10 recent legislative developments affecting the healthcare industry

The following is a roundup of recently introduced legislation and legislative developments affecting the healthcare industry.

1. Legislation introduced addressing physician shortage 
U.S. Representative John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.) introduced the Primary Care Physician Reentry Act, which is aimed at helping reduce the nation's primary care physician shortage.

2. Legislation introduced to advance healthcare system payment reforms based on ACO progress 
Reps. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced legislation aimed at improving the accountable care organization model by providing additional incentives based on quality of care and increasing collaboration between patients and physicians. 

3. Congress approves funding resolution for federal programs 
The House and Senate passed a continuing resolution that will prevent another government shutdown when the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.

4. House passes 'keep your plan' bill 
In a 247-167 vote, the House passed The Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2014, which would let people keep their insurance plans, even if they are not compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

5. Senate Democrats block 'keep your plan' bill
In a 247-167 vote, the Senate blocked The Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2014, which would let people keep their insurance plans, even if they are not compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

6. Bill introduced to standardize hospital merger reviews 
Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) introduced legislation that would require the Federal Trade Commission to follow the same procedure as the Department of Justice when reviewing hospital and health system mergers and acquisitions.

7. House passes bill to delay rural hospital supervision requirement 
The House passed a bill that will stop CMS from enforcing a regulation requiring outpatient therapeutic service supervision at critical access hospitals and rural hospitals.

8. CBO: 'Keep your plan' bill would bring in $1.25B in federal revenue 
The Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2014 would allow insurers to continue offering insurance plans that are not compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and would bring in $1.25 billion in tax revenue from 2015 to 2024.

9. AHA comments on draft bill aimed at combating Medicare fraud 
The American Hospital Association sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) expressing its view on draft legislation he released a discussion of in August.

10. CMS rejects one-third of Sunshine Act data
CMS will withhold one-third of the records it received from pharmaceutical and medical device makers under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act due to errors identified in the records.

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