Congress reached a $789 billion deal on the stimulus plan Wednesday that includes more than $100 billion for healthcare. Some healthcare provisions were trimmed, however, from the original House and Senate versions in effort to appease Republicans needed to pass the law.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said a final vote is expected by Saturday.
According to a Wednesday draft of the House and Senate conference agreement secured by a source close to the process, the bill would:
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Provide $21.4 billion for health insurance assistance for unemployed workers under COBRA in the form of a 60 percent subsidy for eligible workers' premiums for 9 months.
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Block a fiscal year 2009 Medicare payment reduction to teaching hospitals related to capital payments for indirect medical education. The Congressional Budget Office has yet to score how much this would mean to teaching hospitals.
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Block a fiscal year Medicare payment cut to hospice providers related to Medicare payments and would make technical corrections to Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 related to Medicare payments for long-term care hospitals.
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Provide 90 billion in Medicaid funding to states and a $500 million temporary increase in disproportionate share hospital payments.
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Provide temporary FMAP increases for $86.7 billion through across-the-board 6.2 percent increases for all states and a bonus that would decrease a states share based on the state's unemployment rate.
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Extend the moratoria on Medicaid regulations for targeted case management, provider taxes, and school-based administration and transportation services through June 30, 2009.
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Provide $1.3 billion for Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) through Dec. 31, 2010. The current program expires June 30.
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Extend the Qualified Individual program through Dec. 31, 2010 for $550 million.
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Provide $100 million to Indian Health provisions from IHCIA and eliminate cost-sharing for Americans Indians and Alaska Natives in Medicaid. It would also provide protections for Indian tribal property and protections for access to Indian facilities.
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Provide $680 million to apply prompt payment requirements to nursing facilities and hospitals participating in Medicaid.