OVERNIGHT HEALTH: MedPAC set to vote on SGR proposal

By Sam Baker and Julian Pecquet - 10/05/11 07:09 PM ET

Congress’s Medicare advisory commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on a controversial proposal for overhauling the way Medicare pays doctors.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is slated to vote on a 10-year alternative to the “sustainable growth rate” formula. The proposed SGR replacement, though, is very similar to the current SGR. It includes annual cuts to all medical specialties for several years, followed by a freeze in payments — all to offset the cost of scrapping the SGR.

Specialty groups are strongly opposed to the proposal, and the American Hospital Association weighed in against it on Wednesday. Read the Healthwatch post on AHA’s opposition.

The agenda for the MedPAC meeting is here.

Separately, the Florida Medical Association wrote to Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson urging them to support efforts to repeal the SGR.

CLASS report: Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee are keeping up the pressure over HHS’s plans for the controversial CLASS program. The department has gotten an actuarial analysis of the long-term-care insurance program, which it said it planned to release in mid-October. But Energy and Commerce GOP leaders said “government bureaucracies” often miss their self-imposed deadlines. So they requested a copy of the study by noon Thursday.

Healthwatch's Sam Baker has more.

Price controls: Seventy-eight House Democrats have signed on to a letter urging the deficit-cutting supercommittee to allow Medicare to negotiate prices for prescription drugs. Healthwatch's Julian Pecquet has more.

Food ads: Anti-obesity advocates are putting pressure on federal officials to follow through with tough voluntary guidelines for food marketing to children.

Seven advocacy groups, including the American Heart Association, are sponsoring an ad in Capitol Hill publications Thursday urging the Obama administration to "stand by kids and release strong marketing guidelines." And the Prevention Institute is holding a tele-briefing with reporters Thursday to draw attention to the issue. Read the Healthwatch post.

Thursday's agenda

America's Health Insurance Plans launch a two-day "State Issues Conference." Read the agenda here.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Col.) and the National Venture Capital Association's Medical Innovation Coalition will discuss the findings and implications of a new study that analyzed the impact of FDA regulatory obstacles and other factors on venture capital investment in biopharma and medical device start-up companies.

The House Oversight subcommittee on Health Care, District of Columbia, Census and the National Archives will hold a hearing titled, “Obamacare’s Employer Penalty and Its Impact on Temporary Workers.” The panel will hear testimony from witnesses including Ed Lenz of the American Staffing Association, John Uprichard, president of Find Great People Intl., and Tav Gauss of The Action Group - Human Resources Solution. The hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. in 2154 Rayburn.

State by state

California bans BPA in baby bottles and toddlers' drinking cups.

Missouri is owed more for Medicare underpayments than any other state.

Even Colorado, a leader in fitness, is getting fatter.

Bill tracker

The House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted along party lines legislation from Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) prohibiting a U.S. contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (H.R. 2059).

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has reintroduced his legislation that would ensure that the wellness benefit from off-site fitness facilities is not taxed as additional income for employees (S. 1644).

Fraud fight

A lawyer and a former Chicago hospital owner were arrested on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly thwarting efforts by the government and a bank creditor to collect $188 million in civil judgments involving fraud that resulted in the collapse of the Edgewater Hospital and Medical Center.

A former Michigan medical director was convicted of 25 counts of Medicaid Fraud and one count of racketeering for her role in perpetrating a $3.3 million Medicaid fraud.

A Connecticut man will serve two years in prison for reselling Oxycodone prescribed to him and charging Medicaid.

Reading list
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that Republicans want to roll back women's healthcare by 50 years.

Home healthcare providers in Louisiana are appealing state audits they say targeted them unfairly.

State officials in Florida defended their Medicaid program in court against charges that children can't get the services they need.

What you might have missed on Healthwatch

Worker-safety hearing sparks debate over House HHS spending bill

Democrat Tomblin wins West Virginia governor's race despite healthcare reform attacks

Sen. Sanders says raising Medicare age "ain't gonna happen."

Comments / complaints / suggestions?

Please let us know:

Julian Pecquet: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8527

Sam Baker: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8351