[House Report 105-49]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress Rept. 105-49
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session Part 1
_______________________________________________________________________
EXTENDING TERM OF APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PROSPECTIVE
PAYMENT ASSESSMENT COMMISSION AND THE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT REVIEW
COMMISSION
_______
April 10, 1997.--Ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
Mr. Archer, from the Committee on Ways and Means, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1001]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 1001) to extend the term of appointment of certain
members of the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission and
the Physician Payment Review Commission), having considered the
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend
that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Introduction......................................................2
A. Purpose and Summary................................... 2
B. Background and Need for Legislation................... 2
C. Legislative History................................... 2
II. Explanation of the Bill...........................................2
III.Vote of the Committee.............................................3
IV. Budgets Effects of the Bill.......................................3
A. Committee Estimate of Budgetary Effects............... 3
B. Statement Regarding New Budget Authority and Tax
Expenditures........................................... 3
C. Cost Estimate Prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office................................................. 3
V. Other Matters to be Discussed under the Rules of the House........4
A. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...... 4
B. Summary of Findings and Recommendations of the
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight........... 5
C. Constitutional Authority Statement.................... 5
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose and Summary
H.R. 1001 would extend the terms of Commissioners on the
Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC) and the
Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC), whose appointments
would otherwise expire during 1997 to expire as of May 1, 1998.
B. Background and Need for Legislation
ProPAC and PPRC advise the Congress on Medicare payment
policies. ProPAC consists of 17 individuals with expertise in
health economics, health facility management, and reimbursement
of health facilities. PPRC consists of 13 individuals with
expertise in health economics, physician reimbursement, medical
practice, and other related fields. ProPAC and PPRC
commissioners are supposed to be appointed on April 1 and May
1, respectively, by the Director of the Office of Technology
Assessment (OTA). In 1995, the Congress eliminated funding for
the OTA, so that currently there is not an OTA Director to
appoint new ProPAC and PPRC commissioners. The terms of five
ProPAC commissioners ended on April 1, 1997 and the terms of
four PPRC commissioners will end on May 1, 1997. This bill will
provide the Committees of jurisdiction time to consider the
future structure of the two Commissions in order to develop
legislation that would re-authorize their activities, as well
as put in place a new process for membership
C. Legislative History
H.R. 1001 was introduced March 10, 1997 by Chairman Thomas
of California and Chairman Bilirakis of Florida, and referred
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition, to the
Committee on Commerce. The bill, as introduced, contained a
provision to extend the terms of Commissioners on the
Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC) and the
Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC), whose appointments
would otherwise expire during 1997 to expire as of May 1, 1998.
On March 18, 1997, the Subcommittee on Health ordered the bill
favorably reported to the full Committee, without amendment,
with a quorum present. The full Committee on Ways and Means
considered the bill on April 9, 1997, and ordered the bill
favorably reported, without amendment, by voice vote, with a
quorum present.
II. EXPLANATION OF THE BILL
Extension of term of appointment of certain members of the Prospective
Payment Assessment Commission and the Physician Payment Review
Commission (Sec. 1)
Present law
ProPAC and PPRC commissions each serve a three-year term.
The appointments are staggered so that each year approximately
one-third of the commissioners' terms expire. On April 1, 1997
the terms of five ProPAC commissioners expired. On May 1, the
terms of four PPRC commissioners will expire. The new
commissioners are supposed to be appointed by the Director of
the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). In 1995, the
Congress eliminated funding of OTA. Therefore, there is not an
OTA Director to appoint new ProPAC and PPRC commissioners.
Explanation of provision
This bill would extend the terms of ProPAC and PPRC
commissioners which expire this year. It will provide the
Subcommittee time to consider the future structure of the two
Commissions, and pass legislation that would re-authorize their
activities, as well as put in place a new process for
membership appointment.
Reasons for change
ProPAC and PPRC are comprised of individuals with expertise
in a wide variety of areas. The commissions would have
difficulty completing their mission of providing the Congress
with assistance and recommendations if one-third of their
commissioners were eliminated.
Effective date
The provision is effective upon enactment.
III. VOTE OF THE COMMITTEE
In compliance with clause 2(l)(2)(B) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, the following statement
is made concerning the vote of the Committee in its
consideration of the bill, H.R. 1001:
Motion to report the bill
The bill, H.R. 1001, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote on April 9, 1997, with a quorum present.
IV. BUDGET EFFECTS OF THE BILL
A. Committee estimate of budgetary effects
In compliance with clause 7(a) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following statement is made
concerning the effects on the budget of this bill, H.R. 1001,
as reported: The Committee agrees with the estimate prepared by
CBO which is included below.
B. Statement regarding new budget authority and tax expenditures
In compliance with subdivision (B) of clause 2(l)(3) rule
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee
states that the provisions of H.R. 1001 do not involve any new
budget authority, or any increase or decrease in revenues or
tax expenditures.
C. Cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office
In compliance with subdivision (C) of clause 2(l)(3) of
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, requiring
a cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office,
the following report prepared by CBO is provided.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 9, 1997.
Hon. Bill Archer,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1001, a bill to
extend the term of appointment of certain members of the
Prospective Payment Assessment Commission and the Physician
Payment Review Commission.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Tom Bradley.
Sincerely,
June E. O'Neill, Director.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1001--To extend the term of appointment of certain members of the
Prospective Payment Assessment Commission and the Physician
Payment Review Commission
CBO estimates that enacting this bill would have no
significant effect on the federal budget. Because the bill
would not affect direct spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply. H.R. 1001 contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 and would not affect the
budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
H.R. 1001 would extend for one year the terms of those
members of the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission
(ProPAC) and the Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC)
whose appointments expire during 1997. Under current law,
members of these commissions are appointed by the Director of
the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. However,
that agency was eliminated and the authority to appoint members
of these Commissions has not been transferred.
The terms of five ProPAC commissioners and four PPRC
commissioners will expire during 1997. CBO expects that outlays
of these commissions would not change significantly if the
terms of the affected commissioners are extended.
An identical version of H.R. 1001 was ordered reported by
the House Committee on Commerce on March 13, 1997. CBO's
estimate of that bill is identical to this estimate.
The estimate was prepared by Tom Bradley. This estimate was
approved by Paul N. Van de Water, Assistant Director for Budget
Analysis.
V. OTHER MATTERS TO BE DISCUSSED UNDER THE RULES OF THE HOUSE
A. Committee oversight findings and recommendations
With respect to subdivision (A) of clause 2(l)(3) of rule
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives (relating to
oversight findings), the Committee advises that it was as a
result of its oversight activities with respect to the Medicare
program that the Committee concluded that it is appropriate to
enact the provision contained in the bill as reported.
B. Summary of findings and recommendations of the Committee on
Government Reform and Oversight
With respect to subdivision (D) of clause 2(l)(3) of rule
XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives (relating to
oversight findings), the Committee advises that no oversight
findings or recommendations have been submitted to this
Committee by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
with respect to the provisions contained in this bill.
C. Constitutional authority statement
With respect to clause 2(l)(4) of rule XI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, relating to Constitutional
Authority, the Committee states that the Committee's action in
reporting the bill is derived from Article I of the
Constitution, Section 8 (``The Congress shall have power to lay
and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the
debts and to provide for * * * the general Welfare of the
United States * * *'').