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Late Wednesday night, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unveiled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, legislation that combines S. 1679, the health bill approved by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and S. 1796, the Senate Finance Committee bill.
There is a great buzz going around the AAHSA building today, as the combined bill includes the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act , which would create a national insurance trust, which would provide a modest cash benefit to seniors and persons with disability.
The CLASS provisions were carefully crafted to ensure affordability, accessibility and fiscal solvency. Participation would be voluntary and the premiums will cover the costs, not placing any drain on the federal budget. The result would be a system that supports America’s families and has the potential for significant Medicaid savings.
The bill allows for a full Medicare payment update for skilled nursing facilities and home health care providers in 2010. In addition, the bill contains the Community First Choice Option and spousal impoverishment reforms to expand the availability of Medicaid coverage of home- and community-based services.
A preliminary review from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Senate’s health care reform bill will cost $849 billion over the next 10 years.
Democrats plan to help pay for the measure through and increase to Medicare payroll tax on high-income people: from 1.45 percent of wages to 1.95 percent for those with annual incomes over $200,000 and couples over $250,000. The payroll tax is expected to raise $54 billion over 10 years.
We’ll update you with a full analysis of the bill.
Sen. Grassley
On Monday, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the Fighting Medicare Payment Fraud Act of 2009 (S.2774), a measure that would authorize the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to delay payments to Medicare providers suspected of fraud, waste or abuse.
Under the bill, the payments for suspect claims could be delayed by up to 1 year for a category of providers or suppliers, categories of providers or suppliers in a particular geographic area, or individual providers in order to conduct a more thorough review.
The amount of time for an individual provider or supplier left to the determination of the HHS secretary.
“This common-sense change would go a long way in helping to make sure Medicare dollars are going to bona fide providers, instead of fraudulent providers who scam the system,” Grassley said.
The legislation would also require the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to submit recommendations on an annual basis about categories of providers or suppliers in need of additional scrutiny before payments are made under the prompt payment rule.
According to Grassley, the prompt payment provision doesn’t make sense because it creates a situation in which the government has to “pay and chase Medicare fraud,” rather than “working to prevent it in the first place.”
For those venturing to Chicago for the 2009 AAHSA Annual Meeting, you’re in for another year of great events. Last Designer Standing, one of our biggest hits from the 2008 meeting, is returning for its second year with interior design students from Harrington College of Design.
Two teams will go head-to-head over a period of 48 hours to create their interpretations of a local skilled nursing facility resident’s dream room. Each team will have a budget of $2,000.
All work will be done right on the exposition floor in the McCormick Place, starting Monday, Nov. 9, at Noon and continues until the winner is announced on Nov. 11 at 3 p.m.
Prior to the competition, the 15 Harrington student spent four months learning about design elements of senior living. Working in teams of two, they created a room designed to incorporate functionality with personal elements requested by the chosen resident.
Seven teams submitted their room designs, taking inspiration from the “Cornucopia,” Mies van der Rohe’s 1929 Barcelona Pavilion, and the circle of life, to name a few. The designs were juried and ultimately two designs were chosen. The other teams will assist with building the winning designs. That said, all the designs submitted will be on display during the challenge.
Here are the 7 submissions:
Aaron Gilbert and Daniel Harper
Jessica Riddle and Neelima McGibbon
Matthew McGrane and Ava St. Claire
Edward Kucic III and Kristen Penfold
Jennifer Lea and Leslie Bowman
Kate Harms and Valarie Sanchez
Rhonda Johnson and Diana Rizko
