The legislation overwhelmingly passed the House and has more than 40 co-sponsors in the Senate. Prior authorization is a major source of administrative burden for providers and the legislation would improve the process for approving requests, including the installation of electronic prior authorization. In addition to the funding issues, the hospital industry is hoping to get several key pieces of legislation through before the end of this Congress, which could change hands depending on the outcome of the election.Ĭhief among the priorities is the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which introduces prior authorization reforms to Medicare Advantage plans. “These providers are still working tirelessly to provide this care to the patient.”

“I think we are all wanting to move forward from the pandemic, but we have to recognize that these challenges persist,” Kleinman said. While Congress has included some other allocations, lawmakers have not been able to agree on additional relief. “Updating the Medicare physician payment system to include annual increases that account for inflation would offer financial stability and predictability to providers across the country,” the letter said.Īt the onset of the pandemic, Congress delivered a major $174 billion relief fund intended to prop up providers facing debilitating revenue shortfalls. The FAH also called for Congress to step in and cut off a 4.5% cut to doctor payments in the Physician Fee Schedule. Chief among them is waiving a 4% cut to Medicare payments set to start next year under the PAYGO law, which mandates cuts if federal spending reaches a certain threshold. The lame duck session is especially contentious, leading Senator Edward Kennedy to say, “We have accomplished precisely nothing of any value.” Representative Leon Panetta also remarked, “Frankly, we all look like fools.”ġ994 - Congress passes legislation on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).ġ998 - The House of Representatives holds a lame duck session and votes to impeach President Bill Clinton.Ģ002 - The Department of Homeland Security is established.Ģ010 - A compromise tax bill is passed, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed, and a new START treaty with Russia is approved.The AHA (PDF) and the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH/PDF) sent separate letters to congressional leadership this week seeking several priorities. Joseph McCarthy.ġ974 - Nelson Rockefeller is confirmed as vice president.ġ982 - The House votes to give its members a retroactive pay raise. There was no lame duck session in 1996.ġ day - The shortest lame duck session, which took place on December 31, 1948.ĥ8 days - The longest lame duck session, which took place in the Senate from Novemto January 3, 1941.ġ954 - The year the Senate holds a lame duck session to censure Wisconsin Sen. Prior to the ratification of the 20th Amendment, every second session of Congress from the first to the 73rd was technically a lame duck session.ġ0 - Number of these sessions from 1940 to 1992.ĩ - Number of these sessions from 1994 to 2012.

The Senate passes it 63-6.ġ932 - After nine years of delays, the House also passes Norris’ amendment, 336-56.ġ933 - The 20th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified.ġ9 - Number of lame duck sessions of Congress since the ratification of the 20th Amendment. It’s like where some fellows worked for you and their work wasn’t satisfactory and you let ‘em out, but after you fired ‘em, you let ‘em stay long enough so they could burn your house down.”ġ923 - Senator George Norris of Nebraska proposes the 20th Amendment, moving the start date of Congress from March 4th to January 3rd. This occurred in 18.ġ932 - The year that humorist Will Rogers said: “An awful lot of people are confused as to just what is meant by a lame duck Congress. This led to many problems, such as President-elect Abraham Lincoln being unable to deal with the secession of seven states during the long gap between his election and inauguration.Ģ - The number of times a lame duck House of Representatives chose the president and vice president in disputed elections. 85 - The number of current members of Congress who are lame ducks.ġ7 weeks - The length of time between November elections and inauguration on March 4th, prior to the 20th Amendment being ratified in 1933.

Merkels pandemic challenge lame duck