[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 13, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       STATEMENT OF INTRODUCTION

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation 
that would make a simple modification to the Civil Monetary Penalty 
Law. The modification will ensure that physicians and hospitals can 
align incentives, which is especially important since they are being 
called upon to do this more often in the pursuit of providing improved 
care at a lower cost. In the movement to replace fee for service 
medicine with a model that emphasizes quality, this legislation will 
facilitate relationships that will allow movement in this direction. 
The modification will ensure that the penalties for the Civil Monetary 
Penalty Law are fully retained; the modification makes no change to the 
penalties prescribed under the law. However, the modification will 
allow hospitals and physicians to enter into relationships designed to 
decrease the provision of medically unnecessary services. This 
legislation recognizes that in the new delivery system models, the 
emphasis should be on reducing the provision of medically unnecessary 
services for patients. After all, such services do not serve the 
patient--who may suffer from hospital acquired infections, if kept in 
the hospital longer than necessary, for example. Such services also are 
not in furtherance of the goal of operating a more efficient, higher 
quality health care system. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.

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