Legislative Update 8/13/10
posted: Friday, August 13, 2010
August 13, 2010
Federal Legislative Update
In this update:
- FMAP Signed Into Law by President Obama
- Health Reform Implementation: Request for Stories
- Prevention and Public Health Fund In Jeopardy
- Congressional Recess and Federal Legislative Update Schedule
FMAP Signed Into Law by President Obama
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives convened for an emergency session and passed the Senate-approved $16 billion extension of federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding to state Medicaid programs through June 2011. The House passed the measure by a 247-161 vote, and President Obama signed the provision into law on Tuesday evening. The Academy released a press statement in support of FMAP becoming law.
The 2009 federal economic stimulus package provided states with additional Medicaid funding through the end of 2010, and this new FMAP extension will add an additional six months of federal support. The payments will be on a sliding scale, starting with a 3.2% increase over the first three months of 2011 and a 1.2% increase in the next three months.
Health Reform Implementation: Request for Stories
On Sept. 23, many of the child health provisions within the Affordable Care Act will take effect. These include Bright Futures and other preventive services being covered for children with private insurance as an immediate benefit for no co-pay; young adults being able to remain on their parents' health insurance up to age 26; and many children with pre-existing health conditions being able to access health insurance, among others.
The White House has asked the AAP to help collect stories from families across the country on how the Affordable Care Act will improve their care. These stories may be used by the White House at national events, online, or in materials promoting the benefits of the law. Some of you may recall a similar request from the White House in June that was specific to stories around the provision banning pre-existing condition exclusions for children; this is a broader request for stories on any provision within the law.
If any patients, children or families you know have stories to share on how the Affordable Care Act has helped them, please e-mail the story to kids1st@aap.org. We are hoping to share any stories we collect with the White House by early next week.
Prevention and Public Health Fund in Jeopardy
The Prevention and Public Health Fund created as part of the Affordable Care Act may now be in jeopardy, due to a current amendment to a small business tax bill up for a vote in the Senate this September. The Fund was established to supply a dedicated stream of resources to pay for much-needed preventive services, community level prevention, and public health. An amendment offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 proposes using the Fund to pay for other costs in the bill. This would virtually eliminate the Fund, severely diminishing the commitment to prevention and public health set forth under the Affordable Care Act.
The AAP and other public health organizations are undertaking advocacy efforts to educate members of Congress about the importance of the Fund and argue against using the Fund as an offset to the bill. The AAP will continue to keep its membership informed and engaged in this issue in advance of the Senate's vote, currently scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET on Sept. 14. Stay tuned for additional communications in the coming weeks.
Congressional Recess and Federal Legislative Update Schedule
Federal legislative updates will not be distributed for the next few weeks due to Congressional recess. The next update will be sent on Friday, Sept. 10.
Federal Legistlative Update
posted: Friday, August 06, 2010
In this update:
- FMAP Passes in the Senate – House to Vote Early Next Week
- Child Nutrition Legislation Passes in the Senate
- Health Reform Implementation: Update on Regulations
Before departing for a month-long August recess, the U.S. Senate passed two important child health measures this week: A measure providing an extension of federal Medicaid funding to states and a comprehensive child nutrition bill now await action by the House.
FMAP Passes in the Senate – House to Vote Early Next Week
On Wednesday, the Senate voted 61-38 to end debate an aviation reauthorization bill (HR 1586) that includes an extension of federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding to state Medicaid programs through June 2011. Two Republican senators from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, joined all 59 members of the Senate Democratic caucus in support of the motion. The revised package is fully paid for and would reduce future deficits by $1.37 billion over the next decade.
On Thursday, the Senate voted to pass the bill, which provides a total of $26.1 billion in state aid—$10 billion for education programs and $16.1 billion for extended FMAP.
Following the Senate’s passage of HR 1586, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the House of Representatives back into session next week to vote on the measure. The House adjourned for August recess last Friday and was not scheduled to return until Sept. 14. The Senate began its recess late yesterday evening and will reconvene on Sept. 13.
Should the House approve the bill next week, it would go to President Obama for signature. The Academy released a press statement in support of the Senate’s vote and urges the House to follow suit and pass the measure next week. Visit federaladvocacy.aap.org to take action on the FMAP provision.
Child Nutrition Legislation Passes in the Senate
Following a week that featured prominent calls for action by First Lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), as well as increased advocacy from the AAP and other child health groups, the Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S 3307) on Thursday before departing for August recess.
The bill makes significant progress toward ending childhood hunger and obesity by expanding access to federal child nutrition programs and improving the nutritional value they provide. The AAP released a press statement in support of the Senate’s passage of the bill, and encourages the House to follow the Senate’s action by taking up legislation to reauthorize these vital programs when Congress reconvenes in September.
Please visit federaladvocacy.aap.org for additional advocacy opportunities on this bill.
Health Reform Implementation: Update on Regulations
This week, the AAP submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the following regulations to provisions within the Affordable Care Act:
- Age 26. In partnership with the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), the Academy submitted comments on the regulation allowing many young adults to remain on their parents’ health insurance up to age 26.
- Grandfathered health plans. The Academy also filed comments on a regulation setting forth rules for “grandfathered” health plans, or plans that were already in existence when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law last March (as long as those plans have not made any significant changes in coverage like spiking premiums or slashing benefits). Grandfathered plans are not required to provide some of the new law’s consumer protections, including the ability to designate a pediatrician, receive preventive services with no co-pay and waive limits on annual benefits for plans offered in the individual insurance market.
Federal Legistlative Update
posted: Friday, July 30, 2010
Federal Legislative Update
In this update:
- FMAP Senate Vote to Take Place Monday
- Child Nutrition Reauthorization Update
- AAP Files Amicus Brief to U.S. Supreme Court on Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
- Health Reform Implementation: Pre-existing Conditions Regulation
FMAP Senate Vote to Take Place Monday
Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered a substitute amendment to an aviation reauthorization bill (HR 1586) that includes an extension of federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) funding to state Medicaid programs, which are otherwise set to expire at the end of the year. Next Monday evening, Aug. 2, at 5:30 p.m. ET, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the amendment.
Senator Reid’s amendment provides $16.1 billion in increased emergency federal funding to state Medicaid programs. Earlier versions of this FMAP provision included higher federal contributions, but were not fully paid for and removed from previous jobs and tax extension measures. The $16.1 billion authorized by Sen. Reid this week is paid for by other spending cuts and a vote on the amended bill is scheduled to take place Monday evening.
This FMAP amendment would provide much-needed fiscal relief to states as they work to recover from the impacts of the recent economic recession. FMAP is one of the most critical funding sources for children and Medicaid across the country—since more than 50 percent of Medicaid recipients are children, extending this increased FMAP is an essential investment in children’s health.
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Update
This week, Senator Reid announced the possibility of bringing his chamber’s child nutrition bill—the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S 3307)—to the Senate floor before his chamber departs for Congressional recess on Aug. 8. Both chambers of Congress have already passed strong child nutrition bills out of committee, and the next step is for the legislation to be voted on by the full Senate and House.
2 Today, the AAP joined 21 partnering health organizations to file an amici curiae ("friends of the court") brief in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, Inc., a case currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. In the brief, the AAP and its partners urge the Court to protect the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program established in the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986 ("Vaccine Act") by confirming that the law preempts design default claims against vaccine manufacturers.
Should the Senate pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act before August recess, the legislation will have a much better chance of being signed into law by President Obama before the end of the year. The legislation reauthorizes many important child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, WIC, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and includes other new policy changes such as the first increase in school meal reimbursement rates since 1973.
Please visit federaladvocacy.aap.org to take action on this issue by calling your U.S. senators or writing an opinion piece to your local newspaper.
Yesterday, AAP Board Member and Obesity Leadership Workgroup Chair Sandra Hassink, MD, FAAP, pin a press conference alongside SenAgriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee leadership urging passagof the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. View the full press conference and photos from the event, and become a fan of the AAP Department of F Affairs on Facebook to stay connecto AAP federal affairs events and activities.
AAP Files Amicus Brief to U.S. Supreme Court on Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The AAP and its partners stand by the current no-fault alternative Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) established through the Vaccine Act, which is intended to compensate the families of children who suffer from potential adverse reactions from vaccines and to safeguard the nation’s vaccine supply. The AAP issued a press release on the filing today.
Health Reform Implementation: Pre-existing Conditions Regulation
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a clarification of the provision under the new health reform law that requires health insurance companies to offer coverage plans to children with pre-existing medical conditions, noting that insurers are permitted to establish structured, open-enrollment periods for the plans in accordance to their respective states' laws.
3
Last week, several insurers announced that they had either stopped writing new child-only plans or anticipated having to do so because of the new law's requirement that health insurance companies honor all applications for child-only coverage after Sept. 23. The insurance industry argued that some parents would now sign up their children only when they become sick and would stop payments when they no longer need coverage. Industry officials contend that this will drive up medical costs and make insurers' financial risk unmanageable.
The Administration announced that it will allow insurers to establish an open enrollment period for the specific plans, but also warned that the Administration will issue additional regulations if insurance companies unfairly limit access to insurance for children who need it most.
Federal Legistlative Update 07/23/2010
posted: Friday, July 30, 2010
July 23, 2010
Federal Legislative Update
In this update:
- Alan Guttmacher, MD, FAAP, to Serve as Director of NICHD
- AAP Committee on Drugs Chair Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee
- AAP Leaders Write to Local Papers on Health Reform Law's Benefits for Children
- Health Reform Implementation: Update on Regulations
Alan Guttmacher, MD, FAAP, to Serve as Director of NICHD
Today, National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins MD, PhD, announced the appointment of Alan Guttmacher, MD, FAAP, as director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The focus of the NICHD is on human health and development from conception through the reproductive years, on disorders affecting women, and on rehabilitation after injury or disease. The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation.
Dr. Guttmacher began his NIH career at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), where he eventually became acting director. While at the NHGRI, Dr. Guttmacher also oversaw the NIH's involvement in the Surgeon General's Family History Initiative, an effort to encourage Americans to learn about and use their families' health histories to promote personal health and prevent disease. Dr. Guttmacher came to the NIH from the University of Vermont, where he directed the Department of Pediatrics' Vermont Regional Genetics Center and Pregnancy Risk Information Service. He served as the medical director of the Vermont Newborn Screening Program, founded Vermont's only pediatric intensive care unit, and co-directed the Vermont Cancer Center's Familial Cancer Program. He was also the principal investigator for an NIH-supported initiative that was the nation's first statewide effort to involve the general public in discussion of the Human Genome Project's ethical, legal, and social implications.
The Academy congratulates Dr. Guttmacher on his appointment, and released a press statement in support of his new position, which is posted in the AAP News Room and on federaladvocacy.aap.org.
AAP Committee on Drugs Chair Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee
On Wednesday, Daniel Frattarelli, MD, FAAP, Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Committee on Drugs, testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) at a hearing titled, "Treating Rare and Neglected Pediatric Diseases: Promoting the Development of New Treatments and Cures." Dr. Frattarelli spoke on the need to improve therapeutics and access to treatments for children with rare and neglected diseases.
AAP Leaders Write to Local Papers on Health Reform Law's Benefits for Children
This week, several opinion editorials (op-eds) and blogs were published by AAP leadership in support of health reform for children:
- On Monday, AAP President Judith S. Palfrey, MD, FAAP, wrote a guest post on the Georgetown Center for Children and Families blog on the preventive services Interim Final Rule as part of health reform, and how it will benefit children.
- On Tuesday, AAP President-Elect O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP, published an op-ed in his local paper in South Carolina in support of health reform for children.
- On Wednesday, AAP District VIII Chair Mary Brown, MD, FAAP, co-authored an op-ed in her local paper with AAP members and Oregon Pediatric Society leaders David Willis, MD, FAAP, and Arthur Jaffe, MD, FAAP. The op-ed also focused on the benefits of health reform for children. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) then forwarded the op-ed to members of Congress' Capitol Hill offices.
Visit the Media Outreach section of the new federal affairs Member Center Web site to look up contact information for your local publications by zip code, and connect to the AAP Department of Federal Affairs on Facebook for links to media coverage of federal issues, photos of AAP leadership participating in federal advocacy events, and more.
Health Reform Implementation: Update on Regulations
New regulations are being disseminated regularly by federal government agencies to expand upon provisions included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At this time, pediatrician experts and Academy staff are reviewing and drafting comments on the following regulations released this week:
- The establishment of criteria for determining which home visitation models will be considered "evidence-based" and therefore eligible for states to implement with ACA home visitation program funding; and
- The establishment of appeals processes for consumers who may disagree with an insurer's coverage or other rulings.
In addition, pediatrician experts and Academy staff are reviewing and drafting comments on regulations pertaining to the following issues:
- Coverage of Bright Futures and other preventive services for no co-pay;
- Which health insurance plans lose "grandfather" status (and therefore have to comply with new consumer protections, such as offering preventive services without cost-sharing);
- Coverage of young adults up to age 26; and
- The new Patients' Bill of Rights, which includes the lifting of annual and lifetime limits on insurance coverage, lifting of pre-existing condition exclusions, barring rescissions, and allowing individuals to designate a pediatrician.
Apart from health reform, pediatrician experts and Academy staff are also drafting comments to meaningful use and health information technology certification rules as well as a Final Rule implementing state flexibility to charge co-pays for certain Medicaid enrollees under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
Once Academy comments are finalized and published for all relevant regulations, they will be posted to federaladvocacy.aap.org.
Legistlative Update 7/9/10
posted: Friday, July 16, 2010
Due to the current Congressional recess, there will not be a formal Federal Update today.
We did want to share the statement that the Academy released earlier this week on the appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick, FAAP to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Sincerely,
AAP Department of Federal Affairs
AAP: State Health Monthly Report
posted: Friday, July 09, 2010
|
|
HHS Announces $500 Million Prevention and Public Health Fund
|
New Resource
StateHealth is a new e-update from the AAP Division of State Government Affairs that offers the latest information and resources on state implementation of federal health reform and state access initiatives. StateHealth updates will be archived on the State Government Affairs page of the AAP Member Center.
The first installment of StateHealth was sent on June 16, 2010 and focused on the recently released Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for states and eligible territories regarding the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.
This installment focuses on 2 recent announcements from US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Primary Health Care Workforce
On June 16, 2010, Secretary Sebelius announced a series of new investments worth $250 million to increase the number of health care providers and strengthen the primary care workforce. The new investments were made possible by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
These investments in the primary care workforce are the first allocation from the new $500 million Prevention and Public Health fund for fiscal year 2010, created by the Affordable Care Act. Half of this fund – $250 million – will be used to boost the supply of primary care providers in this country by providing new resources for:
- Creating additional primary care residency slots: $168 million for training more than 500 new primary care physicians by 2015. These programs include general pediatrics, general internal medicine, and family medicine. The funds may only be used to increase enrollment through resident stipend support. Applications are due July 19 and applicants may request support for only one residency program/discipline per application.
- Supporting physician assistant training in primary care: $32 million for supporting the development of more than 600 new physician assistants, who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physician.
- Encouraging students to pursue full-time nursing careers: $30 million for encouraging over 600 nursing students to attend school full-time so that they have better odds of completing their education.
- Establishing new nurse practitioner-led clinics: $15 million for the operation of 10 nurse-managed and staffed health clinics which assist in the training of nurse practitioners and, according to HHS, “provide comprehensive primary health care services to populations living in medically underserved communities.”
- Encouraging states to plan for and address health professional workforce needs: $5 million for states to plan and implement innovative strategies to expand their primary care workforce by 10 to 25% over 10 years to meet increased demand for primary care services.
For more information, please consult the fact sheet Creating Jobs and Increasing the Number of Primary Care Providers.
Prevention and Public Health
On June 18, 2010, Secretary Sebelius announced $250 million in new investments to support prevention activities and develop the nation’s public health infrastructure. These investments in prevention and public health are the second allocation for FY 2010 from the new $500 million Prevention and Public Health fund created by the ACA.
The $250 million investment in prevention and public health will go to:
- Community and Clinical Prevention: $126 million will support federal, state, and community prevention initiatives, the integration of primary care services into publicly funded community-based behavioral health settings, obesity prevention and fitness, and tobacco cessation.
- Public Health Infrastructure: $70 million will support state, local, and tribal public health infrastructure and build state and local capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
- Research and Tracking: $31 million for data collection and analysis, to strengthen CDC’s Community Guide by supporting the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, and to improve transparency and public involvement in the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force.
- Public Health Training: $23 million to expand CDC’s public health workforce programs and public health training centers.
More information on the application process for these programs will be forthcoming from HHS. For more information, please consult the fact sheet Affordable Care Act: Laying the Foundation for Prevention.
The Division of State Government Affairs sends this update to the Academy's Executive Committee, Board of Directors, District Vice Chairs, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Vice Presidents, Chapter Legislative Contacts, Committee on State Government Affairs, Committee on Federal Government Affairs, Chapter Executive Directors, and other interested AAP members and staff.
For additional state legislative information, strategy suggestions, in-depth resources on issues of pediatric interest, and past editions of this update, log onto the AAP Member Center and see the State Government Affairs area at http://www.aap.org/moc/stgovaffairs.
|
|
|
For more information on the issues contained in this e-mail update, please contact Jim Pawelski at
800/433-9016, ext 7666 or at jpawelski@aap.org
|
Federal Legistlative Update 7/2/2010
posted: Friday, July 09, 2010
Federal Legislative Update
In this update:
-
US Supreme Court Overturns Chicago Gun Ban
-
Dr. Palfrey Testifies Before Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
-
HHS Launches New Consumer-Friendly Website on Health Reform
US Supreme Court Overturns Chicago Gun Ban
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Chicago's ban on private ownership of handguns, saying the Second Amendment applies to states and municipalities as well as the federal government.
In a 5-4 ruling the Supreme Court extended its landmark 2008 Heller vs. United States ruling-that individual Americans have a constitutional right to own guns-to all cities and states for the first time. Some 90 million Americans own an estimated 200 million guns.
Almost nine children die every day by gunfire-one every two hours and 45 minutes. Annually, that number is almost 3,200. The Academy is very disappointed with the ruling, which will undermine efforts to protect children and adolescents from preventable injuries and death.
The Academy joined the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine in releasing the following press release on the issue: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/AAPSAHMStatementFinal.pdf.
The Academy has also posted updated resources, including talking points and educational guides, for AAP members on the Member Center: http://www.aap.org/moc/docs/firearms.cfm. (Log-in required).
Dr. Palfrey Testifies Before Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
On Wednesday, AAP President Dr. Judith Palfrey testified before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. She urged the Commission to maintain funding for critical public health programs for children and adolescents, and emphasized the economic value of early investment in the next generation.
Following unsuccessful attempts by Congress to create a "debt commission", President Barack Obama created the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in February 2010. The Commission is charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. The Commission will make recommendations at the end of 2010 on ways to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015.
In her testimony, Dr. Palfrey urged the Commission to abide by a 'Do No Harm' pledge when it comes to our Nation's children. The testimony emphasized that strong financial investments in early childhood education, children's health care, and prevention programs made today will pay extraordinary dividends in years to come, and sustained investments over time - uninterrupted - will regularly compound the benefits of earlier investments and reduce overall health care costs.
Dr. Palfrey's complete testimony can be found here: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/DeficitCommissionPalfreytestimony63010.pdf.
HHS Launches New Consumer-Friendly Website on Health Reform
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a new website designed to help consumers understand the new health reform law, learn more about insurance options, learn about prevention, and compare health care quality. It is the first website to collect both public and private health insurance options across the nation in a single place. In addition to providing coverage scenarios based on individual circumstances, it also highlights the issues and benefits of the new law for providers. To see more, visit www.healthcare.gov.
Federal Legistlative Update
posted: Friday, June 11, 2010
Federal Legislative Update
In this update:
- FMAP Extension
- Health Reform Implementation: Membership PowerPoint
- House Subcommittee Hearing on Antibiotic Resistance in Children
- Health Reform Op-ed from Indiana Chapter
FMAP Extension: Action Still Needed!
Senate action on the “tax extenders” bill will continue into next week. The package currently includes a federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) extension, unlike the House version.
The Senate’s FMAP provision would authorize an extension of emergency federal Medicaid funding, which will provide much-needed fiscal relief to states as they work to recover from the impacts of the economic recession. The FMAP provision includes six-months of extra funding that would extend the $87 billion provided for state Medicaid programs through the stimulus bill, with more than $24 billion in additional funding running through the end of June 2011.
With the House stripping the provision from its legislation and the delay tactics in the Senate, governors now fear their already cash-strapped states will be further damaged if they lose the FMAP funding, and have stepped up their lobbying efforts to ensure the FMAP provision remains in the package. If the FMAP provision is not included, they warn of thousands of potential layoffs and severe budget pain.
Since 60 votes are needed in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles, Democratic leaders next week must persuade at least one Republican to vote with Democrats and ensure that all 59 Democratic members will vote to end debate. Such a cloture vote may come as soon as Tuesday. Even if there are further delays, it will be critical for the Senate to get to 60 votes in order for FMAP to ultimately pass.
ACTION NEEDED: Call your US senators and urge them to keep the FMAP extension in the tax extenders bill:
1) We must work to ensure that states can continue providing millions of children and families with access to high-quality, affordable health care through vital public programs.
2) As a pediatrician, I see firsthand how valuable these public programs are to the millions of children and families who depend on them for affordable, high-quality care.
3) Without this funding, states will be forced to make severe cuts to Medicaid payments, which will unfairly prevent some of the country’s most vulnerable children from receiving access to essential health care services.
Call the capitol operator at 202-224-3121 to contact your US senators, or visit the “Find Your Senators” box on senate.gov.
Health Reform Implementation
The Department of Federal Affairs has developed a new PowerPoint presentation on the new health reform law, its implementation timeline, and its impact on children and pediatricians.
The PowerPoint presentation can be found on the AAP Member Center, and is meant to serve as an educational resource to AAP members on the Academy's priorities within health reform implementation. All members are also encouraged to use this material when presenting to other groups or audiences on health reform and to personalize the slides to fit specific presentation needs. There are detailed notes included throughout the slide deck for reference. The presentation is meant to complement the previously produced series of health reform implementation one-page fact sheets, which be found on the Member Center as well as the public AAP health reform Web page.
House Subcommittee Hearing on Antibiotic Resistance in Children
On June 9, John S. Bradley, MD, FAAP, member of the Academy’s Committee on Infectious Diseases, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health at a hearing titled, “Promoting the Development of Antibiotics and Ensuring Judicious Use in Humans.” Dr. Bradley spoke to the impact of antibiotic resistance on children’s health, including the role of vaccinations and efforts to promote safer, more effective use of antibiotics. A copy of Dr. Bradley’s testimony can be found here.
Health Reform Op-ed from Indiana Chapter
AAP District 5 chair Marilyn Bull and Sarah Stelzner and Dawn Haut from the AAP Indiana Chapter co-authored an op-ed on health reform, which was published today in the Indianapolis Star.
The Department of Federal Affairs encourages all AAP members to submit opinion pieces to their local papers on health reform implementation and other timely AAP topics. For assistance in the editing and submission process, please contact Erin Wallace (202-724-3303, ewallace@aap.org) or Jamie Poslosky (202-724-3315, jposlosky@aap.org).
Federal Legistlative Update
posted: Friday, June 04, 2010
Due to Congressional recess this week, there will not be a formal federal legislative update today. However, the Academy continues to advocate for the US Senate to include increased FMAP in their chamber’s companion tax “extenders” package when it comes up for a vote next week.
Please find language below that outlines the FMAP provision and advocacy request in more detail. E-mail the AAP Department of Federal Affairs at kids1st@aap.org to report back on any outreach you are able to make to your senators.
FMAP Advocacy Request:
Due to significant opposition from members of the Blue Dog Coalition—a group of 54 conservative and moderate Democrats—the US House of Representatives stripped out an extension of the stimulus bill's increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) late last week from the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 (HR 4213), a tax “extenders” package.
Originally contained in this legislation was a six-month extension of emergency federal Medicaid funding, which would have provided much-needed fiscal relief to states as they work to recover from the impacts of the recent economic recession. This FMAP extension would have supplemented the $87 billion provided for state Medicaid programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The Senate bill is expected to be taken up next week. It is hoped that senators include the emergency FMAP extension as part of their version of the legislation.
ACTION NEEDED: The AAP is profoundly disappointed with the House’s decision to strip FMAP from HR 4213. Please take the following action:
Call your US senators to urge them to address FMAP in the Senate version of the bill:
1) We must work to ensure that states can continue providing millions of children and families with access to high-quality, affordable health care through vital public programs.
2) As a pediatrician, I see firsthand how valuable these public programs are to the millions of children and families who depend on them for affordable, high-quality care.
3) Without this funding, states will be forced to make severe cuts to Medicaid payments, which will unfairly prevent some of the country’s most vulnerable children from receiving access to essential health care services.
Call the capitol operator at 202-224-3121 to contact your US senators, or visit the “Find Your Senators” box on senate.gov.
|
