BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION for BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Health Insurance Tax; IRC section 833(b) tax provisions; Health Spending Accounts; Medical Loss Ratio definition to qualify for 833(b) tax deduction HR 928 Introduced February 12, 2015 by Charles Boustany (R-LA) To repeal the annual fee on health insurance providers enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. S 183 Introduced January 16, 2015 by John Barrasso (R-WY) Jobs and Premium Protection Act This bill repeals a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that imposes an annual fee on a health insurance provider based on its net premium income.

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); White House Office; Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.R. 928 (114th)

Health Issues HCR

Affordable Care Act Issues: Risk Corridors; back end issues; implementation issues; Premiums; Exchanges; CHIP reauthorization Cybersecurity; Medicare Advantage; Small Group Expansion; Reinsurance; Health care quality issues; Selling insurance across state lines Medical Loss Ratios: Level Playing Field for MLRs; Consistent reporting requirements for all insurers; MLR Broker Fees Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) regarding proposals to allow additional types of carriers including regional PPOs to be included in the coverage options offered by OPM S 123 Introduced January 8, 2015 by Marco Rubio (R-FL) Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Prevention Act Repeals the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and administer a program of risk corridors for calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016 under which a qualified. HR 221 Introduced January 8, 2015 by Andy Harris (R-MD) Taxpayer bailout of health insurers HR 1624 Introduced March 25, 2015 by Brett Guthrie (R-KY) To amend title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of small employer. HR 2 Introduced by March 24, 2015 Michael Burgess (R-TX) Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to: (1) remove sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology from the determination of annual conversion factors in the formula for payment for physicians' services, and (2) revise the update in rates for 2015 and subsequent years. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Merit-based Incentive Payment (MIP) system under which eligible professionals (including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists) shall receive annual payment increases or decreases based on their performance. Requires specified incentive payments to eligible participants in an alternative payment model.

Contacted: White House Office; SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Bills named: H.R. 1624 (114th), H.R. 2 (114th), H.R. 221 (114th)

Medicare/Medicaid MMM

Medicare Reforms: Medicare A & B; Delivery System Reforms, Benefit Restructuring ; Medigap first-dollar coverage; Summary of Benefits Rule Quality Initiatives/SGR Reform; HIPAA Code Adoption Process,; Medicare Advantage Risk Delay; Community Health Management; Medicare fraud; Cybersecurity; ICD-10 Medicare Prescription Drug Integrity. Medicare fraud; Provider terminations in Medicare Advantage; CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) reauthorization; Medicare co-pay limits HR 2 Introduced March 24, 2015 by Michael Burgess (R-TX) Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to: (1) remove sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology from the determination of annual conversion factors in the formula for payment for physicians' services, and (2) revise the update in rates for 2015 and subsequent years. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Merit-based Incentive Payment (MIP) system under which eligible professionals (including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists) shall receive annual payment increases or decreases based on their performance. Requires specified incentive payments to eligible participants in an alternative payment model. HR 928 Introduced February 12, 2015 by Charles Boustany (R-LA) To repeal the annual fee on health insurance providers enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Contacted: Office of Management & Budget (OMB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); White House Office; Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Bills named: H.R. 928 (114th), H.R. 2 (114th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

ACA Risk Corridors, Federal Health Employee Benefit Program (FEHBP) offerings; Government contribution to FEHBP premiums; SHOP Employer Choice; Reinsurance; Regional PPO Language

Contacted: Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); White House Office; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Pharmacy PHA

21st Century Cures

Contacted: White House Office; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)