Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act

3/12/2024, 4:02 PM

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act

This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission.

The bill also allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.

Congress
117

Number
S - 4381

Introduced on
2022-06-13

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

6/13/2022

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act

This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that have been subject to specified regulatory actions (e.g., civil penalties) for substandard quality of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must still disapprove such programs for up to two years; however, the CMS must rescind the disapproval upon completion of corrective action and may require additional oversight of the program for purposes of rescission.

The bill also allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information for affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act with respect to nursing facility requirements, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
Health

Potential Impact
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Health and Human Services
Employee performance
Employment and training programs
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medicare
Nursing
Performance measurement
Personnel records
State and local government operations

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary6/25/2022

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act

This bill repeals certain restrictions under Medicare and Medicaid that prohibit the approval of nurse-aide training and competency evaluation programs in skilled nursing facilities that ...


Latest Action6/13/2022
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.