Key Legislation Affecting Home Care & HospiceHome Care Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (allow NPs/PAs to sign home health plans of care) - HR.2267, S.227* The Home Health Care Access Protection Act of 2011 (reforms process for evaluating home health case mix changes) - H.R.6059, S.659* Fostering Independence Through Technology Act (telehomecare demonstration projects) - S.501* Fairness in Medicare Billing Act (repeals Medicare Competitive Bidding) - H.R.1041 Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2011 (repeals the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps) - H.R. 1546, S. 829 Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act of 2011 (allows occupational therapists to conduct initial home health assessments) - H.R. 2468 Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2012 (home health rural add on; allow NPs/PAs to sign home health plans of care) - H.R.3859 Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act (home health rural add on; allow NPs/PAs to sign home health plans of care; allows PAs to serve Medicare hospice patients as attending physicians) - S.1680 Hospice Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act (modifies the hospice face-to-face requirements; establishes a hospice payment demonstration program; requires hospice programs to be surveyed every 36 months)) - H.R.3506, S.722* Medicare Hospice Care Access Act of 2012 (allows physician assistants to serve Medicare hospice patients as attending physicians) - H.R. 3831 Medicare Hospice Care Access Act of 2011 (allows physician assistants to serve Medicare hospice patients as attending physicians) - S.891 Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act ( increase the number of permanent faculty in palliative care and promote education in palliative care and hospice ) - H.R.6155 , S.3407 Private Duty Direct Care Job Quality Improvement Act (removes the companionship services exemption) - H.R.2341, S.1273 Companionship Exemption Protection Act (preserves the current companionship services exemption) - H.R.3066 Ensuring Access to Affordable and Quality Companion Care Act (clarifies that the current companionship services exemption applies to employees providing homecare and live-in services who are employed by a third party employer) - H.R.5969* Protecting In-Home Care from Government Intrusion Act (prevents the Department of Labor Secretary from implementing a proposed rule to limit the companionship services exemption) - H.R.5970* Companionship Exemption Protection Act (clarifies and preserves the current companionship services exemption) - S.3280 General Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 (repeals the1099 filing provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) - H.R. 4/P.L. 112-9 Medicare Decisions Accountability Act of 2011 and Health Care Bureaucrats Elimination Act (eliminates the Independent Payment Advisory Board) - H.R.452, S.668 A bill to repeal the CLASS Act (eliminates the voluntary federal long term care insurance program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) - H.R.1173, S.720 American Job Protection Act (repeals the employer mandate provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) - H.R.1744, S.20 Strengthening Program Integrity and Accountability in Health Care Act of 2011 (prevents fraud, waste, and abuse under Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP) - S.454 * Sample letters and talking points are available for these bills on the NAHC Legislative Action Network webpage. |
