Monday, July 14, 2008

Weekly Newsletter: July 14, 2008

Veto Expected on Medicare Legislation

News reports indicate that this week Congress will return to legislation addressing physician reimbursement levels under Medicare. President Bush is expected to soon veto legislation (H.R. 6331) which addressed the physician reimbursement levels, while cutting $47.5 billion from privately-run Medicare Advantage plans. Votes on an expected Presidential veto could occur later in the week.

While all parties agree on the need to address the physician reimbursement provisions, Congressional Republicans have called for passage of bipartisan legislation that would forestall the significant cuts to Medicare Advantage plans made in H.R. 6331. Some conservatives may be concerned that the bill would have the effect of driving beneficiaries away from a privately-run model of health insurance that has provided enhanced benefits and choice for millions of seniors, especially the 2.2 million beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service plans. Some conservatives may also believe that the short-term nature of current physician reimbursement extensions, coupled with their potential to become entwined in unrelated disputes and/or “held hostage” due to various political considerations, makes a powerful argument for more comprehensive reforms to Medicare, including a long-term solution to physician reimbursement policy.

The Legislative Bulletin on H.R. 6331 can be found here.

There are additional RSC Policy Briefs on issues related to the Medicare bill: Physician Payments; Medicare Advantage; Bidding for Durable Medical Equipment; and the Medicare Trustees Report.

Tentative Agreement on Mental Health, but Obstacles Remain

Reports over the Independence Day recess indicated that Congressional negotiators have come close to agreement on compromise mental health parity language after the passage of separate House and Senate legislation (H.R. 1424, S. 558) earlier in the Congress. Multiple sources suggest that the deal will remove two provisions considered particularly onerous by conservatives: a requirement that insurers cover all mental diseases—including many psycho-sexual disorders objectionable to many conservatives—as part of health insurance coverage, and language that would have undermined the strong federal pre-emption provided to group health insurance coverage, potentially subjecting large employers to a variety of conflicting state regulations and lawsuits.

Despite these improvements, some conservatives may still be concerned that imposing a mental health parity mandate on health insurance may raise premiums, resulting in the loss of coverage for some populations. Some conservatives may also be concerned that the bill’s nearly $4 billion cost be paid for in a responsible manner, avoiding the controversial pay-fors—restrictions on physician-owned specialty hospitals and higher mandatory rebates on Medicaid pharmaceuticals—originally included in the House bill.

Read the Legislative Bulletin on H.R. 1424 here.

Article of Note: Dead Men Prescribing

A report released by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations last week cast new doubts on the extent of anti-fraud efforts within the Medicare program. The report found that since 2000, Medicare paid at least $92 million in claims for wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment prescribed by physicians who had been dead for at least one year. The 500,000 fraudulent claims paid— more than half of which were ascribed to physicians who had died at least five years before the date of the claim—reinforced the Government Accountability Office’s decision to place Medicare on its “high-risk” watch list because of fraud concerns within the program.

Many conservatives may be concerned by the Subcommittee’s findings, and support efforts to strengthen the monitoring of durable medical equipment suppliers as one way to combat the fraudulent claims cited. Some conservatives may also be concerned by Congress’ passage of Medicare legislation, which would delay until the next Administration the implementation of a competitive bidding program that could also reduce the incidence of fraud by ensuring that Medicare pays no more than competitive market rates when acquiring equipment and supplies for seniors’ benefit.

Read the article here: Washington Post: “Billings Used Dead Doctors’ Names