IOWA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

Medicare/Medicaid

S 3656: Preserving Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act of 2008, sections relating to rural health clinics, hospices, and hospitals. HR 6873: Medicare Hospice Protection Act of 2008, entire bill. S 3484: Hospice Protection Act of 2008, entire bill. HR 1424: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, Title V, Subsection B, mental health parity. S 3367: Rural Health Clinic bill to revise the timeframe for recognition of certain designations in certifying rural health clinics under the Medicare program, entire bill. HR 1343: Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008, section 7: Revision of Timeframe for RHCs; section 3: National Health Service Corps. HR 6966: Safeguarding our Hospitals' Futures Act of 2008, entire bill. S 3582: Safeguarding our Hospitals' Futures Act of 2008, entire bill. HR 6912: Rural Hospital Assistance Act of 2008, entire bill. S 3300: Rural Hospital Assistance Act of 2008, entire bill. HR 6652: Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2008, entire bill. HR 6331: Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, section 131 involving the physician-fix; section 122 involving rebasing for sole community hospitals, section 148, clarification of payment for clinical laboratory tests furnished by CAH. S 3101: Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, section 131 involving the physician-fix; section 122 involving rebasing for sole community hospitals, section 149, clarification of payment for clinical laboratory tests furnished by CAH. HR 6699: Health Security for All Americans Act of 2008, section 105 involving improvements to Medicare-dependent hospital program; section 106 involving payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals. HR 2583: Physician Workforce Enhancement Act of 2008, provisions relating to hospitals. HR 7067: Quality FIRST Act of 2008, provisions relating to hospitals and value-based purchasing. Other issues: Physician self-referral to physician-owned hospitals. Reject cuts in the indirect medical education adjustment for teaching hospitals' capital costs: Schumer,Specter,Clinton Senate letter and Marshall,King House letter. Critical Access Hospital contract/employment issue involving 485.635 CoP: Provision of services (CAH). Guidance for clinical integration programs. Medicaid DSH letter: Rep. John Sullivan letter requesting funding increases and to update the definition to Medicaid's Low DSH states. Value-based purchasing. CMS proposed rule for the FY2009 inpatient PPS: proposals relating to hospitals. CMS Recovery Audit Contractors program.