MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCATION

Health Issues

See Next Page for Narrative. Congressional efforts to restrict states use of provider taxes to fund their Medicaid programs; Hospitals need for stability and predictability in making their spending and policy decisions; support expected legislative efforts to repeal or revamp section 3141 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010; Support expected legislative efforts to assess and limit the administrative burdens imposed by demands for records by Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors and other program integrity initiatives; Reauthorize the Medicare Dependent Hospital Payment program for one year effective October 1, 2012, through H.R. 5943 or S. 2620; Oppose congressional proposals to curtail states capacity to use provider taxes to generate federal matching funds for their Medicaid programs; Repeal or revise the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula used to determine Medicare physician payments and do so without reducing payments to non-physician providers to offset the cost of doing so; Reject future congressional proposals to terminate the designation of critical access hospitals which qualify for separate payment and regulatory standards; Medicare Dependent Hospital provisions in H.R. 5943, Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012; Medicare Payment Advisory Commissions report regarding the delivery and financing of hospitals and other health care services in rural regions; Promoted congressional awareness of and support for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services promulgation of regulations to clarify the authority of certified registered nurse anesthetists to be paid to provide pain management services to Medicare enrollees; Provided background information to congressional staff to respond to a query regarding regulatory standards governing the use of tasers and weapons by hospital security staff; Wording and content of draft legislation to assess and limit the administrative burdens imposed by demands for records by Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors and other program integrity initiatives; Conducted and conveyed the results of research needed to respond to a query regarding the number of Missouri hospitals receiving payments under the Medicare Low-Volume Hospital program, in response to H.R. 5943/ S. 2620, Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012; Proposed draft legislation to assess and limit the administrative burdens imposed by demands for records by Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors and other program integrity initiatives;