HCFA legislation
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Existing 15% limit on Medicare payment reductions made by the Health Care Financing Administration under its inherent reasonableness authority would be repealed by a bill (S 1451) introduced July 28 by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The measure also provides a mechanism by which the agency could reduce Medicare payment levels for durable medical equipment. Separately, Rep. Robert Ney (R-Ohio) introduces legislation (HR 2689) on Aug. 3 that would impose a one-year moratorium on the promulgation of rules or regulations imposing new requirements, with the exception of mandated items, while the agency holds public hearings on any regs in development and submits a report to Congress on the proposals