Legislative Activity
House Chairmen Schedule Organizational Meetings
On Tuesday, January 13, several House committees with jurisdiction over health care matters begin their organizational process. Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has scheduled a meeting of the House Committee on Ways and Means to consider the committee’s rules and oversight plan. Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) has scheduled a similar meeting for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to address the following items: adoption of committee rules; appointment of subcommittee chairmen, vice chairmen, and ranking members; appointment of members to subcommittees; adoption of the resolution on subcommittee jurisdiction; and adoption of the committee’s oversight plan. Lastly, a business meeting has also been called by Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
MedPAC Meeting
On Thursday, January 15, and Friday, January 16, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) will hold a meeting to discuss Medicare policy issues and questions, as well as develop recommendations for Congress. The agenda includes the following topics:
- Per beneficiary payment for primary care;
- Post-acute care: Trends in Medicare’s payments across sectors and ways to rationalize payments;
- Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Ambulatory surgical centers, dialysis facilities, hospice, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals;
- The relative cost of Medicare Advantage, Accountable Care Organizations, and fee-for-service Medicare;
- Status report on Part D;
- Hospital short stay policy issues; and
- Next steps in measuring quality of care in Medicare.
