Legislative Process for Health Policy Discussion

Posted: July 5th, 2021

The H.R. 259: Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019 is a bill, now law, after the president signed it on Jan 24, this year. New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District Representative introduced the bill on Jan 4 early this year. His name is Frank Pallone Jr.; a Democrat who ensured the bill was passed into law and was published as Pub. L. 116.3 (GovTrack.us., 2019). This bill passes the criteria stated in the introduction section as it passes the small percentage of bills that are introduced in the congressional sessions that are evaluated, enacted, and signed into law. The bill borrows essential provisions from other medical bills such as the H.R. 260: Medicaid Provisions and TANF Extenders Act of 2019, H.R. 21: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, and the H.R. 648: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (GovTrack.us., 2019).

The health law recommends two main issues. Primarily to revises several programs and funding mechanisms of the Medicaid program. Secondly, expanding the eligibility and protection of married couples, ensuring they acquire the home and community-based care, and eradicate destitution. A significant financial revision would be on the program responsible for Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration (GovTrack.us., 2019). According to the new law, H.R. 259: Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019, this program is required to award grants to all states with Medicaid programs. The grants will champion for home and community care among patients instead of the traditional institutional care given. Secondly, the law shows an extension of eligibility in-home and community-based services, especially among married couples.

Other than increasing funding, such as grants, the law outlines various areas that require funding reduction. Some of these reductions include reducing funds in medical assistance from the federal government for all states that have not incorporated the asset-verification program. The law also requires the reduction of medical funding in the Medicaid Improvement Fund program commencing in 2021 (GovTrack.us., 2019).

Reference

GovTrack.us. (2019). H.R. 259 — 116th Congress: Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019. Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr259