The “Medicare Patient Access and Quality Improvement Act of 2013” introduced by Representative Michael C. Burgess from Texas Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee was recently passed by the Committee.
The bill repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replaces it with a system that benefits both doctors and patients. The bill is also in place to make more Medicare data available and encourage care coordination and medical homes.
In other legislative action, Senator Al Franken from Minnesota has introduced the “FDA Safety and User Fee Protection Act”. This legislation would give the FDA full access to user fees paid by medical device and diagnostic companies, and as a result neutralizes the impact of the sequester on these fees.
Senator Franken said, “Many individuals in Minnesota depend on medical devices to keep them alive and depend on this industry to support their families. I want to ensure that the FDA has full access to the user fees it receives, and that the approval process for medical devices doesn’t come to a halt because of the sequester cuts.
Legislation to help veterans in rural communities, was again introduced by Senators Franken and John Boozman from Arkansas. “The Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act” originally introduced in the 112th Congress, requires the VA to develop a five year strategic plan for the VA Office of Rural Health (ORH) within six months of enactment.
The plan must recruit VHA healthcare personnel in rural areas, ensure the quality of care in rural areas through contract and fee-basis providers, implement and expand the use of telemedicine in rural areas, make effective use of VA’s mobile outpatient clinics, and modify ORH funding allocation mechanisms so that the funds will go to initiatives that improve care for rural veterans.
As for state action, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued proposed regulations (subtitle 09 Medical Care Programs–10.09.49 Telemedicine Services) to implement two telemedicine-related Medicaid programs. The proposed programs are the “Rural Access Telemedicine Program” and the “Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke program”.
Public comments may be sent by August 12, 2013 to Michele A. Phinney, Director Office of Regulation and Policy Coordination, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. To read the proposed regulations, call 410-767-6499, email dhmh.regs@maryland.gov, email Latoya Thomas at thomas@americantelemed.org, or call 202-223-3333.