FULL COMMITTEE ACTION

Thursday, June 12, 1997

Prepared by the Commerce Committee Democratic Staff
COMMITTEE PRINT entitled "TITLE IV, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE -- MEDICARE", was ORDERED TRANSMITTED, amended, to the Budget Committee for inclusion in the 1997 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act by a yea-nay vote: 30-17.

The following amendments were offered:

An amendment by Messrs. Hastert and Ganske, #1, re: requiring utilization guidelines for the coverage of chiropractic services not preceded by x-ray, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #2, re: eliminating medical savings accounts (MSAs) and using savings to offset SLMB premium costs, was DEFEATED by a yea- nay vote: 19-28;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #3, re: protecting the privacy of social security account numbers, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Brown, #4, re: reducing the MSA demonstration project and using the savings to offset beneficiary co-pays for prevention initiatives, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 23-25;

An amendment by Mr. Klink, #5, re: balance billing, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Stearns, #6, re: National Fund for Health Research, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Green, #7, re: guaranteeing re-issue of medigap policies under certain circumstances, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mrs. Cubin, #8, re: resource-based practice expense, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Stupak, #9, re: prevention of fraud and abuse, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 19-25;

An amendment by Mr. Pallone, #10, re: demonstration project on Medicare coverage of pharmacy professional services and disease management services, was DEFEATED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mrs. Cubin, #11, re: requirements for developing new resource-based practice expense relative value units, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Bliley, #12, re: gag rule language "conscience clause", was ADOPTED by a yea-nay vote: 33-12;

An amendment by Mr. Brown, #13, re: non-discrimination by MedicarePlus against providers, based on license or certification, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Pallone, #14, re: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission examining chronic disease issues, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #15, re: home health agency referrals, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Pallone, #16, re: Medicare patient counseling program, was ADOPTED by a yea-nay vote: 17-15 -1;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #17, re: definition of homebound, was DEFEATED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Klink, #18, re: limiting balance billing in MSA plans, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 16-32;

An amendment by Messrs. Stearns and Hall, #19, re: payment for ambulance services, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Engel, #20, re: report on benefits of computerized rescreening of pap smears, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Markey, #21, re: medical liability reform, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 16-31 (1 abstention);

An amendment by Mr. Engel, #22, re: report on impact of 3-day hospitalization requirement for certain home health services (sec. 4718), was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #23, re: imposition of civil money penalties (sec. 4306), was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Strickland, #24, re: allowing a physician or other attending health care provider to determine of hospital length of stay (sec. 1852), was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #25, re: special rule for unrestricted fee-for- service MSA plans, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #26, re: imposition of civil money penalties (sec. 4306), was ADOPTED by a voice vote.

COMMITTEE PRINT entitled "TITLE III, SUBTITLE E -- MEDICAID", was ORDERED TRANSMITTED, amended, to the Budget Committee for inclusion in the 1997 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act by a yea-nay vote: 28-18.

The following amendments were offered:

An amendment by Mr. Bilirakis, #1, re: protecting Shriner hospitals from provider taxes, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Upton, #2, re: IMO exclusion for certain facilities, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #3, re: extension of premium protection for low-income medicare beneficiaries, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 19-25;

An amendment by Mr. Deal, #4, to strike sec. 3421, relating to the continuation of medicaid eligibility for disabled children who lose SSI benefits, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Messrs. Brown and Dingell, #5, re: fraud and abuse, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Klug, #6, re: sec. 3461 relating to requirements to ensure quality of and access to care under managed care plans, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Strickland, #7, re: children with special needs/exclusion from managed care, was ADOPTED by a yea-nay vote: 27- 20;

An amendment by Mr. Coburn, #8, re: grievances under managed care plans, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #9, re: patient choice of providers, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Bliley, #10, re: Boren requirements, was ADOPTED by a yea-nay vote: 28-19;

An amendment by Mr. Towns, #11, re: nurse mid-wives as practitioners in Medicaid, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Upton, #12, re: rural health clinics (sec. 3411 - payment for center and clinic services), was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Green, #13, re: reforming disproportionate share payments under state medicaid programs (sec. 3471), was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 8-39;

An amendment by Mr. Greenwood, #14, re: blood factor settlement payments for hemophiliacs, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #15, re: protecting DSH payments for the highest volume safety net hospitals, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 19- 28;

A substitute amendment for the Waxman amendment (#15) by Mr. Bilbray, #15A, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Messrs. Hall and Klug, #16, re: new section relative to authorizing administrative streamlining and privatizing modifications under the medicaid program, was ADOPTED by a yea-nay vote: 27-20;

A subsitute amendment for the Hall/Klug amendment by Mr. Green, #16A, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 19-27;

An amendment by Mr. Norwood, #17, re: solvency standards for certain HMOs, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Klink, #18, re: increase in matching rate for nursing home survey and certification, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 18-25;

An amendment by Mr. Deal, #19, re: to strike sec. 3421, relating to the continuation of medicaid eligibility for disabled children who lose SSI benefits, was ADOPTED, as amended by the Bilbray substitute, by a yea-nay vote: 27-18;

A substitute amendment for the Deal amendment by Mr. Bilbray, #19A, re: repealing funding for disabled and redirecting it to illegal immigrant emergency funding, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Ms. Furse, #20, re: increase in limit on Federal Medicaid payments to the territories,was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Bliley, #21, re: gag rule "conscience language", was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Strickland, #22, re: determination of hospital stay, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #23, re: deemed compliance of managed care plan, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Lazio, #24, re: access to OB/GYN services, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #25, re: provide that the conscience clause should only be available to a religious-based HMO, was WITHDRAWN with no objection.

COMMITTEE PRINT entitled "TITLE III, SUBTITLE F -- STATE CHILD HEALTH COVERAGE", was ORDERED TRANSMITTED, amended, to the Budget Committee for inclusion in the 1997 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act by a yea-nay vote: 39-7.

The following amendments were offered:

An amendment by Messrs. Brown, Waxman, and Dingell, #1, to insert the text of H.R. 1491, "Children's Health Insurance Provides Security (CHIPS) Act", in lieu of the Committee Print text, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 20-27;

An amendment by Mr. Whitfield, #2, re: allotments of kids' health funds, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Mr. Pallone, Ms. Eshoo, and Ms. Furse, #3, re: striking the text of the Committee Print and inserting the text of the Democratic Caucus' child health bill, was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 20-26;

An amendment by Mr. Lazio, #4, re: allotments, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Ms. DeGette, #5, re: establishing presumptive eligibility for children as a Medicaid option for States, was ADOPTED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Waxman, #6, re: striking direct service option, was DEFEATED by a voice vote;

An amendment by Mr. Stupak, #7, re: voluntary purchasing cooperatives, was WITHDRAWN with no objection;

An amendment by Ms. DeGette, #8, re: Hyde amendment (relating to limitation on payments for abortions), was DEFEATED by a yea-nay vote: 17-30;

A unanimous consent request by Mr. Bliley that the staff be instructed to increase the dollar amounts specified for total allotments under the CHAP by such amount as the Congressional Budget Office may permit to stay within the target budget amounts assigned the committee under the budget resolution, was AGREED TO with no objection.

The Committee adjourned subject to the call of the Chair

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