[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3466]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 H.R. 3716, THE ENSURING REMOVAL OF TERMINATED PROVIDERS FROM MEDICAID 
                              AND CHIP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2016

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3716, the 
Ensuring Removal of Terminated Providers from Medicaid and CHIP Act, 
which would improve the integrity of Medicaid and the Children's Health 
Insurance Program (CHIP) and expand access to patients.
  Today's bipartisan bill would strengthen our federal and State 
healthcare systems by ensuring patients are protected from fraudulent 
health providers that have been terminated from participating in 
Medicaid or CHIP. If a bad actor is terminated from CHIP due to 
fraudulent practices in one state, this legislation guarantees that 
provider is prohibited from crossing state lines and opening a practice 
elsewhere. This fraud is unacceptable and jeopardizes not only patients 
but States' health programs to waste and abuse. Additionally, H.R. 3716 
would create a patient friendly electronic provider database for 
Medicaid beneficiaries. The database would make it easier for patients 
to know and choose health care options that work best for them.
  The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this commonsense 
legislation, which builds on our health care system, would reduce 
direct spending by $28 million over the next ten years. I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________