ABCs for Children's Health Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-1563
Sponsor: Sen. DeWine, Mike [R-OH]
Introduced: 2005-07-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Ambulatory care
Case management
Child health
Chronically ill
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Economics and Public Finance
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Families
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Health information systems
Health surveys
Hospital care
Hospitals
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Medicaid
Medical research
Medical screening
Medical statistics
Performance measurement
Poor children
Prescription pricing
Preventive medicine
Quality of care
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Welfare waivers

Summary:
action_date: 2005-07-29
text: 
Advancing Better Coverage and Care for Children's Health Act of 2005 - or the ABCs for Children's Health Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for the phased-in application of an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for children whose eligibility is optional under Medicaid.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to pay to each state with an approved plan 90% of the sums expended during a quarter attributable to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of enrollment systems (including &quot;express lane enrollment) determined likely to provide more efficient and effective administration of the plan's enrollment and retention of eligible children.
 
Prohibits the Secretary from imposing or approving an elimination or modification of the amount, duration, or scope of certain services relating to early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services, or specified requirements for arranging for corrective treatment.
 
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to enter into agreements with the National Quality Forum to facilitate the development of consensus-based pediatric quality and performance measures. Directs the Secretary to award grants to eligible entities for development and evaluation of such measures.
 
Requires the Secretary to establish demonstration projects in each of three specified categories to advance quality and performance in the delivery of medical assistance to children under Medicaid. Makes appropriations for such projects
 
Directs the Secretary to implement a four-year program to develop, implement, and evaluate a pay-for-performance program for eligible children's hospitals providing critical access to children eligible for Medicaid. Makes apppropriations for such four year program.
 
Amends the Public Health Services Act to include children's hospitals as covered entities which manufacturers of covered drugs, under an agreement with the Secretary, charge no more than the average manufacturer drug price.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9478-9480)
action_date: 2005-07-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9477-9478)
action_date: 2005-07-29
text: Introduced in Senate