Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2008

To respond to a Medicare funding warning.

2/25/2008--Introduced.
Medicare Funding Warning Response Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to:
(1) develop and implement a system for encouraging nationwide adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records and to make available personal health records for Medicare beneficiaries;
(2) develop and implement a plan for ensuring that, by the year 2013, quality measures are available and reported with respect to at least 50% of the care provided under the Medicare program;
(3) design and implement a system under which a portion of Medicare payments that would otherwise be made to some or all classes of individuals and entities furnishing items or services to beneficiaries would be based on the quality and efficiency of their performance;
(4) implement incentives for Medicare beneficiaries to use more efficient providers and preventive services known to reduce costs; and
(5) use and release Medicare data for quality improvement, performance measurement, public reporting, and treatment-related purposes. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize the public release of physician performance measurements. Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2008 - Sets conditions for health care lawsuits to:
(1) require commencement of such lawsuits within three years after manifestation or one year after discovery of injury;
(2) limit noneconomic damages and attorneys' contingent fees;
(3) prescribe requirements for determining punitive damages;
(4) deny punitive damages in the case of products approved, cleared, or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or otherwise considered in compliance with FDA standards; and
(4) authorize periodic payment of future damages. Amends SSA title XVIII part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) to require high income-related reductions in the part D premium subsidy.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Steny Hoyer [D, MD-5]
• and 1 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. John Boehner [R, OH-8]
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Committees

• House Judiciary
• 4 more
  • House Energy and Commerce
  • House Energy and Commerce
  • House Ways and Means
  • House Ways and Means
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Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.5480

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
February 25, 2008

Show All Actions (8 actions)Hide Actions

All Bill Actions

• Feb 29, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to House Ways and Means
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to House Judiciary
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• Feb 25, 2008: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E228)
• Introduced on Feb 25, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.2580
• S.2662

Related Issue Areas:

• Subsidies
• Standards
• Quality of care
• Punitive damages
• 36 more
• Products liability
• Product safety
• Preventive medicine
• Prescription pricing
• Physicians
• Performance measurement
• Packaging
• Medicine
• Medicare
• Medical supplies
• Medical records
• Medical malpractice
• Medical fees
• Medical economics
• Medical care
• Limitation of actions
• Legal fees
• Law
• Labeling
• Insurance premiums
• Income
• Health planning
• Health information systems
• Government paperwork
• Government information
• Finance
• Economic policy
• Drugs
• Drug approvals
• Damages
• Cost control
• Consumers
• Budgets
• Aged
• Actions and defenses
• Health policy

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

August 02, 2008 House Approves Delay Of Medicare ‘Trigger’ Measure

Without the House rule, any representative could have forced debate and a floor vote on a bill (HR 5480) intended to reduce Medicare spending (Armstrong, CQ Today, 7/24). According to the AP/Daily Star, Democrats said the rule change ...

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Source: Medical,Health News and Articles

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April 18, 2008 Social Security and Medicare; the problems being ignored

President Bush did submit such legislation required by this law (HR 5480), but it obviously will not receive any serious consideration in congress this year. Not only has none of the presidential candidate failed to address this serious ...

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Source: Vincent Gioia's Blog

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March 28, 2008 The Republican Slight of Hand — Now You See It; Now You Don’t ...

CBO, “HR 5480, Medicare Funding Warning Response Act of 2008.” Pg. 3. March 12, 2008. Available at: . [6] CMS, Office of the Actuary, “Additional Information Regarding Comparisons of Beneficiary Income and ...

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Source: The Policy Center

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