jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-05-15 00:00:00

Protect Patient Access and Promote Hospital Efficiency Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives who order inpatient hospital services to certify their medical necessity for payment under the Medicare program.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2014-06-24 00:00:00

Doctors Helping Heroes Act of 2014 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to make permanent the J-1 visa waiver program (Conrad state 30/medical services in underserved areas).

Excludes from numerical immigration limitations alien physicians who have completed national interest waiver requirements by working in a health care shortage area (including alien physicians who completed such service before enactment of this Act and any of their spouses or children).

Sets forth specified employment protections and contract requirements for alien physicians working in underserved areas.

Increases the number of alien physicians that a state may be allocated from 30 to 35 per fiscal year in specified circumstances. Provides for additional increases or decreases based upon demand.

Provides up to three visa waivers per fiscal year per state for physicians in academic medical centers.

Permits dual intent for an alien coming to the United States to receive graduate medical education or training, or to take examinations required for graduate medical education or training.

Exempts from specified entry limitations H-1B nonimmigrant aliens seeking to enter the United States to pursue graduate medical education or training.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize waiver of the two-year foreign residency requirement for an alien who has received graduate medical eduction or training in the United States and seeks to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent resident status if:

 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines that VA facilities are not capable of furnishing covered health services to eligible veterans because they lack the required personnel or cannot provide timely and reasonable access; and the head of the appropriate state agency determines that the alien will practice medicine in a Veterans Health Administration facility, the alien physician's work is in the public interest, and such waiver would not cause the number of waivers allotted for that state for that fiscal year to exceed five.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-07-17 00:00:00

Access to Care and Treatment Now for Veterans Act or the ACT Now for Veterans Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reimburse any non-VA medical provider, including such a provider who has not been pre-approved by the Secretary, who furnishes covered hospital care or medical services to an eligible veteran.

Defines "covered hospital care or medical services" as hospital care or medical services for which the veteran is eligible under the VA health care program. Defines an "eligible veteran" as a veteran who: (1) is enrolled in the VA patient enrollment system and provides a VA identification card or proof of such enrollment, (2) is eligible to receive hospital care or medical services furnished by the Secretary, and (3) has been unable to schedule an appointment at a VA facility to receive such care or services within 30 days of the date preferred by the veteran.

Terminates the authority under this Act: (1) one year after this Act's enactment if the Secretary certifies that the Veterans Health Administration is meeting wait-time goals, or (2) two years after this Act's enactment if the Secretary has not submitted such certification.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-07-24 00:00:00

Veterans' Credit Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) conduct outreach to inform veterans of how to resolve credit issues caused by a delayed payment (i.e., a proper invoice that is not paid by the Secretary until after the required payment date); and (2) establish a toll-free telephone number for veterans to report such issues to the Veterans Integrated Service Networks.

Requires the Secretary to report annually on the effectiveness of each Network in providing timely payment of proper invoices during both the preceding five-year period and the preceding one-year period. Requires such report to include:

 the number of veterans who contacted the Secretary regarding delayed payments that could negatively affect their credit; the total amount of interest penalties paid by the Secretary by reason of delayed payments; the number of proper invoices submitted, the amount owed for and the payment status of such invoices, and the periods that elapsed before such invoices were paid; any comments regarding delayed payments made by medical providers; identification of the Networks with the least and most delayed payments; and a description of the best practices to provide timely payment of a proper invoice, including a plan for under-performing Networks to improve. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study that compares the effectiveness of Networks in providing timely payment of proper invoices.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-07-31 00:00:00

Audiology Patient Choice Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the coverage of audiology services to treat as physicians qualified audiologists authorized by the state and acting within the scope of their license to furnish such services.

Enables Medicare beneficiaries to choose a qualified audiologist without regard to any requirement to be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or that services be provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care practitioner.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-07-31 00:00:00

Medicaid Parity Act of 2014 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend through 2019: (1) Medicaid payment parity with Medicare for primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program, and (2) the increased (to 100%) federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP, or federal matching rate) for additional payments for primary care services.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-09-16 00:00:00

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in specifying the electronic health record (EHR) reporting period under EHR electronic health record technology incentive payment programs under titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, to continue through 2015 (in the case of eligible professionals) and FY2015 (in the case of eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals) to permit the use of a three-month quarter EHR reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use without regard to the payment year or the stage of meaningful use criteria involved.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-11-12 00:00:00

Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's authority to employ certain personnel without regard to civil service or classification laws, rules, or regulations to employ physicians on a without compensation basis in any practice area or specialty for which: (1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an appointment with a physician exceeds the VA's waiting time goals, or (2) the VA facility where the physician will be employed has demonstrated staffing shortages.

Requires each VA medical facility to have a volunteer coordinator who: (1) seeks to establish relationships with medical associations serving the area, (2) recruits physicians for uncompensated employment at the facility, and (3) serves as the initial point of contact for physicians seeking uncompensated employment at the facility.

Conditions an uncompensated physician's receipt of a credential or privilege to practice medicine in a VA facility on the physician's commitment to serve at least 40 hours in the facility during the ensuing 12-month period.

Requires the Secretary to decide whether to grant an uncompensated physician's request for a credential or privilege to practice medicine in the VA facility within 60 days.

Requires the director of a VA medical facility to approve, and accept the uncompensated services of, any physician who has made the requisite service commitment and receives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in such facility.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-11-17 00:00:00

Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women and Children Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require that the primary care services furnished in 2015 and 2016 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine be paid at a rate that is not less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to such services and physician under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).

Extends this 100% of Medicare payment floor under certain conditions to the following providers, who are self-attested as Board-certified and at least 60% of whose services billed for under Medicaid must be for primary care services: (1) physicians with a primary specialty designation of obstetrics and gynecology; (2) advanced practice clinicians; (3) rural health clinics, federally-qualified health centers, or other specified health clinics; and (4) nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or certified nurse-midwives.

Excludes from coverage of primary care services any such services provided in an emergency department of a hospital.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-02-26 00:00:00

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-04-17 00:00:00

Enhanced Access to Medicaid Services Act of 2013 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to apply the Medicaid primary care payment rate in 2013 and 2014 to additional physicians with a primary specialty designation of neurology, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-07-31 00:00:00

Medicare Ambulance Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through December 31, 2018, certain temporary increases in rates (add-on payments) for ground and super rural ambulance services.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-08-01 00:00:00

Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide payment under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by a physician who is an anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals in the same manner as payment is made for anesthesia services furnished by a certified registered nurse anesthetist in such hospitals.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2013-11-20 00:00:00

Amends the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 to extend until December 31, 2016, the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide for persons other than VA employees (i.e., contract physicians) to conduct medical disability examinations of applicants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Permits licensed, VA-contracted physicians to conduct such examinations at any location in any state, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, so long as the examination is authorized under the contract.

Amends the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 1996 to provide similar authorities with respect to permissible examination locations to licensed physicians under the pilot program authorizing the VA to use contract physicians to perform medical disability examinations of applicants for benefits under laws carried out through the Under Secretary for Benefits. Expands from 10 to 15 the maximum number of VA regional offices through which the Secretary is authorized to carry out such pilot program. Sets forth criteria for the selection of such regional offices.

Directs the Secretary to conduct an annual data analysis (including an analysis of backlogged claims, pending workloads, and the timeliness of completed cases) to determine the regional offices requiring support.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-03-31 00:00:00

Medicare Access Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a minimum payment rate for primary care services furnished in 2015 and 2016 by a primary care physician (in family medicine, general internal medicine, or geriatric medicine).
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-05-01 00:00:00

Safeguarding Care Of Patients Everywhere Act or SCOPE Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to repeal the requirement that qualified health plans contract only with health care providers, including hospitals with more than 50 beds, that implement a specified patient safety evaluation system and health care quality mechanisms required by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-05-08 00:00:00

Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to appoint licensed hearing aid specialists in the Veterans Health Administration.

Requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on: (1) timely access of veterans to hearing health services through the VA, and (2) contracting policies of the VA with respect to providing hearing health services to veterans in non-VA facilities.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-06-12 00:00:00

Veterans Emergency Health Care Safety Net Expansion Act of 2014 - Eliminates the requirement limiting reimbursement for emergency treatment in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility to veterans who are active participants in the VA's health care system. Requires the veteran to be an enrollee in the VA's patient enrollment system.

Treats the VA as a participating provider for purposes of allowing the VA to recover the costs it incurs in providing care to a veteran for a non-service connected disability that is covered under the veteran's health plan contract.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-07-30 00:00:00

Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women and Children Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require that the primary care services furnished in 2015 and 2016 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine be paid at a rate that is not less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to such services and physician under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).

Extends this 100% of Medicare payment floor under certain conditions to the following providers, who are self-attested as Board-certified and at least 60% of whose services billed for under Medicaid must be for primary care services: (1) physicians with a primary specialty designation of obstetrics and gynecology; (2) advanced practice clinicians; (3) rural health clinics, federally-qualified health centers, or other specified health clinics; and (4) nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or certified nurse-midwives.

Excludes from coverage of primary care services any such services provided in an emergency department of a hospital.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-09-16 00:00:00

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2014 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require physical therapists furnishing outpatient physical therapy services to use specified locum tenens arrangements for payment purposes in the same manner as such arrangements are used to apply to physicians furnishing substitute physicians services for other physicians.

(Locum tenens [place holder], or substitute, physicians usually assume professional practices in the absence of a regular physician for reasons such as illness, pregnancy, vacation, or continuing medical education.)
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-12-04 00:00:00

Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the Medicare durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) competitive acquisition program.

Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from accepting a bid from an entity for an area unless it: (1) meets state licensure requirements for the area for all items in the submitted bid for a product category, and (2) has obtained a bid surety bond of between $50,000 and $100,000 for each such area.

Prescribes requirements for the treatment of losing bidders and successful bidders that do not accept a contract.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-12-11 00:00:00

Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act - Extends through calendar 2016 the requirement that state plans under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act provide for payment of 100% of the payment rate for primary care services.

Adds physicians with primary specialties in neurology, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology to the types of those eligible for reimbursement for providing such services.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-01-12 00:00:00

Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2015

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in specifying the electronic health record (EHR) reporting period under EHR electronic health record technology incentive payment programs under titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, to continue through 2015 (in the case of eligible professionals) and FY2015 (in the case of eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals) to permit the use of a three-month quarter EHR reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use without regard to the payment year or the stage of meaningful use criteria involved.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-01-27 00:00:00

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2015

 Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require physical therapists furnishing outpatient physical therapy services to use specified locum tenens arrangements for payment purposes in the same manner as such arrangements are used to apply to physicians furnishing substitute physicians services for other physicians.

(Locum tenens [place holder], or substitute, physicians usually assume professional practices in the absence of a regular physician for reasons such as illness, pregnancy, vacation, or continuing medical education.)
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-02-13 00:00:00

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2015

Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to repeal the prohibition against Medicare participation by physician-owned hospitals that do not have a provider agreement by August 1, 2010, which nonetheless allows their Medicare participation under a rural provider and hospital exception to a specified ownership or investment prohibition if they meet certain requirements.

Amends the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA) to repeal provisions: (1) postponing from August 1, 2010, to December 31, 2010, the date by which physician-owned hospitals must have a provider agreement in order to participate in Medicare under a rural provider and hospital exception to the physician-ownership or -investment prohibition if they also meet certain requirements addressing conflicts of interest, bona fide investments, patient safety issues, and expansion limitations; and (2) modifying the expansion limitation imposed on such a rural hospital 

Restores related previous law amended or repealed by PPACA and HCERA as if PPACA or HCERA had not been enacted.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-03-02 00:00:00

Medicare Patient Access to Hospice Act of 2015 

 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize attending physician assistants as attending physicians to serve hospice patients.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Immigration
Date: 2015-03-04 00:00:00

Doctors Helping Heroes Act of 2015 

 Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to make permanent the J-1 visa waiver program (Conrad state 30/medical services in underserved areas).

Excludes from numerical immigration limitations alien physicians who have completed national interest waiver requirements by working in a health care shortage area (including alien physicians who completed such service before enactment of this Act and any of their spouses or children).

Sets forth specified employment protections and contract requirements for alien physicians working in underserved areas.

Increases the number of alien physicians that a state may be allocated from 30 to 35 per fiscal year in specified circumstances. Provides for additional increases or decreases based upon demand.

Provides up to three visa waivers per fiscal year per state for physicians in academic medical centers.

Permits dual intent for an alien coming to the United States to receive graduate medical education or training, or to take examinations required for graduate medical education or training.

Exempts from specified entry limitations H-1B nonimmigrant aliens seeking to enter the United States to pursue graduate medical education or training.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize waiver of the two-year foreign residency requirement for an alien who has received graduate medical eduction or training in the United States and seeks to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent resident status if:

 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines that VA facilities are not capable of furnishing covered health services to eligible veterans because they lack the required personnel or cannot provide timely and reasonable access; and the head of the appropriate state agency determines that the alien will practice medicine in a Veterans Health Administration facility, the alien physician's work is in the public interest, and such waiver would not cause the number of waivers allotted for that state for that fiscal year to exceed five.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-03-10 00:00:00

Health IT Modernization for Underserved Communities Act of 2015

 Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to extend to physician assistants eligibility for Medicaid electronic health record incentive payments, regardless of whether or not such physician assistants practice at a rural health center that is led by a physician assistant or in a federally qualified health center.