Pages tagged "News Article"
Hanna Named ‘Champion For Children’
Obama Signs SGR Replacement Bill, Halts 21% Physician Payment Cut
The Senate on Tuesday voted 92-8 in favor of the House-approved measure, which calls for providing a 0.5% annual payment increase through 2019 for providers who participate in Medicare and then transitioning to an incentive-based payment system designed to encourage participation in alternative payment models. The bill includes several other measures related to health spending, such as funding for community health centers, which serve low-income individuals in every state. In addition, the bill includes a two-year extension of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Further, the bill would delay fully enforcing CMS' so-called "two-midnight" rule for two months.
Overall, the SGR replacement measure would cost about $213 billion over 10 years. It would offset about $70 billion of the projected costs and add about $140 billion to the federal deficit over 10 years, according to estimates. The offsets include almost $35 billion in increased Medicare premiums for higher-income beneficiaries, which would not take effect until 2018. In addition, the bill includes payments cuts to home health agencies, hospitals and nursing homes (California Healthline, 4/15)...
Doc Fix' Deal Opens Health Battles Ahead
By Melissa Attias
Congress may have finally put an end to the cycle of 17 short-tem “doc fixes” with the passage of legislation that would change the way Medicare pays doctors. But the bill’s handling, or sidestepping, of other programs sets the stage for future fights.
The Senate cleared the package to replace Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula late Tuesday in a 92-8 vote and President Barack Obama said in a statement that he “will be proud to sign it into law.” While most physician lobbyists are basking in their successful effort to do away with the SGR, it won’t be long before those groups and other players turn to issues that are still unresolved...
Foster funding needs federal attention
By Bruce Lesley
It’s encouraging that Denver is taking action on child abuse and neglect (Herald, April 8). But Washington also has work to do. Federal foster-care funding’s shrinking pool covers fewer than half of foster children today, and fewer by 2024. States tap other social-services funding, but that just shifts resources from one set of kids and families to another. Worse yet, federal funding short-changes prevention efforts that help parents manage mental health, substance abuse, financial distress and other abuse and neglect risk factors. Reform legislation in Congress would ensure that federal funds cover every foster child, but it would time-limit funding, creating incentives to find kids permanent homes and families.
Savings would be reinvested in prevention. Urge your congressional representatives to support this reform. If Colorado wants better outcomes for kids, Colorado lawmakers must reform federal child abuse and neglect funding...
South Dakota Saw Huge Drops In Homelessness, Yet Record Number Of Kids Need Homes. This Could Change That
By Eleanor Goldberg
South Dakota saw some of the biggest drops in homelessness across a number of demographics last year. Yet advocates say they still have their work cut out for them and are developing solutions to get more help and funding.
Overall homelessness in South Dakota declined by 19.1 percent last year, according to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) figures. And the number of people living in shelters that are considered “unfit” for habitation — which includes cars and abandoned buildings — plummeted by a whopping 83.8 percent…
Bill to Improve Lives of Foster Youth Passes Committee
Thursday, the House Health and Social Services Committee passed House Bill 27 sponsored by Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage). The bill seeks to improve the lives of foster youth in Alaska by getting them into permanent loving homes, so they don’t keep suffering damage and neglect caused by bouncing between multiple temporary foster homes and schools. Rep. Gara thanked the members of the Health and Social Services Committee for their work on the bill.
“Foster youth deserve stability, love, and the same chances as all other children,” said Rep. Les Gara, who grew up in foster care. “Forty percent of our foster youth end up homeless or couch surfing. 24% end up in jail after the damage caused by an unstable upbringing. We are the legal guardians of these vulnerable youth and we must do a better job of caring for them.”...
Federal funds for foster care need to be rethought
By Bruce Lesley
YES, GOVERNOR Charlie Baker must invest in stronger efforts to protect against child abuse and neglect (“Baker promised DCF reform, now he must budget for it”). But Congress also has room for improvement in its investments.
The shrinking pool of federal foster care funding covers less than half of foster children today, and will cover fewer by 2024. States tap other social services funding, but that just shifts resources from one set of kids and families to another. Worse, federal funding gaps shortchange prevention efforts that help parents manage mental health, substance abuse, financial distress, and other risk factors for abuse and neglect...
Health groups endorse Medicare deal despite CHIP concerns
By Sarah Ferris
The $200 billion House deal on Medicare is drawing support from family health advocates despite concerns from Democrats who say the legislation deprives funding for a key children's health program.
Leaders of the infant health advocacy group March of Dimes endorsed the bill Wednesday, praising lawmakers for acting "well in advance of the scheduled expiration" of the program. Their letter, addressed to House leadership, called for the bill's passage despite “disappointment” that CHIP is only funded for two years...
Senate Democrats Look to Fight Deal on Children's Health Program
By Dylan Scott
Don't go celebrating the bipartisan Medicare "doc fix" deal just yet: there's a major roadblock being set up in the Senate.
Democrats are digging in their heels in opposition to the idea a deal would only reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program for two years instead of four, setting up a potential fight with Republicans that could make it difficult to get the 60 votes needed to pass anything...
Senators fight to #ExtendCHIP for four years: http://bit.ly/1BbWwcZ via @dylanlscott @nationaljournal cc: @First_Focus
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Casey proposes expanding child care tax credit
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) proposes expanding the federal child care tax credit.
The current child care tax credit begins to phase out after $15,000 in income, leaving out too many middle-class Pennsylvania families, said the senator in a news release...
#InvestInKids: SenBobCasey proposes expanding child care tax credit - http://bit.ly/197sgJj via @69News cc: @Campaign4Kids
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