Here are four legislative changes impacting the healthcare industry for ASC leaders to note from the past month:
House considers Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2017
Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and John Larson, D-Conn., introduced the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2017 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under the current law, CMS calculate reimbursement for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments with different inflation measures. The act would work to amend this law so CMS uses the same inflation measures.
MACRA could reduce CMS physician services spending between $35B and $106B: 5 key trends
A Health Affairs study found CMS' Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act could cause between a $35 billion and $106 billion drop in Medicare spending for physician services. The drop will be between 2.3 percent and 7.1 percent of what Medicare currently pays physicians.
House passes Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 236-175 to advance the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017 to the U.S. Senate. The bill promotes association health plans, which membership organizations offer through dues or participation.
Republicans pull AHCA
Republican lawmakers pulled the American Health Care Act after GOP leaders estimated the bill lacked support to advance through the House on March 24. A White House spokesman said in a press briefing, "[President Trump] left everything on the field when it comes to this bill. You can't force someone to vote a certain way."