Another Tiberi Bill to Improve Hospital Patient Care Passes House

Statement

Today, H.R. 5713, the Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment (SHIFT) Act of 2016, which provides Long-Term Care Hospitals with essential regulatory relief to care for patients and closes a loophole that makes the Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP programs vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse, passed the House. Congressman Pat Tiberi, chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, introduced the SHIFT Act on July 11, 2016.

Yesterday, Tiberi delivered the following remarks on the House floor:

"This bill provides regulatory relief to Long-Term Care Hospitals. I am happy that the Ways and Means Committee came together in a bipartisan effort on this bill, and I want to thank my colleague and friend, Mr. Bill Pascrell, for co-sponsoring this bill with me.

"H.R. 5713, the Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act, or the SHIFT Act, will give relief to all Long-Term Care Hospitals from the "25 percent rule.' This CMS rule, which has been delayed for ten years, allows for no more than 25 percent of patients to come from one inpatient acute care hospital in one quarter. My bill will reinstate the 50 percent threshold that was in effect prior to July 1, 2016 and delay the rule for nine months.

"During a time when patients and health care providers are facing increasing burdens and higher costs, I am pleased that we could come to an agreement that will help over 400 hospitals across the country. This bill will also provide relief for four specific groups of Long-Term Care Hospitals that treat highly unique groups of patients.

"I was glad to work with a number of my colleagues to incorporate their priorities in this bill including: Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Pascrell's bill, H.R. 4650; Mr. Jason Smith's bill, H.R. 5559; Mr. Crowley's bill, H.R. 5614; Dr. Price and Mr. Lewis's bill, H.R. 5688; and Mr. Levin's bill, H.R. 5723.

"The SHIFT Act also allows the Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs to limit reimbursement for providers or suppliers who may be exploiting program integrity loopholes and engaging in fraud, waste or abuse. This will prevent hard-earned taxpayer dollars from going to bad actors.

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker for allowing me the opportunity to present this bill today. I am pleased that we are able to advance another bipartisan, paid-for health care package through the legislative process. We must help those beneficiaries that suffer from acute, long-term illnesses and injuries, and I believe my bill will do just that."

On July 7, 2016, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 5273, the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act (HIP-C), introduced by Tiberi to help medical providers, including many hospitals and cancer centers in Ohio, better treat patients in their communities.

Source