CHEER Act

Bill: 108-s-2526
Sponsor: Sen. Bond, Christopher S. [R-MO]
Introduced: 2004-06-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Authorization
Child health
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Families
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Government Operations and Politics
Graduate education
Higher education
Hospitals
Law
Medical education
Medical residents

Summary:
action_date: 2004-06-16
text: 
Children's Hospitals Educational Equity and Research Act of 2004 or CHEER Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for costs associated with operating approved graduate medical resident training programs.

action_date: 2004-11-16
text: 
Children's Hospitals Educational Equity and Research Act or the CHEER Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs.
 
Excludes reductions for unused resident positions when calculating the number of full-time residents in a children's hospital's approved training program for purposes of reimbursing direct expenses.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) adjust the proportion of such a hospital's costs attributable to wages for differences in hospital wage levels by geographic area; and (2) consider the ratio of residents in such a hospital's approved training program to beds (but excluding beds or bassinets assigned to healthy new born infants) when determining the amount of payments to such a hospital for indirect expenses associated with the treatment of more severely ill patients and for the additional costs associated with teaching residents in such programs.
 
Authorizes appropriations through FY 2010 for direct and indirect expenses associated with operating such programs.
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) perinatal hospitals play an important role in providing quality care and ensuring the best possible outcomes for thousands of seriously ill newborns each year; and (2) medical training programs at perinatal hospitals give providers essential training in treating healthy mothers and babies as well as patients in neonatal intensive care units.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-12-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-11-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2004-11-16
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2004-11-16
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2004-11-16
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S11385-11386; text as passed Senate: CR S11385-11386; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S11385)
action_date: 2004-11-16
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S11385-11386; text as passed Senate: CR S11385-11386; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S11385)
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 774.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Gregg with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 108-388.
action_date: 2004-10-07
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Gregg with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 108-388.
action_date: 2004-09-22
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2004-06-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2004-06-16
text: Introduced in Senate