Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support H.R. 3716, the Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act. This legislation is the compilation of two bills, H.R. 3821 and H.R. 3716, which are true efforts to improve program integrity in Medicaid in ways that will strengthen the Medicaid program. Both bipartisan bills passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee through regular order and were favorably reported by voice vote. Part of the new compiled bill reflects H.R. 3821, the Medicaid DOC Act. This bipartisan initiative, introduced by Representatives Collins of New York and Tonko, would require States that participate in fee- for-service Medicaid to publish electronic provider directories. This is critical information for patients so they can more easily find doctors in their area. Currently, managed care plans in Medicaid are already required to maintain these directories, but there is no such requirement for fee- for-service Medicaid programs. While some States are already providing these directories, not every State does so. This commonsense and consumer-friendly legislation will require that all States provide their Medicaid patients with this information, and it does so quickly, requiring directories to be up and running in less than 1 year. Now, while the bill includes minimum items that must be included in a provider directory, it also encourages States to go beyond these standards.…”