Policy Corner: September 23, 2022
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
BIAA Endorses the Supporting Medicare Providers Act
The Brain Injury Association of American endorses H.R. 8800, the “Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022,” sponsored by Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.). The legislation would mitigate pending Medicare physician payment cuts by providing a 4.42% positive adjustment to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor (CF) for CY 2023. The bill also includes a “Sense of Congress” on the need for legislative and administrative changes to the MPFS to ensure stability, promote and reward value-based care and advance health equity and reduce disparities.
HHS Delivers National Family Caregivers Report to House and Senate Committees
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Administration for Community Living (ACL), delivered the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers report to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, and to the state agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs. Family caregivers provide the overwhelming majority of long-term care in the United States and currently lack resources to maintain their health, wellbeing, and financial security while providing crucial support for others.
The report highlights nearly 350 actions the federal government will take to support family caregivers in the coming year and more than 150 actions that can be adopted at other levels of government and across the private sector to build a system to support family caregivers. The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-119) required HHS to produce the report and to update the strategies every two years.
E&R Committee Ranking Member Seeks Input on Disability Report by Next Week
As a reminder, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) recently shared the report, “Disability Policies in the 21st Century: Building Opportunities for Work and Inclusion,” and requested stakeholder input by September 26th. The report highlights the challenges and limitations that the Ranking Member sees that prevent people with disabilities from seeking employment and otherwise living to their fullest potential. Feedback on the requests for information is due no later than September 26th. You may access the report here. Any questions can be directed back to EC.Feedback@mail.house.gov.