Federal Legislative Developments

Subscribe to Federal Legislative Developments via RSS

EAPD’s Vincent Vitkowsky authored an article that is part of Business Insurance’s special edition about the impact and ramifications of 9/11 on the insurance industry. …
Read More Ten Years Later – The Insurance Industry’s Fight Against Terrorism

CMS UNVEILS FINAL RULE ON ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING PROGRAM

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its final rule to amend the Medicare electronic prescribing incentive program. Established in 2008, the Medicare e-prescribing incentive program allows eligible providers to earn incentives related to their e-prescribing actions, and also includes penalties beginning in 2012 if they do not meet e-prescribing thresholds. …
Read More Healthcare Update: CMS Unveils Final Rule on E-Prescribing; Appeals Court Throws Out Two Challenges to Healthcare Law; Ways and Means Committee Democrats Begin to Discuss Medicare Cuts

HHS AWARDS GRANTS TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced more than $28 million in grant funding geared toward the development and expansion of community health centers. …
Read More Healthcare Update: Community Health Center Grants Announced; PPACA Individual Mandate Ruled Unconstitutional; Skilled Nursing Facilities Will See Rate Cuts

DEBT CEILING CRISIS AVERTED – IMPACT ON MEDICARE PROVIDERS

On the evening of July 31, President Obama announced that he and congressional leaders from both parties had reached a deal on a debt reduction/debt ceiling increase package, paving the way for legislative action to be completed before the August 2 default deadline. …
Read More Healthcare Update: Debt Ceiling Legislation’s Impact on Medicare; CMS Releases Final Inpatient Hospital Rule – August 8, 2011

On July 28, 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity (subcommittee of the Committee on Financial Services) held a hearing entitled “Insurance Oversight: Policy Implications for U.S. Consumers, Businesses and Jobs.”  Committee members heard from state regulators, as well as various industry executives, a consumer advocate and others, regarding topics spanning from systemic risk in the insurance sector to reform in the producer licensing system.
Read More House Committee Holds Hearing: “Insurance Oversight: Policy Implications for U.S. Consumers, Businesses and Jobs”

On July 26, 2011, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (“FSOC”) released its first annual report, as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”).  In the report, FSOC describes the current state of the U.S. financial system and includes recommendations for additional steps that should be taken to strengthen the financial system. …
Read More FSOC Releases its First Annual Report as Mandated Under Dodd-Frank

On July 26, 2011, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs convened to consider the nomination of Roy Woodall, former Commissioner of the Kentucky Insurance Department, to serve a six-year term as a voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (“FSOC”). …
Read More Senate Committee Hearing on Nomination of Roy Woodall to FSOC

On May 23, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) proposed joint rules in Federal Register 33-9204 (click here for a copy) that define the terms swap, security-based swap, security-based swap agreement, and mixed swaps.  On July 22, 2011, Susan E. Voss, Iowa Insurance Commissioner and President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC”) and Therese M. Vaughn, CEO of the NAIC penned a comment letter to the SEC and CFTC that urged them to make several changes to the proposed rules (the “NAIC Letter”). …
Read More Insurance Product Test in Proposed Rules by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission May Place Certain Insurance Products under Federal Oversight

On July 12, 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011, H.R. 1309 (the “Act”), by a vote of 406 to 22.  As we previously reported, the Act has been endorsed by President Obama.  The goal of the Act is to the reform to the National Flood Insurance Plan (“NFIP”) in order to help reduce the more than $18 billion debt carried by the NFIP. …
Read More NFIP Reform Passes House, Heads to Senate

CMS RELEASES OUTPATIENT HOSPITAL PAYMENT PROPOSED RULE
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) proposed rule for 2012, which will impact Medicare reimbursements to more than 4,000 hospital outpatient facilities. …
Read More Healthcare Update: CMS Releases Proposed Rules for Outpatient Hospital Payments and Physician Payments; CMS Proposes Home Health Cuts; Debt Ceiling Agreement Could Include Healthcare Cuts – July 11, 2011