Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1868 - Medicare and Medicaid Patient and Program Protection Act of 1985

(House)
(Moore (R) Louisiana and 17 others)

The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 1868, but will work with the Senate to obtain certain changes in the bill, the most important of which is to delete section 9. This section would significantly complicate the administration of the Medicaid quality assurance program. It would expand the scope of the provision in the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (DEFRA) which imposed a moratorium on determining Medicaid eligibility errors for the "medically needy" arising as a result of States' using the same rules as are used in the cash assistance programs. As required by DEFRA, the Department of Health and Human Services is currently preparing a report on this issue; until that report has been presented to and considered by the Congress, broadening of the moratorium is inappropriate.