Election Wrap-Up and Healthcare Issues in the 110th Congress

The results of the Nov. 7 midterm elections marked a shift in majority power from the Republicans to the Democrats in both the Senate and the House. For an outlook on how healthcare issues will be handled in the 100 th Congress, please visit the Federal Legislation (link) section of this month’s report.

Emergency Preparedness Bill Gets Committee Approval

On Nov. 9, Rep. Peter King of the Committee on Homeland Security filed a report endorsing the passage of HR 5351, the “National Emergency Management and Reform Act of 2006.” To learn more about this bill, please visit the Federal Legislation (link) section of this month’s report.

Federal Agency News

CMS Releases Final Rules to Improve Patient Care

This month, CMS has released several final rules to improve patient quality of care in 2007. One rule would adjust the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to reward physicians who spend more time talking with patients about their care. Another rule would require hospitals to report quality care measures for outpatient services. To learn more about these final rules, please visit the Federal Agency News section of this month’s report.