Patient Safety Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4374
Sponsor: Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22]
Introduced: 2004-05-17 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Accreditation (Medical care)
Ambulatory care
Case mix (Medical care)
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Clinics
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer complaints
Consumer education
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
Drug utilization
Electronic government information
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Hospital care
Hospital personnel
Hours of labor
Housing and Community Development
Internet
Kidney diseases
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Medicaid
Medical records
Medical statistics
Medicare
Mortality
Nurses
Occupational health and safety
Paramedical personnel
Psychiatric hospitals
Quality of care
Rural health
Social Welfare
Surgery
Ulcers
Urology
Web sites
Whistle blowing

Summary:
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: 
Patient Safety Act of 2004 - Requires any provider under the Medicare program (title XVIII of the Social Security Act ), as a condition of continued participation in such program, to make publicly available information regarding nurse staffing and patient outcomes as specified by the Secretary. 
 
Requires the public availability of data regarding complaints filed with the State agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or an accrediting agency, compliance with the standards of which have been deemed to demonstrate Medicare participation compliance, and data regarding investigations and findings as a result of those complaints and the findings of scheduled inspection visits.
 
Requires the Secretary to provide for the auditing of such information for accuracy as a part of the process of determining whether a provider is eligible for continued participation in the Medicare program. 
 
Amends SSA title XVIII and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for public disclosure of accurate data on nursing facility staffing. 
 
Creates a staffing quality measure for consumers to compare nursing facilities. 
 
Prohibits adverse employment actions by Medicare providers against their employees for notifying the provider, or any Federal or State agency or accreditation agency, of conditions which are dangerous or potentially dangerous to patients.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-05-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-05-17
text: Introduced in House