2008 Advocacy Alerts and Comment Letters

 

05 February 2008

President’s Budget a Step in the Wrong Direction
President Bush today released a budget proposal that includes $182 billion in Medicare reductions and $17.4 billion in Medicaid reductions over 5 years.  See more.

 

20 December 2007

Congress Passes Medicare Package, Spares Hospital & Physician Payments
Congress this week finalized a Medicare package that includes several vital provisions for providers while promising to revisit the remaining issues in 2008.  See more.

 

19 October 2007

SCHIP Override Failed
The U.S. House of Representatives fell short of enough votes to override President George W. Bush’s veto of legislation that would have expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

See more.

 

04 October 2007

Bush Vetoes SCHIP Reauthorization Bill
As expected, President George W. Bush yesterday vetoed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill, H.R. 976.  See more.

 

02 October 2007

Tamper-Proof Prescription Rule Deadline Extended
Congress extended the Oct. 1 deadline for a rule that would require all non-electronic prescriptions for Medicaid patients to be written on tamper-resistant paper.  See more.

 

27 September 2007

U.S. House and Senate Tentatively Agree on Bill to Reduce IPPS Cuts
The American Hospital Association today announced that U.S. House of Representatives and Senate negotiators tentatively agreed on legislation that would reduce the percentage of “behavioral offset” in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule for fiscal year 2008.

See more.

 

20 September 2007

IPPS Provision to Cost Ohio Hospitals $57 Million
Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass legislation preventing a Medicare payment reduction for hospitals next year. See more.

 

23 July 2007

Ohio Reps Support Amendment to Protect Medicare Reimbursement to Hospitals

The overwhelming majority of the U.S. House of Representatives last week voted in favor of an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill that would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from cutting as much as $24 billion from inpatient hospital services. See more.

 

13 July 2007

Congress Nears Decision on SCHIP, White House Threatens Veto

Discussions about renewal of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are one step closer to completion this week in Congress despite threats of a veto from the White House. See more.

 

10 July 2007

Proposed Bill Would Provide Tax Breaks for Corporate Wellness Programs

Congressional leaders yesterday introduced the Healthy Workforce Act of 2007, which would provide tax credits to businesses that implement wellness programs for their employees. See more.

 

25 May 2007

Congress Passes War Funding Bill with Protections for Medicaid
After weeks of debate, the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration have agreed on a bill that includes funding for both the U.S.  See more.

 

29 March 2007

U.S. Senate Passes Budget, Other Legislation Under Discussion

The federal budget and other legislation with implications for Ohio’s hospitals continue to work their way through Congress.  See more.

 

21 February 2007

State, Federal Proposals Expand Health Insurance Coverage for Children

Legislative initiatives at both the state and federal levels look to expand health insurance programs to cover more children.

See more.

 

9 February 2007

President's Budget Cuts Billions from Hospital Services

The president’s budget proposal was released this week with proposals for more than $100 billion in reductions to provider reimbursements under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

See more.

 

25 January 2007

Bush Proposes Controversial Health Policy

Health care topped the list of priorities in last night’s State of the Union address, but President Bush’s health insurance proposals could mean funding cuts to hospitals.  See more.

 

17 January 2007

U.S. House Passes Medicare Drug Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation that would require the government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.  See more.

 

12 December 2006

109th Congress Ends With Win for Hospitals, Physicians

Before adjourning Saturday, the 109^th Congress passed legislation benefiting hospitals, physicians and other providers. House Resolution 6111, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, freezes Medicare physician reimbursements at their 2006 levels and postpones for one year a scheduled 5.1 percent reduction in such payments.  See more.

 

20 September 2006

OHA Supports Federal Transparency Bill

Recently, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) introduced the Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2006.  See more.

 

25 August 2006

Bush Signs Health Care IT Order

President George Bush this week signed an executive order outlining an effort to promote greater transparency and value-based competition throughout the U.S. health care system.  See more.

 

2 August 2006

U.S. House Sanctions IT Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted 270-147 to pass a health information technology bill that will provide for the conversion to new ICD – 10 billing codes by October 2010.  See more.

 

27 July 2006
Controversial Federal Transparency Provision Pulled
Thanks to the rapid lobbying efforts of hospital advocates, a controversial price disclosure provision was removed today from legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.
See more.

 

28 June 2006

Hospital Help Needed to Prevent Medicaid Cuts
Ohio hospitals are encouraged to enlist the support of Republican representatives, senators and governors in an effort to convince the White House that its plans to cut Medicaid via the regulatory process—without congressional consideration—would hurt health care for many millions of Americans.  See more.

 

26 May 2006

U.S. House Passes Budget Resolution Without Medicaid, Medicare Cuts

Thanks in part to lobbying efforts of the hospital community, the U.S. House of Representatives this week approved a fiscal year 2007 budget resolution that excludes specific cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.  See more.

 

10 May 2006

Feds Block Med Mal Reform

The U.S. Senate on Monday voted to block two bills that would have capped non-economic damages in medical liability lawsuits.

See more.

 

2 May 2006

AHA Outlines Steps for Greater Health Care Pricing Transparency

The American Hospital Association (AHA) released a policy this week at its Annual Membership Meeting to spur efforts to make hospital prices more transparent.  See more.

 

1 May 2006

Bush Lands Hospital Leadership at AHA Meeting

President George W. Bush spoke today at a special session of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Membership Meeting, recognizing hospitals’ leadership and expressing his intent to continue working closely with the hospital community.

See more.

 

15 March 2006.

Ohio Hospital CEO Testifies Before U.S. Senate in Support of Hospital GPO Initiative

Mina Ubbing, President and CEO of Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, testified today before a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee regarding the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative.

Ms. Ubbing's Testimony

Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust Hearing Web site

 

6 March 2006
OHA Submits Comments on Hospital Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs)

OHA submitted comments to Sen. Mike DeWine for the Antitrust Subcommittee's hearing supporting the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative.

Related Nov. 12, 2004 comments

 

20 February 2006

Ohio Hospitals Could Face Reduced Medicare Reimbursement in 2007

An impact analysis of the White House's proposed FY2007 budget shows that if adopted, Ohio hospitals will face a $42 million reduction in Medicare reimbursement in the first year alone, with more than $451 million in reductions through 2011.