Improved Medical Decision Incentive Act of 2007

A bill to provide for the voluntary development by States of qualifying best practices for health care and to encourage such voluntary development by amending titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide differential rates of payment favoring treatment provided consistent with qualifying best practices under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes.

5/24/2007--Introduced.
Improved Medical Decision Incentive Act of 2007 - Allows a state health department to approve best practices in a course of, or as a means of treatment for, a particular condition, illness, or procedure, as the qualifying standard of care for the state in order to take advantage of the differential rates of payment implemented under the Social Security Act and the private insurance incentive under this Act. Requires a state health department, among other conditions for state approval, to allow any duly constituted state medical society or medical speciality group to file with the state health department a course or means of treatment representing best practices for a particular condition, illness, or procedure. Requires any interstate health insurer providing health care coverage within a state with approved qualifying best practices to pay all provider charges for any service provided in accordance with such practices. Authorizes any such provider or specialty group to bring a civil action in an appropriate U.S. district court to enjoin efforts by any health insurer to challenge or delay payment for services provided by the provider or a member of the specialty group in accordance with such best practices. Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for implementation of differential rates of payment for qualifying best practices under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to review annually and report to Congress on the efficacy of all qualifying best practices approved pursuant to this Act and, if applicable, any national best practices adopted pursuant to this Act. Requires the Secretary also to host an annual conference on best practices for all state health directors, any state medical societies and medical specialty groups that have filed best practices for state approval, and any health insurers and advocacy groups that have participated in any administrative proceeding to approve best practices.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]
• and 3 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Robert Casey [D, PA]
  • Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]
  • Sen. John Reed [D, RI]
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Committees

• Senate Finance

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.1471

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
May 24, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• May 24, 2007: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
• Introduced on May 24, 2007.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Medicine
• Actions and defenses
• Administrative remedies
• Aged
• 12 more
• Communication in medicine
• Communications
• Conferences
• Health insurance
• Health policy
• Law
• Medicaid
• Medical care
• Medical fees
• Medicare
• Quality of care
• Welfare

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

May 22, 2008 Zu was der Klimawandel nicht alles gut sein muss...

Altvater, Elmar/Mahnkopf, Birgit: Global Europe: Der liberale Imperialismus der Europäischen Union, in: Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik, 12/2007, S. 1471-1486. [12] Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung 2008, ...

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May 23, 2007 Bill Action: Introduced: S. 1471: A bill to provide for the ...

Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI] introduced S. 1471: A bill to provide for the voluntary development by States of qualifying best practices for health care and to encourage such voluntary development by amending titles XVIII and XIX of the ...

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