MHA's Executive Briefing

House rejects AHA-opposed amendments to HHS spending bill

The House on June 24 approved a $601.9 billion fiscal year 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill after rejecting two amendments that were opposed by the American Hospital Association. The bill provides $459.4 billion in mandatory spending and $142.5 billion in discretionary spending. One amendment would have enforced a requirement that respirators worn by health care workers for tuberculosis exposure be fit-tested annually, a measure hospitals contend is burdensome and unnecessary. The other amendment, offered by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-CO, effectively would have withdrawn the $1 billion in funding provided in Section 1011 of the Medicare Modernization Act for uncompensated care hospitals deliver to undocumented immigrants. Opponents said it would punish hospitals for fulfilling their obligation to care for all patients, regardless of their citizenship or ability to pay. Rep. Ron Kind, D-WI, withdrew an amendment that sought to restore funding for rural health, but pledged to work with the House Ways & Means Committee to address under-funding of rural providers. (via AHA News)

House committee passes Labor-HHS spending bill

The House Appropriations Committee on June 16 approved a fiscal year 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill that would cut $84.58 million from rural health programs, including $28.5 million less for outreach grants, and leave funding for nursing programs roughly unchanged at nearly $150 million. Expected to go to the House floor this week, the bill contains the same program funding levels passed by the panel's health subcommittee June 9. Other HHS appropriations in the bill include $500 million for hospital bioterrorism preparedness ($472.48 million for hospitals and $27.52 million for curriculum), down $19 million from this year; and $125 million for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, including $50 million for grants to support the health information technology initiative. (via AHA News)

Senate confirms Levinson as HHS inspector general

The Senate on June 8 confirmed Daniel Levinson as inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, where he has served as acting inspector general since President Bush nominated him for the post in July 2004. He also currently serves as inspector general of the General Services Administration, which he will leave once he is sworn in at HHS. He earlier served as chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent agency established to protect federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices. (via AHA News)

Bush nominates deputy HHS secretary

President Bush on April 12 announced his intension to nominate Alex Azar, general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, to serve as deputy HHS secretary. Prior to joining the administration, Azar was a partner in the Washington law firm Wiley, Rein & Fielding, and earlier clerked for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. (via AHA News)