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37% For, 63% Against
172 votes cast
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H.R. 3162, The Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007
- This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
Version saved on August 1, 2007, 18:21:52, by webmaster:
H.R. 3162 would amend titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the children's health insurance program, to improve beneficiary protections under the Medicare, Medicaid, and the CHIP program.
Detailed Summary
Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise requirements for: (1) SCHIP allotments; (2) enrollment and retention of eligible children; (3) child-centered coverage; (4) optional coverage of older children, legal immigrants, and certain pregnant women; (5) program access (including creation of a Children's Access, Payment, and Equality Commission); and (6) quality and program integrity.
Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) with respect to: (1) specified benefits; (2) financial assistance for low-income beneficiaries; (3) prescription drugs, formularies, and compendia; and (3) measures, including demonstration projects, for reducing health disparities.
Revises requirements for: (1) physicians' service payments; and (2) Medicare Advantage (MA), including payments, beneficiary protections, quality measures, and extension of certain authorities.
Renames the Medicare Advantage program the Medicare Part C program.
Revises provisions relating to Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance), including inpatient hospital payment updates and long-term care hospitals.
Revises specified payment and coverage requirements relating to Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) and extends certain Medicare rural access protections.
Revises requirements for the end stage renal disease (ESRD) program, including kidney disease patient education services.
Prescribes hospital requirements to limit one of the exceptions to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals.
Revises certain requirements relating to both Medicare parts A and B, particularly concerning home health services.
Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) with respect to certain coverages, including family planning services, and payments.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration project for employer buy-in under which up to 10 States may provide, under their SCHIP plans, for child health assistance in relation to family coverage for children who would be targeted low-income children but for coverage as beneficiaries under a group health plan as the children of participants by virtue of a qualifying employer's contribution.
Provides funding for diabetes grants.
Revises certain requirements with respect to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC).
Directs the Secretary to establish within the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research and a Coordinating Council for Health Services Research.
Establishes in the Treasury the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the rate of excise taxes on tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes.
Exempts from the excise tax on fuels certain liquid fuels used in connection with emergency medical services transportation.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 8/1/2007: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 110-284, Part I.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
Lawrence Exe
July 29, 2007, 6:07pm (report abuse)This bill will place an enormous and unfair Federal Tax cap on cigars. This would cripple small tobacco retailers. Slap this tax on fast food purchases and kill two birds with one stone. Getting revenue from a fast food tax for this bill would relate it to the biggest factor in childrens health today. This might also cause lower intake of fast foods by children in the US. Think about it- fast food has a greater impact on childrens health than me sitting on my front porch smoking a cigar. It doesnt take a genius to see that taxing the fast food would be a more stable and greater source of income for the bill.
Ken from so. Cal.
July 30, 2007, 11:08am (report abuse)I agree that this bill would be totally unfair and VERY detrimental to the tobacco industry as a whole, not only to the independent shop owners, but the ripple effect down the road, I.E. the countries of Nicaragua, Equador, the Dominican Republic etc. who's economy is already a mess, but would suffer greatly at the loss of this income. This is not even addressing what the black market would do. As Lawerence said tax fast food and disposible diapers that are filling our land fills and maybe the population growth would slow down.
Heather
July 31, 2007, 4:45pm (report abuse)ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COULD BE COVERED. DOES IT MATTER IF WE ARE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY ANYMORE? IS THERE NO BODY IN CONGRESS THAT WILL ENSURE THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO THOSE WHO ILLEGALLY ENTER THIS COUNTRY?
Jennifer
July 31, 2007, 5:12pm (report abuse)It states legal immigrants, but either way, immigrant children are in American schools and we need for them to be healthy, if for no other reason than that resident children stay healthy. Please keep in mind that this will correct some aggregious problems with Medicare Part D. I work with this stuff and there is nothing worse than seeing someone who has been lied to by the insurance company and stuck in a plan that will not cover their life sustaining medications without recourse! We need for Part D to protect Americans, not big Pharma and Humana!
G. Allen
August 6, 2007, 8:53am (report abuse)Sec. 609 removes payment for oxygen services for seniors after only 13 months to pay for illegal immigrants to get health care? Seniors who are prescribed oxygen only get worse and need more in home service as time goes on, eliminating payment is going to put "our greatest generation" at further risk. Do they care?
MaplePoint Pete
August 15, 2007, 9:13am (report abuse)Great Bill!!
*Eliminates subsidy for Medicare Advantage - less corporate welfare
*Eliminates scheduled cut in physician pay - who's going to take care of granny if the cut wasn't removed?
*Preferentially allows promary care physicians' pay to increase - again, who's going to take care of granny if her primary care physician drops out of Medicare?
Rebecca Salko
August 21, 2007, 10:05am (report abuse)I work in the quality dept of a rural hospital and see an ever increasing amount of physician care that is not based on best practices or even evidence based reasearch. I thing the physicians should have to show quality care to get their 'cut' as MP Pete put it. Granny doesn't want to be taken care of by a physician based on the amount of money they will receive from Medicare but by the quality of care they demonstrate.
M. Menzies
August 22, 2007, 10:24am (report abuse)This bill increases taxes by 23% to 2300% on legal tobacco products, that have nothing to do with chidren's health - INSANITY! Also, it extends the cut-off for benefits to those under 21 years of age, as states see fit. INSANITY, I thought this was for children!!? Also, it allows coverage for "legal residents" (read: non-citizens who fall into whatever gevernment-contrived category makes them legal) and their children. All this with no incentives to reduce the trend of dependency on the "nanny" state. On the contrary, it does the opposite. AND, as an added government bend-over, I get to help pay for this, to the tune of $1134/yr, as well as pay for my own coverage!! Meanwhile, the government remains firmly in the pocket of big pharma, and the medical and insurance industries. When will the feds over give us a break on this? Never - the government is in the business of TAKING, not giving.
Colleen
August 23, 2007, 7:53am (report abuse)Please remember when immigrants have no health care coverage, they do not receive health care. Do you remember the guy with the multi-drug resistant TB flying around and endangering everyone around him? Do you want immigrants with untreated TB near you? Do you want migrant workers with hepatitis picking your food? In being compassionate, we are also protecting ourselves. Stop being so short-sighted.
Bruce
August 23, 2007, 1:37pm (report abuse)Takes money away from elderly care and redistributes it to care of children. With our population growing older every day, that might not be the way to go.
Also, reduces the ability of JCOAHO and AAAHC to do medicare inspections. Puts the state inspectors back in charge. So instead of one agency's rules, you have to deal with two. Job security for the State inspectors, More work for the hospitals.
Pattie Stroud
October 1, 2007, 1:10pm (report abuse)I have a son with renal kidney failure who served in Vietnam and has no income. He must have in-home dialysis every 4 hours. He i a legal citizen. I feel that only legal citizens should have government aide, and speak our language. Please don't let my son die from lack of help.
Bob
October 6, 2007, 12:12am (report abuse)Whats the difference between this boll and the one that just got Vetoed?
Is it just an attempt to make it get passed again? or an attempt to give the media and to try and give President Bush a bad headline.
Either way I hope it dont pass..