Reconciliation changes summary

Here are the changes as adopted by the House rules committee that will be voted on today.Courtesy of the Hill.

SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
TO H.R. 4872 IN PART A PROPOSED TO BE CONSIDERED AS ADOPTED


Improves the financing for premiums and cost sharing for individuals with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Modifies the assessment that individuals who choose to remain uninsured pay in three ways: (a) exempts the income below the filing threshold, (b) lowers the flat payment from $495 to $325 in 2015 and from $750 to $695 in 2016 and (c) raises the percent of income that is an alternative payment amount from 0.5 to 1.0% in 2014, 1.0 to 2.0% in 2015, and 2.0 to 2.5% for 2016 and subsequent years to make the assessment more progressive. Improves the transition to the employer responsibility policy for employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent workers (FTE) by subtracting the first 30 full time employees from the payment calculation. Modifies the definition of income that is used for purposes of subsidy eligibility and the individual responsibility requirement. Provides a $250 rebate for all Medicare Part D enrollees who enter the donut hole in 2010. Builds on pharmaceutical manufacturers' 50% discount on brand-name drugs beginning in 2011 to completely close the donut hole with 75% discounts on brand-name and generic drugs by 2020. Freezes Medicare Advantage payments in 2011. Beginning in 2012, the provision reduces Medicare Advantage benchmarks relative to current levels. Ensures Medicare Advantage plans spend at least 85% of revenue on medical costs or activities that improve quality of care, rather than profit and overhead. Strikes the provision for a permanent 100% federal matching rate for Nebraska for the Medicaid costs of expansion populations. Provides federal Medicaid matching payments for the costs of services to expansion populations at the following rates in all states: 100% in 2014, 2015, and 2016; 95% in 2017; 94% in 2018; 93% in 2019; and 90% thereafter. In the case of expansion states, reduces the state share of the costs of covering nonpregnant childless adults by 50% in 2014, 60% in 2015, 70% in 2016, 80% in 2017, 90% in 2018. Requires that Medicaid payment rates to primary care physicians for furnishing primary care services be no less than 100% of Medicare payment rates in 2013 and 2014. Lowers the reduction in federal Medicaid DSH payments from $18.1 billion to $14.1 billion and advances the reductions to begin in fiscal year 2014. Delays the application of the high-cost plan excise tax until 2018, which gives the plans time to implement and realize the cost savings of reform; increasing the dollar thresholds to $10,200 for single coverage and $27,500 for family coverage ($11,850 and $30,950 for retirees and employees in high risk professions). Amends the Higher Education Act to include mandatory funding for the Pell Grant. Terminates the FFEL program for federal consolidation loans. This section also provides that, for a 1 year period, borrowers who have loans under both the Direct Lending program and the FFEL program, or who have loans under either program as well as loans that have been sold to the Secretary, may consolidate such loans under the Direct Lending program regardless of whether such borrowers have entered repayment on such loans. Directs the Secretary to award contracts for servicing federal Direct Loans to eligible non-profit servicers. Permits the Secretary to reallocate, increase, reduce or terminate an eligible non-profit servicer's allocation based on the performance of such servicer. Extends the prohibition of lifetime limits, prohibition on rescissions, and a requirement to provide coverage for non-dependent children up to age 26 to all existing health insurance plans starting six months after enactment. Starting in 2014, extends the prohibition on excessive waiting periods to existing health plans. For group health plans, prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions in 2014 (for children, they are prohibited starting six months after enactment), restricts annual limits beginning six months after enactment, and prohibits them starting in 2014. Increases mandatory funding for community health centers to $11 billion over five years (FY 2011 - FY 2015).



SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE TO H.R. 4872 IN PART B PROPOSED TO BE CONSIDERED AS ADOPTED


Would (1) reduce the growth rate of the Part D spending threshold for catastrophic benefits between 2014 and 2019, providing additional benefits for seniors with high drug costs; (2) add a transitional phase up period for the coding intensity adjustment for Medicare Advantage plans; (3) strike a provision that would have deposited funds collected from Medicare Advantage plans for failing to meet the medical loss ratio into the CMS Program Management Account; (4) insert a new section 1108 that accelerates phase-in of Medicare physician practice expense adjustment for areas with below average practice expense payment rates. In 2010, national blend would be increased from ¼ to ½. Inserts a new Section 1109 that provides an additional payment under the Medicare inpatient prospective payment systems to hospitals located in counties in the bottom quartile of counties as ranked by risk adjusted spending per Medicare enrollee; (5) clarify the timing for the election period for territories to choose to establish Exchanges; (6) clarify new requirements for community mental health centers to be eligible to participate in the Medicare partial hospitalization benefit; (7) strike section 1303 of the legislation (CMS-IRS Data Match to Identify Fraudulent Providers); (8) delete a provision providing for transfers of amounts collected from the supplementary medical insurance trust fund; (9) modify the pharmaceutical industry annual fee schedule; (10) modify the excise tax on importers and manufacturers of medical devices by lowering the rate to 2.3 percent and by eliminating the exclusion for Class I medical devices (except if such devices are of a type which is purchased by the general public at retail and for individual use.); (11) strike section 1411 of the legislation (No Impact on Social Security Trust Funds); (12) amend section 1501 to incorporate the funds into the Trade Act and strikes the provision in section 1501 that expands the focus of programs to individuals eligible for unemployment insurance; (13) move the $13.5 billion in additional Pell funding for fiscal year 2011 into section 401 of the Higher Education Act; (14) strike section 2102 of the legislation (Student Financial Assistance); and (15) strike section 2213 of the legislation (Agreements with State-Owned Banks).

Don't stop calling or e-mailing until the vote is taken.More to come...