[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 585 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 585

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Health 
Care Financing Administration should adhere to the statutory deadlines 
 for implementation of the prospective payment system for home health 
             services furnished under the Medicare Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 1998

 Mr. Sessions (for himself, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Combest, Mr. Thornberry, 
  Mr. Smith of Texas, Ms. Granger, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Barton of 
  Texas, and Mr. Paul) submitted the following resolution; which was 
  referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
 Committee on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Health 
Care Financing Administration should adhere to the statutory deadlines 
 for implementation of the prospective payment system for home health 
             services furnished under the Medicare Program.

Whereas the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 enacted specific programs to modernize 
        Medicare into a sound fiscal system that provides Medicare beneficiaries 
        with higher quality care while protecting taxpayers from the negative 
        impacts of waste, fraud, and error;
Whereas the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has stated that it will 
        not be able to meet the statutory deadlines for the implementation of 
        many of the programs mandated by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 because 
        of the Year 2000 (Y2K) problems;
Whereas in fiscal years 1996 and 1997, HCFA did not make specific requests for 
        funding for Y2K problems;
Whereas HCFA waited until fiscal year 1998 to request funding to fix its Y2K 
        problems;
Whereas in response to HCFA's request for funding to fix the perceived Y2K 
        problem, Congress appropriated to the Department of Health and Human 
        Services $107,100,000 to fix these problems in fiscal year 1998;
Whereas in fiscal year 1999, HCFA has requested an additional $241,600,000 to 
        fix the Y2K problems; and
Whereas the goal of all changes to the method of reimbursement for home health 
        services furnished under the Medicare Program is to preserve, protect, 
        and strengthen the program and guarantee access to quality home health 
        care for millions of Medicare beneficiaries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Health Care Financing Administration should adhere to the statutory 
deadlines to establish and implement the prospective payment system for 
home health services furnished under the Medicare Program.
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