<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><BillSummaries>
<item congress="114" measure-type="s" measure-number="1718" measure-id="id114s1718" originChamber="SENATE" orig-publish-date="2015-07-08" update-date="2016-01-29">
<title>Four Rationers Repeal Act of 2015</title>
<summary summary-id="id114s1718v00" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2016-01-29">
<action-date>2015-07-08</action-date>
<action-desc>Introduced in Senate</action-desc>
<summary-text><![CDATA[<p><b>Four Rationers Repeal Act of 2015</b></p> <p>This bill repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) related to the establishment of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (also known as the Independent Medicare Advisory Board), effective as of enactment of PPACA. (The purpose of the board is to develop proposals to reduce the growth rate of Medicare spending without restricting benefits or modifying eligibility.) Provisions amended by the repealed provisions are restored.</p> <p>This bill amends the Public Health Service Act and title XI, title XVIII (Medicare), and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. (The purpose of the center is to test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care.)</p> <p>Group health plans and health insurers are no longer required to cover, without cost-sharing, certain items and services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).</p> <p>The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is no longer required to convene the USPSTF.</p> <p>The Community Preventive Services Task Force is eliminated. (This task force developed recommendations regarding community preventive interventions based on scientific evidence.)</p> The Department of Health and Human Services may not use comparative effectiveness research to deny or delay coverage of an item or service under a federal health care program. Comparative effectiveness research conducted or supported by the federal government must account for factors contributing to differences in the treatment response and treatment preferences of patients.]]></summary-text>
</summary>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
<dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
<dc:description>This file contains bill summaries for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
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