AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

Health Issues HCR

Support H.R. 304/S. 916, The Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2017, a bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act with regard to the provision of emergency medical services and discussed companion legislation with the Senate; Support H.R. 372, The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017, a bill to repeal McCarran-Ferguson with respect to the business of health insurance; Discussed with members of congress working on legislation that maintains coverage and improves Americas health care system through patient-centered care; Oppose HR 1156 , Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017, a bill to repeal changes made by health care reform laws to the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals; Support HR 1215, Protecting Access to Care Act, a bill to improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system; Urged CMS to release guidance pertaining to hospital co-location arrangements and to provide flexibility in the agencys co-location policies; Support HR 2141/ S 898, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act of 2017, a bill that would reauthorize the Conrad State 30 Program and make other changes to improve patient access to care; Support S.781/ HR 1876. Good Samaritan Health Professional Act of 2017, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to limit the liability of health care professionals who volunteer to provide health care services in response to a disaster; Support HR 2212/ S 974Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act of 2017, a bill to promote competition in the market for drugs and biological products by facilitating the timely entry of lower-cost generic and biosimilar versions of those drugs and biological products; opposition to S. 1133 Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017,a bill to repeal changes made by health care reform laws to the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals; Support a resolution promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2017 submit for the record our comments on information security in the health care field; Meet with HRSA Administrator and senior staff on 340B drug pricing program; Discussed marketplace stabilization solutions with Hill staff; Support and Recommend changes to HR 1253, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Accessibility Act of 2017a bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans and loan guarantees for constructing or renovating, or planning construction or renovation of, qualified psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facilities, and for other purposes: advocated for changes to clarify/expand the entities that can be loan applicants/recipients; Urged the Administration to suspend the faulty star ratings from the Hospital Compare website; Eliminate barriers to care with the creation of an Anti-Kickback safe harbor for clinical integration arrangements that establishes the basic accountabilities for the use of incentive payment or shared savings programs among hospitals, physicians and other providers, along with a safe-harbor for assistance to patients that would protect providers from financial penalties under the Civil Monetary Penalties (CMPs) for providing an inducement to a patient; Advocated for changes including: eliminating geographic and setting locations requirements so patients outside of rural areas can benefit from telehealth; expanding the types of technology that can be used, including remote monitoring; and covering all services that are safe to provide, rather than a small list of approved services; Submit Statement Stabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: Health Care Stakeholders about the importance of stabilizing the Health Insurance Marketplaces for 2018 and beyond; We urged Congress to pass legislation to fund the cost-sharing reductions; Urged Senators to oppose the Graham-Cassidy proposal being considered in the Senate because this proposal would make significant changes to health care coverage and health care financing; Review of H.R. 3528, Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require e-prescribing for coverage under part D of the Medicare program of prescription drugs that are controlled substances; Discussions with Congress on prescription drug monitoring programs, the dispensing of controlled substances, and clinical workflow; Discussions with Congress on draft legislation related to prescription drug monitoring programs; Urged Congress to consider advancing solutions aimed at making our health care system stronger, protecting access and coverage, and exploring new delivery system reforms that have the potential to make care both more affordable and safer; Review of The Combating the Opioid Epidemic Act, a bill to provide funding to combat the opioid epidemic; Discussions with the White House/Office of National Drug Control Policy about the opioid epidemic, including concerns about regulations that prohibit the sharing of substance use disorder records among health care providers; Support H.R. 4392 a bill to prevent cuts to the 340B drug savings program, which would provide relief from deep cuts to payments to hospitals participating in the 340B program; Letter to congress outlining AHA opposition to a potential policy that would cut payments to hospitals treating hospice patients.

Contacted: Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); White House Office; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Bills named: H.R. 1876 (115th), S. 916 (115th), H.R. 1215 (115th), H.R. 372 (115th), H.R. 2212 (115th), S. 781 (115th), S. 1133 (115th), H.R. 4392 (115th), H.R. 304 (115th), H.R. 1253 (115th), H.R. 3528 (115th), H.R. 1156 (115th), H.R. 2141 (115th)

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Support H.R. 741/ S. 243 Rural Hospital Regulatory Relief Act of 2017, a bill that amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permanently extend the application by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of an instruction against the enforcement of certain physician supervision requirements with respect to outpatient therapeutic services in critical access hospitals and small rural hospitals; Support H.R. 807/ S. 253 Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2017, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps; Discussion about the Electronic Clinical Quality Measure Reporting: advocating for an extension of the reporting deadline to increase hospitals ability to meet requirements in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program and the Medicare EHR Incentive Program;Requested clarification from CMS about providing care to justice-involved individuals and receiving Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement for such care to Made efforts in support of clarifying that hospitals may have designated units to care for patients in the custody of law enforcement/correctional institutions and may receive Medicaid reimbursement for care provided in such units; Support S. 872/ HR 1955Rural Hospital Access Act of 2017A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent the extension of the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program; Submit Statement for Medicare Advantage Hearing on Promoting Integrated and Coordinated Care for Medicare Beneficiaries on the importance of promoting integrated and coordinated care for Medicare beneficiaries served through the Medicare Advantage (MA) program; Support S 1301/ HR 2267, Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2017, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions; Oppose H.R. 1628/ S. xxx,American Health Care Act / Better Care Reconciliation Act, a bill that would repeal and replace much of the Affordable Care Act, including repealing Medicaid expansion and the advanced premium tax credits for the purchase of coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplaces; Support S 1334/ HR 2797Patient Choices and Quality Care Act of 2017, a bill to provide for advanced illness care coordination services for Medicare beneficiaries; Urged the Administration to cancel Stage 3 of meaningful use by removing the 2018 start date from the regulation. The Administration also should institute a 90- day reporting period in every future year of the program, and gather input from stakeholders on ways to further reduce the burden of the meaningful use program from current requirements; Review S. 1169/ HR 2687, Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act, a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with an option to provide medical assistance to individuals between the ages of 22 and 64 for inpatient services to treat substance use disorders at certain facilities; Review HR 2509 Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services under the Medicare Program; Urged CMS to rescind the 25% Rule and instead rely on the site-neutral payment policy to bring transformative change to the LTCH field; Discussion with CMS about direct supervision of outpatient therapeutic services; Support HR 3120, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce the volume of future electronic health record-related significant hardship requests; Discussed with Congress potential offsets to pay for CHIP and other Medicare extender legislation; Support straight extensions of the Medicare-dependent hospital and enhanced low-volume adjustment program; Support eliminating the reductions to Medicaid payments for DSH in fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); White House Office; Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); SENATE

Bills named: H.R. 2797 (115th), S. 253 (115th), H.R. 807 (115th), H.R. 1955 (115th), S. 872 (115th), S. 243 (115th), H.R. 2687 (115th), H.R. 2267 (115th), H.R. 741 (115th), H.R. 3120 (115th), H.R. 1628 (115th), S. 1169 (115th), H.R. 2509 (115th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

In support of current hospital tax exemption and 501(c)(3) private activity bonds; Monitored the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation to overhaul the nations tax code that contained several notable provisions affecting hospitals, such as the Individual Mandate, Access to Tax-exempt Bond Financing, Interest Deduction for Debt, Medical Expense Deductions, and Executive Compensation.

Contacted: SENATE; White House Office; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Monitoring the development and release of the FY 2018 budget to prevent or minimize hospital cuts.

Contacted: Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); White House Office; SENATE

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

Discussed, S. 744, The Protecting Veterans Credit Act of 2017 with the bill author about issues related to the inclusion in consumer credit reports and establishment of requirements for debt collectors with respect to medical debt information of veterans due to inappropriate or delayed billing payments or reimbursements from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Contacted: White House Office; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); SENATE; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: S. 744 (115th)

Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice LAW

Support H.R. 659, The Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules (SMARTER) Act of 2017, a bill to provide that the Federal Trade Commission shall exercise authority with respect to mergers only under the Clayton Act and only in the same procedural manner as the Attorney General exercises such authority and discussed the companion legislation with the Senate.

Contacted: Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); White House Office; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Internal Revenue Service (IRS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE

Bills named: H.R. 659 (115th)