MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCATION

Health Issues

See Next Page for Narrative. Medicare payments to certified registered nurse anesthetists for pain management services and Support for Associations related letter; Opposing budget reconciliation proposals that would reduce states capacity to use provider taxes to fund their Medicaid programs; Proposals to restrict states use of provider taxes to fund their Medicaid programs in budget reconciliation legislation pending in the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Support for H.R. 5651 based on its provisions to reduce the incidence and severity of shortages of drugs and other pharmaceuticals; The revision in a final rule of 42 C.F.R. 482.12 to require selected hospitals, including governmental hospitals, to have a physician as a member of the hospital governing board; Missouri Hospitals and their placement in congressional districts redrawn in the redistricting process. Oppose restrictions on states use of provider taxes to fund their Medicaid programs as a funding mechanism for extending subsidized interest rates on federal Stafford student loans; Development and sponsorship of legislation that would set new standards governing the ability of Medicare program integrity contractors to require health care providers to submit medical records and supporting documentation for review; H.R. 5707 (Physician Payment Innovation Act of 2012); Medicare Payment Advisory Commissions report regarding the delivery and financing of hospitals and other health care services in rural regions; S. 2620/H.R. 5943, to reauthorize the Medicare Dependent Hospital program. Regulatory and payment topics, generally; Support to: 1) consider hospitals need for stability and predictability in making their spending and policy decisions; 2) support provisions of H.R. 2245/S. 296/H.R. 3839 to respond to concerns about shortages of drugs and other pharmaceutical products; 3) reauthorize the Medicare Dependent Hospital program before it lapses on October 1, 2012; 4) repeal section 3141 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010; 5) examine the administrative burdens associated with the demands for records by Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors and other program integrity initiatives; and 6) consider the Missouri Hospital Associations written observations regarding the budget proposal adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives regarding health care financing.