HEARTS and Rural Relief Act

Bill: 116-hr-3429
Sponsor: Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
Introduced: 2019-06-24 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cancer
Congressional oversight
Disability and paralysis
Disability assistance
Genetics
Government information and archives
Government trust funds
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Medicare
Military personnel and dependents
Rural conditions and development
Veterans' medical care

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: 

HEARTS and Rural Relief Act

 
This bill makes a series of changes relating to Medicare coverage and requirements, particularly with respect to military retirees. Specifically, the bill (1) exempts certain military retirees who are under 65 years of age, and who no longer receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, from the requirement to enroll in Medicare medical services in order to be eligible for TRICARE; (2) increases funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund; and (3) temporarily provides for Medicare coverage of certain prostate cancer DNA Specimen Provenance Assay tests.
 
The bill also makes other changes to Medicare payment systems for certain items and services. Among other things, the bill (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to specify the criteria used to exclude certain procedures from the list of covered surgical procedures that may be performed in an ambulatory surgical center under Medicare, and (2) extends the instruction from the CMS for contractors not to enforce the requirements for direct physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2021.

action_date: 2020-12-07
text: 

HEARTS and Rural Relief Act

 
This bill makes a series of changes relating to Medicare coverage and requirements, particularly with respect to military retirees. Specifically, the bill (1) exempts certain military retirees who are under 65 years of age, and who no longer receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, from the requirement to enroll in Medicare medical services in order to be eligible for TRICARE; (2) increases funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund; and (3) temporarily provides for Medicare coverage of certain prostate cancer DNA Specimen Provenance Assay tests.
 
The bill also makes other changes to Medicare payment systems for certain items and services. Among other things, the bill (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to specify the criteria used to exclude certain procedures from the list of covered surgical procedures that may be performed in an ambulatory surgical center under Medicare, and (2) extends the instruction from the CMS for contractors not to enforce the requirements for direct physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2021.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-12-07
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 116-620, Part I.
action_date: 2020-12-07
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 116-620, Part I.
action_date: 2019-06-26
text: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2019-06-26
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2019-06-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2019-06-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Armed Services, 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: 2019-06-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Armed Services, 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: 2019-06-24
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Armed Services, 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: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-06-24
text: Introduced in House