Home Health & Hospice Week

Home care providers may be getting used to some new names this congressional session, as Republicans take control of the committees with jurisdiction over Medicare issues. Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) will chair the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, replacing Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), who will become Ranking Member. The larger Ways and Means Committee is now chaired by Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.). And Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) now chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committees also have some new members, which home care providers should get to know. "Members of these committees -- particularly those also on the health subcommittees -- will be influential in shaping health care and Medicare and Medicaid legislation and driving the House's health care policy agenda over the next two years," the National Association for Home Care & Hospice stresses. Full committee lists are at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/About/Members.htm and http://energycommerce.house.gov/about/members.shtml.