Federal Legislative Developments

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On June 27, 2011, the Obama Administration nominated Roy Woodall as a voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (“FSOC”).  If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would become the first voting member of FSOC with a background in insurance, meeting the Dodd-Frank requirement that a voting member with insurance experience be named to the panel. …
Read More Roy Woodall Nominated as Voting Member of FSOC

On June 13, 2011, Illinois Insurance Commissioner Michael T. McRaith became the first Director of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO).  The FIO was created by the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, which was instituted last year. …
Read More Illinois Insurance Commissioner McRaith Becomes First Director of FIO

HOUSE AND SENATE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE MEDICARE BILL

As lawmakers continue negotiations on a federal spending reduction plan that will accompany a vote to raise the debt ceiling this summer, Democrats last week introduced legislation to rein in costs in the Medicare prescription drug program (Medicare Part D). …
Read More Healthcare Update: Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Medicare Bill; CMS Releases Mental Health Center Proposed Rule; HHS Unveils National Prevention Strategy – June 20, 2011

CMS UNVEILS THREE NEW ACO INITIATIVES

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) – part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – recently announced three new initiatives related to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). …
Read More Healthcare Update: ACO Update; Senators Express Face-To-Face Concerns

The White House has issued a cybersecurity legislative proposal (the “Proposal”) aimed at improving cybersecurity for American consumers, the U.S. critical infrastructure, and the Federal Government’s own networks and computers.  In issuing the Proposal, the White House stated that the U.S. critical infrastructure, such as the electricity grid, financial sector, and transportation networks, have suffered repeated cyber intrusions, and that cyber crime is on the rise. …
Read More President Obama Proposes Cybersecurity Legislation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 proposed rule for hospice reimbursements that would provide for a 2.3 percent payment increase. The agency also included a new quality reporting program in its proposed rule – requiring hospices to submit data on two quality measures beginning in 2014 with payment reductions as a penalty for non-compliance. …
Read More Healthcare Update: CMS Releases FY 2012 Proposed Rule for Hospice Payments, Including Face-To-Face Language; CMS Releases Final Value-Based Purchasing Rule; Legislation Introduced Regarding Treatment of Hospice Patients; ACO News