jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-07 00:00:00

Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act of 2016 or the Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, Treatment, and Services Demonstration Act of 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into palliative care; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models.

An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries.

A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model.

The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-08 00:00:00

The Consumer Healthcare Insurance Transparency Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to publish information on changes in group health plan and health insurance premiums for the next year for small employers and individuals. The information must be published by November 1 of each year.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-13 00:00:00

Beneficiary Respiratory Equipment Access and Transparency to Home Ventilator Care Act of 2016 or the BREATH Act of 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish policies and standards for determining the appropriate use of certain ventilators under the Medicare program.

Subject to budget neutrality requirements, the bill: (1) increases the Medicare payment rate for such ventilators for 2017; and (2) for subsequent years, establishes a new base payment rate based on the percentage change, between 2015 and 2017, in the total number of beneficiaries receiving such ventilators under Medicare.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2016-09-13 00:00:00

Primary Care Enhancement Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit an individual to pay primary care service arrangement costs from a health savings account; and (2) allow an eligible taxpayer enrolled in a high-deductible health plan to take a tax deduction for cash paid into a health savings account, even if the taxpayer is simultaneously enrolled in a primary care service arrangement.

Under a "primary care service arrangement," an individual is provided coverage restricted to primary care services in exchange for a fixed periodic fee or payment for such services.

For the purposes of certain tax-deductible expenses for medical care, the bill expands the definition of "medical care" to include periodic provider fees, including: (1) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician for a defined set of medical services or the right to receive medical services on an as-needed basis; and (2) pre-paid primary care services designed to screen for, diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease and promote wellness.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-14 00:00:00

Adding Middle East Respiratory Syndrome to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act

This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to add Middle East respiratory syndrome to the list of tropical diseases under the priority review voucher program, which awards a voucher to the sponsor of a new drug or biological product that is approved to prevent or treat a tropical disease. (A voucher entitles the holder to have a future new drug or biological product application acted upon by the Food and Drug Administration within six months.)
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-20 00:00:00

Patient Navigation Assistance Act of 2016

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state Medicaid programs to provide medical assistance for patient navigator services. ("Patient navigators" are individuals who are trained to facilitate the care of other individuals and who have direct knowledge of the communities they serve.)
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-22 00:00:00

Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2016

This bill amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to indefinitely extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients. Under current law, such coverage is limited to 36 months following a transplant.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-09-28 00:00:00

ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish additional requirements for assigning Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries to accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare shared savings program. (The program enables ACOs to receive payments for savings stemming from care coordination and management.)

Specifically, the bill requires the basis for assignment to reflect beneficiaries' utilization of not only primary care services provided by ACO physicians, but also those provided by other ACO practitioners. Other ACO practitioners include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, and registered dieticians or nutrition professionals.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2016-09-28 00:00:00

VA Provider Pay Modernization Act of 2016

This bill provides that market pay (one of the three salary components of Veterans Health Administration [VHA] physicians and dentists) shall be the same for each physician or dentist with the same specialty or assignment in the same Integrated Service Network (VISN).

The market pay of a physician or dentist may exceed the market pay generally available to a physician or dentist with the same specialty or assignment in the same VISN by up to 5%.

Such amount shall take into account the pay in the relevant health service area, as designated by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Market pay in a health professional shortage area for a physician's or dentist's specialty may exceed by up to 25% the market pay for a physician or dentist in a health service area with a specialty or assignment not relevant to the health professional shortage area.

The VA shall: (1) evaluate the market pay of a physician or dentist every 12 months; and (2) in implementing a promotion system, create parity between the grades and annual rates of basic pay for VHA employees performing similar duties in the same facility, regardless of service time.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-01-12 00:00:00

Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act of 2015

 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 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: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

Prevent Interruptions in Physical Therapy Act of 2015

 (Sec. 2) This bill amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require physical therapists furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area 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: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover pharmacist services.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-02-12 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: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-02-25 00:00:00

Veterans Hearing Aid Access and Assistance Act

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) the timely access of veterans to VA hearing health services, and (2) VA contracting policies regarding the provision of hearing health services to veterans in non-VA facilities.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-03-11 00:00:00

Frontline Mental Health Provider Training Act

Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly commence a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of expanding use of physician assistants specializing in psychiatric medicine at DOD and VA medical facilities in order to meet the increasing demand for mental health care providers at such facilities through the completion of two 18-month psychiatry fellowship programs for physician assistants.

Directs DOD to carry out the pilot program at not less than one military medical treatment facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army, one under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy, and one under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Air Force. Requires the VA to carry out the program at not less than three VA medical centers. Requires each Department to select at least 12 physician assistants to participate in each fellowship program. Sets forth qualifications for eligible physician assistants.

Requires each fellowship program to: (1) meet the training model for acuity, mixture, and volume established for psychiatric residency programs; and (2) provide to the selected individuals training equivalent to that received during a psychiatric residency, education leading to a clinical doctorate of science in psychiatry, and education that addresses the particular needs of rural and other under served populations of members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-03-11 00:00:00

Community Provider Readiness Recognition Act of 2015

Directs the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly develop a system by which a non-Department mental health care provider who provides health care to members of the Armed Forces or veterans shall receive a mental health provider readiness designation if such provider meets eligibility criteria relating to: (1) knowledge, comfort, and understanding with respect to the culture of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and family members and caregivers of such members and veterans; and (2) knowledge regarding evidence-based treatments that have been approved by such Departments for the treatment of mental health issues among such members and veterans.

Requires such Departments to: (1) jointly establish and update a registry, which shall be available to the public, of all non-Department mental health care providers that are currently so designated, and (2) update all lists maintained by such Departments of such non-Department providers by indicating the providers that are currently so designated.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-03-12 00:00:00

Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act

Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require that the primary care services furnished in the two years after enactment of this Act 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 under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), but only if the physician self-attests as being Board certified in those areas.

Extends this 100% of Medicare payment floor, subject to certain conditions, to the following providers: (1) physicians with a primary specialty designation of obstetrics and gynecology, and self-attesting they are Board certified; (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.

Prescribes additional requirements for any contract between a state and a Medicaid managed care organization.

Directs the Government Accountability Office to examine the use of alternative payment models in state Medicaid programs and identify opportunities for disseminating successful payment models among them.

Amends SSAct title XI to: (1) extend funding for development of adult health quality measures; and (2) direct the Administrator for the Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services and the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop such measures specific to adult individuals with disabilities and include them in the Medicaid Quality Measurement Program.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-03-23 00:00:00

Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Improvement Act of 2015

This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall designate and approve independent accreditation organizations that apply quality standards for suppliers only if they are Boards for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification or essentially equivalent programs.

Special payment rules for certain prosthetics and custom-fabricated orthotics are extended to custom-fitted orthotics. Such rules do not apply, however, to off-the-shelf orthotics furnished on or after January 1, 2016, which are included in a competitive acquisition program.

Decisions about Medicare coverage of orthotics and prosthetics on or after January 1, 2016, must take into account the complexity of the item as well as supplier qualifications (which do not apply, however, to physicians, occupational therapists, or physical therapists state-licensed to provide such items).

Documentation created by an orthotist or prosthetist is considered part of the patient's medical record.

Requirements for suppliers of orthotics and prosthetics are separated from those for suppliers of durable medical equipment.

Orthotists and prosthetists must have a supplier number for Medicare payment to be made.

Patients are not liable for payment of furnished orthotics or prosthetics where payment may not be made or where payment is denied. Only the orthotists or prosthetists are liable in such circumstances.

Only the patient may make the minimal self-adjustment required to qualify off-the-shelf orthotics for Medicare coverage in a competitive acquisition program.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-04-30 00:00:00

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with respect to air ambulance services furnished during 2017 or any subsequent year, to reduce the mandatory percentage increase (inflation adjustment) for payments under the fee schedule by 2.0% for any supplier or provider that fails to submit to the Secretary specified data.

The Secretary is required to select at least two quality measures with respect to which such providers and suppliers may voluntarily submit such data.

The Government Accountability Office is required to report to Congress on all such data, together with a recommendation on the adequate amount of Medicare reimbursement to providers and suppliers that would reflect their operational costs and preserve access to critical air medical services.

The Secretary is required, in the case of air ambulance services furnished during calendar 2017 through 2021 to make a percentage increase in the base rate of the fee schedule: (1) by 20% during 2017, and (2) by 5% during 2018-2020.

The Secretary must also, for 2017 through 2020, adjust such percentages, by either increasing or reducing them (but in no case below zero) to ensure that the increased expenditures under this Act are equal to the reduced expenditures.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-05-22 00:00:00

Rural ACO Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish additional requirements for assigning Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries to accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare shared savings program. The program enables ACOs to receive payments for savings stemming from care coordination and management.

Specifically, the bill requires the basis for assignment to reflect beneficiaries' utilization of not only primary care services provided by ACO physicians, but also those provided by other ACO practitioners, and those furnished in federally qualified health centers or rural health clinics. Other ACO practitioners include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, and registered dieticians or nutrition professionals.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-09-29 00:00:00

HIV Clinical Services Improvement Act

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require payment under the Medicaid program for services furnished by recipients of Ryan White Part C grants, which support comprehensive primary care in outpatient settings for individuals living with HIV.

Providers must be paid an amount equivalent to the prior average costs of providing these services. However, a state plan may establish an alternative payment methodology that: (1) is agreed to by the state and the grantee, and (2) results in payment to the grantee that at least equals the amount otherwise required to be paid to the grantee under the bill.

As a condition of receiving payment under the bill, a grantee shall be subject to specified quality management and reporting requirements.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-10-01 00:00:00

Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend the application of the Medicare payment rate floor to certain primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program, and (2) apply the same payment rate floor to primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program by certain other providers.

A payment rate floor reflects the minimum rate of payment for applicable services. Under current law, the Medicare payment rate floor for primary care services also applies under the Medicaid program to primary care services furnished in 2013 or 2014 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine. The bill establishes an additional two-year period in which the floor shall apply to services provided a physician with one of these primary specialty designations or with a primary specialty designation in psychiatry, neurology, or obstetrics and gynecology. However, the floor shall apply only if the physician self-attests to being Board certified in the applicable specialty.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-10-07 00:00:00

Provider Payment Sunshine Act

This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to expand reporting requirements related to the transparency of physician ownership or investment interests.

Under current law, a manufacturer of drugs, devices, or medical supplies that are covered under Medicaid or Medicare must regularly report on any payment or transfer of value by the manufacturer to a “covered recipient,” defined as either a physician who is not an employee of the manufacturer or a teaching hospital. The bill expands the definition of “covered recipient” to also include any of the following practitioners who is not an employee of the manufacturer: (1) a physician assistant, (2) a nurse practitioner, (3) a clinical nurse specialist, (4) certified registered nurse anesthetist, or (5) a certified nurse-midwife.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-11-09 00:00:00

ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2015

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish additional requirements for assigning Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries to accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare shared savings program. (The program enables ACOs to receive payments for savings stemming from care coordination and management.)

Specifically, the bill requires the basis for assignment to reflect beneficiaries' utilization of not only primary care services provided by ACO physicians, but also those provided by other ACO practitioners. Other ACO practitioners include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, and registered dieticians or nutrition professionals.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-11-10 00:00:00

CT Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act of 2015

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) provide Medicare coverage for screening computed tomography colonography (CTC) as a colorectal cancer screening test, and (2) exclude screening CTC from a special Medicare payment rule applicable to certain imaging services.
Topic: Health — Insurance Providers
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-12-03 00:00:00

Securing Fairness in Regulatory Timing Act of 2015

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend from 45 days to 60 days the annual notice period for the announcement of payment rates under Medicare Advantage (MA). MA organizations shall have at least 30 days to comment on proposed changes.