Health Plan & Provider Report Index Summary

LABOR DEPARTMENT (DOL)

– Employee Benefits Sec. Admin.

See EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (EBSA)

LEGISLATION, FEDERAL

– Ed. Note: This heading covers bills with assigned numbers only. For information on measures not yet assigned numbers, see specific subject headings.
– House

– – HR 1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, information technology provisions would cut health spending, CBO letter, 92; Energy and Commerce Comm. approves economic stimulus bill provisions providing Medicaid boost and COBRA subsidies, 93; House passes, 118; COBRA provisions differ from Senate version, 120; employers preparing for anticipated COBRA subsidies, 149; advocates and insurers disagree on privacy protections, CRS reports, 152; health provisions of S 1 compared, CRS reports, 153; Chamber of Commerce criticizes provision allowing state attorney general HIPAA suits, 155; final bill includes Medicaid, COBRA, and comparative effectiveness provisions, 174; medical records privacy and security rules tightened, 175; new federal advisory boards replace nonprofit as information technology standards developer, 176; electronic medical records strict data breach provisions hailed and criticized by various stakeholders, 205; OMB issues agency guidance on government spending disclosures, 213; rapid action expected on temporary COBRA relief, 214; policy implications of incorporated information technology act described, BNA Analysis, 228; correction, 286
– – HR 2, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, House-passed bill moves to Senate floor, 63; full Senate approves without narrowing scope, 121
– – HR 193, AmeriCare Health Care Act, Stark (D-Cal) introduces bill to provide affordable coverage for children, 34
– – HR 194, MediKids Health Insurance Act, bill introduced to provide coverage options for children, 34
– – HR 598, American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act, Ways and Means panel approves economic stimulus bill including information technology funding and COBRA assistance, 91
– – HR 850, Small Business CHOICE Act, bill with refundable tax credits introduced to encourage development of health care cooperatives, 154
– – HR 995, Mammogram and MRI Availability Act, requires insurance plans coverage for screening women over 40 and MRIs for high risk women, 1182
– – HR 1253, Health Insurance Restrictions and Limitations Clarification Act, panel approves bill requiring insurers to disclose limits on high-risk recreational activities, 283; House passes, 405
– – HR 1322, Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act, bill to prohibit employers from canceling coverage criticized, 433
– – HR 1558, Pre-existing Condition Patient Protection Act, bill introduced to end insurance exclusions, 339
– – HR 1691, Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, prohibits insurers restriction on hospital stay benefits for mastectomy and lymph node dissection patients, 1182
– – HR 1740, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act, creates public health campaign aimed at young women, increases provider awareness, and provides support services, 1182
– – HR 1897, Healthy Workforce Act, Harkin (D-Iowa) introduces bill to give employers tax credits for wellness programs, 409
– – HR 2279, Eliminating Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Act, establishes quality measures with focus on improving outcomes for underserved women, 1182
– – HR 2427, Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act, bill proposed to create health insurance policy labeling system to increase transparency, 586
– – HR 2517, Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, OPM director supports expansion to federal retirees, 822
– – HR 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, $239 billion deficit projected, CBO analysis, 851; Ways and Means Comm. passes, 854; Educ. and Labor Comm. passes with employer mandates and public plan option, 856; Energy and Commerce Comm. approves, 913; Medicare benefits would not be reduced, Obama says at town hall meeting, 969; premium subsidy eligibility formulas outlined, CRS reports, 972; spending and Part D premiums would be reduced, CBO letter, 1025; coverage provisions, CRS report details, 1055; spending and Part D premiums would be reduced, Republican response to CBO letter, 1056; disparities in Medicare provider reimbursement, deal near on policy to address, 1122; Energy and Commerce Comm. approves supplementary package of amendments, 1122; “play-or-pay” mandates impact on small businesses, CRS report, 1179; private insurance market changes, CRS report, 1181; costs of coverage provisions could meet $900B goal, Democratic aide says, 2008; young adults up to 27 years old coverage under parent's policy, provision added, 2010; public plan option adds muscle to bill, Pelosi (D-Cal) says in anticipation of conference with Senate, 2010
– – HR 3596, Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act, partial repeal of health and medical malpractice insurers exemption, 1094

– Senate

– – SConRes 13, FY2010 budget resolution, House and Senate pass with instructions, 523; House Ways and Means Comm. complies with reconciliation instructions, Republican members object, 2009
– – S 1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, panel approves economic stimulus bill provisions for information technology and Medicaid funding boost, 118; Senate Finance Comm. approves, 119; COBRA provisions differ from House version, 120; employers preparing for anticipated COBRA subsidies, 149; health provisions of HR 1 compared, CRS reports, 153; matching funds boost detailed, GAO report, 155
– – S 623, Pre-existing Condition Patient Protection Act, bill introduced to end insurance exclusions, 339
– – S 702, Long-Term Care Affordability and Security Act, bill introduced giving tax breaks for insurance purchases, 373
– – S 979, Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), bill proposed offering tax incentives to states to make health insurance affordable, 563
– – S 1050, Informed Consumer Choices in Health Care Act, bill proposed to create health insurance policy labeling system to increase transparency, 586
– – S 1102, Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, OPM director supports expansion to federal retirees, 822
– – S 1177, Long-Term Care Insurance Act, bill introduced creating standardized definitions and model marketing disclosures, 673
– – S 1681, Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act, partial repeal of health and medical malpractice insurers exemption, 1094; Judiciary Comm. hearing, 2014
– – S 1776, Medicare Physician Fairness Act, replaces current payment system with system in which payments would be permanently frozen, 2007
– – S 1796, America's Healthy Future Act, merger of Finance Comm. and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Comm. health care reform bills begins as BCBSA continues opposition, 2007; Am. Benefits Council lists priorities for reform in letter, 2015; medical malpractice reforms would save federal government $41B over 10 years, CBO says, 2016; summary of pertinent provisions, Special Report, 2031

LICENSES AND LICENSING

– Cal. medical discount health plans

– – Cease and desist orders, state issues to 2 companies, 1069
– – Regulators to license, 713

– Physician reimbursement, suit dismissed where capitation agreement between unlicensed firm and HMO was illegal and unenforceable (Cal. Ct. App.), 104

LIMITED SERVICE CLINICS (LSCs)

– Emergency departments, some relief but regulatory challenges problematic, 227
– Services expand as state regulatory efforts wane, Special Report, 468

LOBBYING

– Health insurance reform, insurance companies expenditures to defeat, AFL-CIO seeks state investigations, 1133
– Medicare Advantage companies and Part D sponsors, prohibition on federal funds use to influence enrollees re health care reform legislation, CMS memoranda, 2011

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

See STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

LONG-TERM CARE

– Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program with automatic compound inflation option, Senate hearing told enrollees face premium rate increases, 2017
– Insurance tax benefit

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 702

– Model disclosures

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 1177

– TennCare, waiver allowing integration approved, 929
– Tex. Medicaid, UnitedHealth Group's Evercare contract terminated, 349

LOUISIANA

– Cardiologist, multiple-count fraud conviction for improper billing of private insurers and federal programs (W.D. La.), 71
– Conversion of BCBS from nonprofit status, plan may be entitled to partial tax refund (M.D. La.), 862
– Electronic health records implementation, new loan program law, 868
– Full and fair review, BCBS did not afford where new grounds were raised for denying benefits for bypass patient (5th Cir.), 379
– Omega Hosp., trial over BCBS of Mich. reimbursement proceeds (E.D. La.), 376

LOW-INCOME PERSONS

– Dental services access for children under Medicaid managed care needs to improve, GAO report, 1183
– Discounts, N.Y. drug card program, 387
– Or. provider tax to fund health coverage expansion, no consensus for hospitals and governor, 193; legislative panels approve bills, 681
– Part D

– – Formula change and Part D premiums increase announced, 970
– – Health reform would help most, briefing, 615

– Wash., premiums up for state-subsidized health plan due to budget constraints, 719

LSCs

See LIMITED SERVICE CLINICS (LSCs)