Chairman Herger Announces Hearing on Expiring Medicare Provider Payment Policies
House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) today announced that the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to examine certain expiring Medicare provider payment provisions. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, in 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 2:00 P.M.
In view of the limited time available to hear from witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing. BACKGROUND: There are a number of Medicare provider payment policies that expire on or before December 31, 2011. Many of these policies have been extended multiple times over several years, even if they were initially contemplated to be short-term or even one-time payment changes. The provisions touch many parts of the Medicare program. Often, Congress has simply changed the expiration date without actually closely examining whether the policy is still necessary or appropriate. In light of the ongoing need to reduce the country’s deficit, it is important to examine these payment policies to determine if further extensions are warranted. This hearing will allow provider groups to explain the impact each of the payment policies has and offer suggestions for improvements. In announcing the hearing, Chairman Herger stated, “With a likely price tag of a one year extension totaling more than $2.5 billion, the Subcommittee must ensure that taxpayers’ money will be spent wisely. As members of the Subcommittee on Health, we have an obligation to examine Medicare’s payment policies to determine whether they are sound and justified.” FOCUS OF THE HEARING: The hearing will focus on certain expiring Medicare provider payment provisions and the impact these provisions have on health care providers. DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS: Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, https://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.” Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.” Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Wednesday, October 5, 2011. Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625. FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS: The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee. The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines. Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee. 1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. 2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee. 3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears. A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness. The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above. Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waysandmeans.house.gov/. |