VIEW FROM THE HILL.

VIEW FROM THE HILL
Bill      Title
H.R. 913  Domprehensive
           Long Term Care Act
S. 24     Health Care
           Assurance Act
H.R. 803  Medicare Modernization
           and Solvency Act
S. 1054   Patient Abuse
           Prevention Act
S. 452    Medicare Education
H.R. 868   and Regulatory
           Fairness Act (MERFA)
Bill      Description
H.R. 913  Amends the Social Security Act to provide
           for coverage of expanded nursing facility
           and in-home services for dependent
           individuals under the Medicare program.
           Sponsor: Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)
S. 24     Requires Medicaid coverage of community
           attendant services for individuals who
           otherwise would qualify for nursing home
           care. Provides grants to states to change
           to consumer-responsive long term care
           systems. Expands income tax benefits for
           the purchase of long term care insurance.
           Sponsor:.Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)
H.R. 803  Comprehensive Medicare reform that includes
           provision for home health case managers
           and for Medicare coverage of home health
           care provided in an adult day care setting.
           Sponsor: Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.)
S. 1054   To require nursing homes to conduct criminal
           background checks on prospective employees
           through both state and federal law
           enforcement agencies. Sponsor: Sen. Herb
           Kohl (D-Wis.)
S. 452    To ensure that CMS (formerly HCFA) provides
H.R. 868   appropriate guidance to physicians,
           providers of services, and ambulance
           providers that are attempting to properly
           submit claims under the Medicare program
           so that CMS does not target inadvertent
           billing errors. Sponsors (S.452): Sens.
           Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) and John Kerry
           (D-Mass.) Sponsor (H.R. 868): Rep. Patrick
           Toomey (R-Pa.)
Bill      Status *
H.R. 913  Introduced in House,
           referred to Energy and
           Commerce and Ways and
           Means committees
S. 24     Introduced in Senate
           referred to Finance Committee
H.R. 803  Introduced in House, referred
           to Energy and Commerce and
           Ways and Means committees
S. 1054   Introduced in Senate,
           referred to Finance Committee
S. 452    S. 452 introduced in Senate,
H.R. 868   referred to Finance Committee
          H.R. 868 introduced in House,
           referred to Energy and
           Commerce and Ways and
           Means committees
SOURCE: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HOMES AND SERVICES FOR THE AGING
(*)As of early August