GreisGuide to LTACHs » senate

GreisGuide to LTACHs Newsletter (November/December 2009)

Jason Greis — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:11:16 +0000

This issue of the GreisGuide to LTACHs Newsletter contains articles and information on: Read More...

Health Care Update: Senate Continues Debating Amendments

Jason Greis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:04:03 +0000

The Senate, continues to work on the health care bill, voting on several amendments this past week. Thursday, the Senate voted 61 to 39 on an amendment from Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to that would eliminate co-payments for mammograms and other preventive services for women, requiring instead that insurers provide full coverage. This amendment was largely a reaction to recent recommendations from a federal advisory panel that said routine mammograms should begin at age 50, rather than 40. Read More...

Health Care Update: Senate Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act Diminishes Regulatory Relief for LTACHs

Jason Greis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:22:39 +0000

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unveiled the long-awaited Senate health care bill, titled the “Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act,” yesterday evening. In a news conference held to announce the bill, Sen. Reid said that the bill embodied the Precquisident’s health care goals, calling it a “tremendous step forward.” The bill would cost $848 billion and would reduce budget deficits by $130 billion over ten years, according to the recently released Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score. Read More...

House SCHIP Bill Contains Ban on Physician Ownership and Investment in Hospitals (including LTACHs)

Jason Greis — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:08:01 +0000

On January 14, 2009 the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”). The House version of the SCHIP bill (HR 2) includes a provision contained in Section 623 proposed by House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Fortney Pete Stark that would prevent construction of new physician-owned hospitals and restrict the expansion of current physician-owned hospitals by amending certain provisions of the Federal physician self-referral law (commonly known as the “Stark Act”). Congressman Stark has said that the provision banning future physician ownership in hospitals would prevent the “unethical kickbacks that physicians receive from ownership in hospitals, most of which are of questionable safety and quality.” This legislation, if passed, would significantly impact current physician ownership and investment interests in LTACHs (e.g., investment by physician joint venture partners) and specialty hospitals and would altogether ban future physician investment and ownership in LTACHs and specialty hospitals. Read More...