3/16/14: In last week's "Week Ahead" post, we told you that H.R. 4160, the "Keep the Promise to Seniors Act", was scheduled for a vote. The vote didn't happen. It was pulled from consideration at the last minute — so what actually happened with the H.R. 4160?
The bill was introduced on March 6, by Rep. Renee Ellmers [R, NC-2]. It would have prohibited the Secretary of HHS from making policy or enforcing any parts of a proposed "Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs".
That proposed rule, issued by the Administration on January 10, 2014, received over 7,000 comments during the official public comment period (including over 250 sent using POPVOX.) Days after the public comment period closed, the Administration announced that it would not move forward with the regulation.
"Given the complexities of these issues and stakeholder input, we do not plan to finalize these proposals at this time," CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner wrote to lawmakers, as reported in the New York Times.
With the Administration's announcement, House Leadership "pulled" the bill from the calendar. "Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Republicans could bring up the bill, H.R. 4160, at a later date if the Administration decided to consider the rule again," reports The Hill.
Check out some of the comments about the proposed rule that were sent to the Administration through POPVOX:
