House subcommittee advances Medicare fee schedule extensions, clinical lab requirements delay, telehealth provider privacy protection and payment incentive amendments, backed by AHA, for full committee consideration

During a legislative markup Nov. 15, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee advanced to the full committee AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 6366) that would extend for one year the Geographic Practice Cost Index floor for physician work under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and delay for one year payment reductions of up to 15% under the Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule. The bill also would delay for one year a CLFS requirement that certain hospital outreach laboratories, independent clinical laboratories and physician offices report private payer data for certain clinical laboratory services. Without congressional action, the changes are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.
 
In addition, the subcommittee advanced legislation (H.R. 6364) that would prevent Medicare from publicizing a telehealth provider’s home address when the provider delivers telehealth services from their home. AHA has further urged Congress to remove a requirement that these telehealth providers report their home address on Medicare enrollment and claims forms effective Jan. 1, 2025.
 
The subcommittee also advanced legislation (H.R. 6369) that would extend the 3.5% incentive payment for eligible Advanced Alternative Payment Model participants for the CY 2026 period. AHA supports the extension, but would prefer Congress to restore the incentive payment to 5% and remove the legislation’s payment reductions for longstanding participants.