Congress Advances Healthcare Bills on Medicare Reform, Price Transparency
TL/DR –
US lawmakers have pushed forward bills to reform how Medicare pays physicians, improve transparency in Medicare Advantage prior authorizations, and assist international healthcare professionals to work in the US. Other bills aim to expand price transparency requirements in healthcare, and one piece of proposed legislation pushes to publicly disclose detailed information about how much revenue Medicare Advantage plans devote to patient care. The legislative moves arrive ahead of this year’s midterm elections, in which healthcare is predicted to be a prime concern for voters.
Healthcare Bills Advance in Congress
Various healthcare bills have been advanced or introduced in Congress this week, including the bipartisan Patients First Act aimed at reforming how Medicare pays physicians. This is a much-anticipated policy by doctors who assert that their reimbursement does not align with the cost of care.
Other healthcare bills include a policy for improving transparency in Medicare Advantage prior authorizations and another to support international healthcare professionals to practice in the U.S. These legislative moves come as healthcare is forecasted to be a major focus point for voters in the upcoming midterm elections.
Medicare Physician Pay Reforms
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Patients First Act in the House, which proposes to update how Medicare reimburses physicians. This Act supports tying doctor reimbursement to inflation – a move backed by provider lobbies and suggested by experts who advise Congress on Medicare policy.
Advancement of Medicare Advantage Bills
The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, an initiative to enhance transparency and expedite prior authorization in Medicare Advantage, advanced to the full House. Introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the bill pushes for the adoption of an electronic prior authorization system by MA plans.
Another MA bill, the Medicare Advantage MLR Transparency Act, was advanced by the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill requires plans to publicly disclose detailed information regarding the percentage of their revenue used for patient care.
Price Transparency Legislation Progresses
The Health Care Price Certainty for All Americans Act, aimed at expanding price transparency requirements in healthcare, advanced to the full House. This legislation pushes for an increase in competition between providers and greater penalties for large healthcare firms that do not publicly share their price information.
Bill to Strengthen Healthcare Workforce
Sens. Tim Kaine and Lisa Murkowski introduced a bill that aims to reduce the impact of employee shortages in healthcare. The Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act aims to connect international graduates with resources to start their careers in the healthcare industry. This comes as the nation faces a healthcare worker shortage due to an aging population needing more care.
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