1 cosponsor:
S. 1310, introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Christopher Bond ((R-MO), modifies IPS, eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments, establishes payment for medically-complex patients, extends periodic interim payments, eliminates 15-minute increment requirement, requires surety bond solely to protect against fraudulent claims. the bill currently has 27 cosponsors, including:
*S. 1358, introduced by Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT), eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments, establishes payments for medically-complex patients and review rate tied to denial rate, restores periodic interim payments and clarifies definition of homebound. The bill currently has 7 cosponsors:
S. 1414, introduced by Sen. Connie Mack (R-FL), establishes a four-category prospective payment system for home health, eliminates 15% reduction in home health payments, establishes proration of prospective payment amounts and payment rates based on location of home health agency rather than patient's location. The bill currently has 4 cosponsors, including:
S. 1574, introduced by Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND), Russ Feingold (D-WI), and John Chafee (R-RI), reduces 15% reduction to 10% for three years, and phases in additional 5% reduction thereafter; delays 15% reduction if IPS still in place; establishes outlier payments for medically complex patients; increases per visit cost limits to 112% of national median; eliminates consolidated billing of DME; eliminates 15-minute increment reporting requirement; and provides Sense of the Senate resolution that HHS Secretary establish uniform process for disseminating information to fiscal intermediaries to ensure timely and accurate information to home health agencies and beneficiaries. The bill currently has no additional cosponsors.
S. 1582, introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), delays 15% reduction to October 1, 2001, if PPS is not implemented on schedule; eliminates increment reporting requirement; per visit cost limits to 112% of the median; establishes 36-month, interest-free IPS-related overpayment repayment period; and includes BBA fixes for nursing homes and other Medicare providers. The bill currently has no cosponsors.
S. 1678, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), delays the 15% reduction for two years (to October 1, 2002); provides for outlier payments for medically complex patients; the per-visit cost limits to 112% of the median; provides 3-year interest-free period for repayment of IPS-related overpayments; eliminates the 15-minute increment billing requirement consolidated billing of durable medical equipment; restores full market basket increases to hospice rates; and includes BBA fixes for other Medicare providers. The bill current has 31 cosponsors, including:
S. Con. Res. 47, introduced by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the regulatory burdens on home health agencies. The resoluton currently has 9 cosponsors, including:
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