Legislation

House passes student loan bill

Posted on April 27, 2012

The House passed H.R. 4628: Interest Rate Reduction Act 215-195 to hold subsidized student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent for one year. House Republicans attached a Democratically unfavorable rider to the bill. The rider would tap into the Prevention and Public Health Fund, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision designated to improve public health efforts such as screening programs. The White House has threatened to veto such a bill, arguing that further slashing the Prevention Fund would cause harm to those in need of preventive services.

The Senate will debate its own student loan interest rate freeze bill on May 7. While the House bill pays for the bill through cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund, Senate Democrats will fund the bill through tax increases on certain corporations.

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House approves IPAB repeal

Posted on March 23, 2012

Members of the House approved H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) act, by a vote of 223-181, with only seven Democrats supporting the bill and ten Republicans opposing. H.R. 5 would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a provision under the Affordable Care Act. IPAB, a 15-member government agency, would have the power to force cuts to providers if Medicare expenditures rose beyond a predetermined cap. The board’s decisions would be immune from the court system, and thus would carry the full force of law. IPAB was tasked with finding Medicare savings and instituting medical tort reform across the country.

For more information on IPAB, click here.

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Senate passes payroll-tax cut extension; prevention fund takes hit

Posted on February 17, 2012

In a vote of 60 to 36, the Senate passed a $150 billion economic package to extend the payroll tax holiday, unemployment compensation, Medicare physician payment, provide for the consideration of the Keystone XL pipeline, and for other purposes. The package will extend a payroll tax holiday for 160 million workers and unemployment benefits for the rest of the year. The bill passed in the House earlier today. The legislation will now go to President Obama, awarding him a victory on a portion of the jobs bill he presented to Congress in the fall.

The package will take the first significant…

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House approves CLASS repeal

Posted on February 2, 2012

By a vote of 267-159, the House approved a bill (H.R. 1173) yesterday to repeal a long-term care program, Community Living Assistance Program and Supports (CLASS), a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Twenty-eight Democrats joined a unanimous Republican Conference in support of the repeal. CLASS was added to the ACA as the first federally sponsored long-term care program available to most working adults on a voluntary basis. This repeal comes after an announcement in October 2011 from the Obama administration, stating that they had no intention of implementing the program due to financing issues. The repeal of the (CLASS) program has been a priority of the Republican controlled House, but it seems there is little chance that a similar bill would pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

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Sen. Wyden (D-OR) joins Rep. Ryan (R-WI) on Medicare Plan

Posted on December 18, 2011

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon teamed up with Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin on a Medicare overhaul plan that would provide beneficiaries with a fixed amount to buy private coverage or pay for a traditional fee-for-service plan. Different from the Ryan plan introduced earlier this year, the Ryan-Wyden proposal would not do away with Medicare, but instead would leave it is an option for beneficiaries to purchase with their vouchers. However, this plan would not ensure that the voucher would make Medicare affordable, nor would it preclude private insurance policies from designing benefit plans to exclusively attract healthy beneficiaries.

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House passes bill with 2-year SGR fix

Posted on December 16, 2011

Introduced by Republican leadership only days earlier, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a legislative package, some of which is paid for by reducing funding of certain components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The legislation provides funding for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, preempts certain rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, extends unemployment insurance, and prevents a reduction in physician payments under Medicare (the “SGR fix”), among other provisions. The legislation is paid for, at least in part, by increasing the amount of ineligible premium sharing tax-credit money that can be recoped by the IRS under the ACA, and by cutting the Public Health and Prevention trust fund by $8 billion.

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Senate introduces bill to remove expanded small business reporting requirement

Posted on February 1, 2011

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee introduced legislation to repeal the controversial Section 1099 of the Internal Revenue Code, which was included as a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACT). The bill, “The Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011,” was cosponsored by 17 Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and will eliminate the additional paperwork reporting requirements placed on small businesses and other corporations, which will take effect beginning in 2012.

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Legislation Introduced to Repeal Independent Payment Advisory Board

Posted on January 27, 2011

Representative Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), along with 23 other House Republicans, introduced legislation yesterday to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). The IPAB, a 15-member commission appointed by the President and scheduled to begin operation in 2014, was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is designed to slow the growth rate of Medicare costs. During Senate debate on the ACA, supporters of the Board argued that having an independent board make recommendations would make reimbursement decisions less political. Opponents argued that it removes authority from Congress and gives it to unelected officials.

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Congress modifies tax credit provisions with SGR fix

Posted on December 9, 2010

The Senate and House have passed legislation amending Affordable Care Act provisions concerning the amount that must be repaid by those receiving subsidies to purchase insurance if their income goes up during the year. Under the original rule, individuals under 400 percent of poverty cannot be required to repay more than $400. Under the new [...]

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