WASHINGTON WIRE
November 9, 2007
Issue 152
In this issue, you'll find:
Congress Approves Labor-HHS-Educations Spending Bill, Veto Expected
MedPAC Examines Quality of Care in Medicare Advantage Plans
Top Story
Congress Approves Labor-HHS-Educations Spending Bill, Veto Expected
Congress approved its fiscal year (FY) 2008 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education Appropriations bill this week, clearing the way for an expected Presidential veto. President Bush has already threatened to veto any annual spending bill that goes beyond his FY 2008 discretionary spending request.
Congressional leaders reached a $150.7 billion deal to fund the Departments of Labor, HHS and Education, nearly $10 billion more than the President requested. Congressional leaders combined the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill with the Veteran's Affairs spending bill in the hopes that the President could be swayed to sign it. However, last minute objections from Senate Republican leaders forced Democrats to move the bills separately.
The spending bill would provide a $4.4 billion increase from FY 2007 spending levels for HHS, which includes a $1.1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
If the President's does, in fact, veto this domestic spending bill, it remains unclear how Congress will handle FY 2008 appropriations for the Departments of Labor, HHS and Education.
Health Care News
SCHIP in Limbo?
Negotiations on legislation to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (H.R. 3963) continued to slowly proceed this week as House and Senate supporters and House Republicans who want changes in the bill appeared to be closing the gap between their two positions with a final deal still possible in the near future.
Negotiators have been meeting in an attempt to garner the votes needed to override an expected veto of the bill by President Bush. Senate champions say they need about a dozen House Republicans to switch their votes and support the bill to override a veto.
The talks between SCHIP supporters and House GOP lawmakers have centered on several key issues. For example, House Republicans wanted (1) to ensure the program covered only poor children, (2) that measures were taken to ensure children did not leave private coverage to enroll in SCHIP, and (3) that illegal immigrants were not eligible for the program.
In late October, the House failed by a 265-142 vote to approve SCHIP legislation with a veto-proof margin, despite changes made by Democrats to garner additional Republican support for the bill. On October 3rd, President Bush vetoed the bill's predecessor, H.R. 976, and the House, on October 18th, failed to override the veto.
MedPAC Examines Quality of Care in Medicare Advantage Plans
At this week's Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) meeting, staff and commissioners expressed concern regarding quality of care under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program (Medicare managed care).
The Commission reviewed several sources of data including recent findings from the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) regarding the performance of MA plans on specific quality measures. NCQA found that commercial and Medicaid managed care plans showed greater improvement on a larger number of quality performance measures than did MA plans.
Several MedPAC members stated their disappointment with the findings and encouraged the Commission to be more forceful in its position that MA plans should be paid based on the quality of their care and outcomes. Commissioners stated that such a position should be adequately reflected in their recommendations to Congress.
Earlier this year, the House approved legislation that would make significant cuts to the Medicare Advantage program, bringing payments to MA plans more in-line with Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements. The Senate is said to be considering cuts to the program as well in a pending Medicare legislative package.
Upcoming Events
Hearings
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Health Coverage and Income Security
House Ways and Means - Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support
10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn
Medicaid Providers
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - Subcommittee on Permanent Investigations
2:30 p.m., 342 Dirksen
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Nursing Home Quality
House Ways and Means - Subcommittee on Health
10 a.m., 1100 Longworth
Nursing Home Quality
Senate Special Aging Committee
1:30 p.m., G-50 Dirksen
Americans With Disabilities Act
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
2 p.m., 430 Dirksen
For More Information
For further information on any topics discussed or publications listed, or to get copies of anything mentioned in this alert, please call 202.466.6550 and ask for the Legislative Practice Group.
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