The House Committee on Ways and Means on May 8 passed six bills out of committee, including the association-endorsed Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS) Act and a two-year telehealth flexibility extension.
Designed to protect access to care in mountainous regions, the PEAKS Act would preserve critical access hospital (CAH) designation for qualifying hospitals, regardless of the construction of additional facilities’ construction. It also would allow CAHs in rural, mountainous areas to continue to operate ambulatory services under an enhanced Medicare payment model. The PEAKS Act passed on a party-line vote.
The Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act expands Medicare telehealth for two years and hospital-at-home flexibility for five years, as well as Medicare supplemental payments for rural hospitals and ambulance services.
The Senate Committee on the Budget on May 8 held a hearing focused on reducing administrative burden in health care. Committee members and witnesses largely focused on the negative effects of prior authorization requirements, including their contribution to provider burnout and the delay of patient care. They discussed possible solutions to this problem, such as transitioning to a value-based or hybrid payment model or finding areas to cut back government regulation.
Committee Activity This Week
The House and Senate are in session Tuesday through Friday this week.
The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing May 16, at 10 am ET, titled, “Rural Health Care: Supporting Lives and Improving Communities.”
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing May 16, at 10 am ET, titled, “Examining the Dental Care Crisis in America: How Can We Make Dental Care More Affordable and More Available?”
Also, on May 16, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee is expected to mark up several bills (as yet unannounced), including telehealth legislation.
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