WASHINGTON WIRE
January 30, 2009
Issue 188
House Passes Recovery Bill; Senate Will Debate Stimulus This Week
Senate Passes SCHIP Reauthorization Bill Without Specialty Hospital Ban
Daschle to Outline Health Reform Framework; Senate HELP Indicates Long Term Care will be in Package
Top Story
House Passes Recovery Bill; Senate Will Debate Stimulus This Week
On Wednesday night, the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 244-188 in an overwhelmingly partisan vote. No Republicans voted for the bill, and 11 Democrats voted against it. The stimulus package would provide funding for infrastructure and for state programs, including over $80 billion for Medicaid.
The House and Senate versions have significant differences that, depending on the final bill, could affect various providers. The House bill includes a moratoria on seven controversial Medicaid regulations, but the Senate bill lacks the moratoria. It was expected that an amendment adding the moratoria to the Senate bill would be offered in the Senate Finance Committee markup last week, but the amendment was not offered.
The Senate Finance Committee markup did result in other changes to the bill, however, including two amendments affecting how any Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funds in the bill would be distributed. One of the amendments, offered by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), requires that 80 percent of the FMAP funds be distributed evenly across all states and the remainder to be distributed partly based upon unemployment rates. A second amendment, offered by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), requires states to comply with prompt pay requirements upon acceptance of the FMAP funds.
It is expected that more changes to the bill will be made once it is brought to the Senate floor next week. Congressional Democratic leaders have expressed their intention of passing the bill by the President's Day recess in mid February.
Health Care News
Senate Passes SCHIP Reauthorization Bill Without Specialty Hospital Ban
On Thursday night, the Senate approved 66-32 a bill expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a week after the House passed a similar bill 289-139. The bill would use $32 billion over approximately five years to extend health insurance coverage to about 4 million currently uninsured children.
The Senate version excludes a House provision that prevents new specialty hospitals from opening. The provision, authored by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), also requires physicians to divest from specialty hospitals.
The Senate and House will work out the discrepancy in conference committee action. The Senate's conferees are: Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT).
Daschle to Outline Health Reform Framework; Senate HELP Indicates Long Term Care will be in Package
HHS Secretary Tom Daschle is expected to outline a framework for healthcare reform later this year that some lawmakers will incorporate into a healthcare reform package, according to press reports. The bill might coincide with the timing of, and possibly be merged with, a Medicare bill to address the physician fee fix. It is also possible that Congress could still be fleshing out the healthcare reform legislation next year.
In the meantime, the Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is forging on with hearings meant to give lawmakers feedback on significant areas to be addressed within healthcare reform. Last week, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) chaired a hearing on ensuring quality care through healthcare reform. At the hearing, Mikulski and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), who will likely succeed Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) as chairman of HELP, discussed the feasibility of including long term care (LTC) services and supports into the health reform bill.
Dodd said currently there is debate about whether LTC services should be included in healthcare reform. But the Senator added that he "couldn't imagine" a bill without LTC. Mikulski said that the next hearing would be on February 5 and would focus on quality and best practices.
Upcoming Events
Hearings
Monday, Feb. 2
Senate Republicans on Stimulus
Senate Republican Policy Committee
5 p.m., 562 Dirksen Bldg.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Health Care and Small Business
House Small Business Committee
10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Financial Rescue Package.
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
Full Committee Hearing
10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Bldg.
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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