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

A bill 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

• Sen. Max Baucus [D, MT]
• and 2 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Michael Enzi [R, WY]
  • Sen. Judd Gregg [R, NH]
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Committees

• Senate Finance

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.2662

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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

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All Bill Actions

• Feb 25, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
• Introduced on Feb 25, 2008.
• Feb 25, 2008: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1127)

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Related Bills:

• H.R.2580
• H.R.5480

Related Issue Areas:

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

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

November 26, 2008 PointofLaw.com | PointOfLaw Forum: Trial lawyer lobbying: Let the ...

Bills Relating to Liability for Medical Malpractice: H.R. 5480/S. 2662 (Medical Funding Warning Response Act); specific interest in Title II, relating to health care liability. S. 1481/H.R. 2497 (Fair and Reliable Medical Justice Act) ...

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Source: PointOfLaw Forum

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October 23, 2008 The Future...do we still have a chance?

CBO estimates that,under S. 2662, the 45 percent threshold would first be crossed in fiscal year2014. If the current trend continues, the fund is not sustainable for Social Security and Medicare program costs. As we approach 2011, ...

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Source: 2008...lost in deficit

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September 07, 2008 Das Bundesverfassungsgericht

Januar 1987 - 2 BvR 1133/86 -, NJW 1987, S. 2662 ). Vorliegend sind keine Anhaltspunkte für eine willkürliche, den Fairnessgrundsatz ignorierende Handhabung der strafprozessualen Grundsätze über Beweisverwertungsverbote gegeben. ...

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Source: Bundesverfassungsgericht Newsfeed

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