Medicare, cybersecurity, favors for banks, mortgages, IRS bullying, a tax cut for the rich, and a couple of good ideas are highlighted from the law and bills that passed Congress in April. Please support Congressional Dish: to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Laws : Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR): Enacted in 1997, the SGR paid doctors for Medicare patients based on the growth in gross domestic product (GDP). If Medicare costs increased more than GDP, doctors payments were cut across the board. , this formula for payment has meant that the Medicare payment rate to doctors is essentially the same as it was in 2001 and cuts have been postponed so many times that doctors' payments if this bill was not signed into law by April 1. This new law: the Sustainable Growth Rate formula for Medicare payments to doctors. while the payment rate transitions away from a pay-per-service model. The new system will be based on scores assessed by a "Merit-based Incentive Payment System" which which will go into effect on . A list of and doctors can choose which one's will be used in their performance assessments. Doctors will be rated and paid , which will starting in the second year of the program. The GAO will report on the effectiveness of the system . An advisory committee will be created , which will be to group practices and medical homes. Sets a goal for Medicare records to be electronic nation-wide . a bunch of existing Medicare programs, including the Children's Health Insurance Program (which covers low income kids whose parents make too much for Medicaid) . from five to ten years. a prior authorization requirement for "repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transport" the printing of social security numbers on Medicare cards Pays for the new system by... to policies with to people who enter Medicare after January 1, 2020. For all future beneficiaries, they will have to pay (the cost of the Medicare Part B deductible). for relatively high income individuals. who have a gross income between $133,501 and $160,000 ($267,000 and $320,000 for a couple) will pay a 65% premium instead of 50%, and people above that will pay an 80% premium rate. This would beginning in 2020. Has a huge increase in the levy that the Treasury Department can impose on tax delinquent service providers, increasing it , effective on October 16, 2015. Will have auditors to help reduce the number of them. Creates , saving mail fees. The effect this bill will have on the budget . The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates this bill will . Passed and Sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas Bills : National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 For reference, here's the of the Homeland Security Act, which is amended by this bill. This bill: to the that will be part of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, which coordinates information sharing between the Federal government and other entities. Adds new groups to the list of who will be included in the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center who . that the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center will share between the Federal government, local governments, and private sector. Authorizes the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to . Requires the government and businesses to use existing technology between the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and Federal agencies. Participation by non-Federal entities . Agreements that exist before this bill is signed into law with this law. All participating entities need to take . There's no listed punishments if they don't. for governing the use of information shared with the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center . He/she will also be responsible for for government employees who disregard his/her privacy policies. entities that share information , if they share information according to this law. If the Federal government breaks this law, it will have to pay the person . There is a two year statute of limitations. This law that limit information sharing. The law would after enactment. Passed Sponsored by Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas : Protecting Cyber Networks Act Contains the text of H.R. 1731: National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act Within of enactment, the for sharing classified "cyber threat indicators" with "non-Federal entities" Allows cybersecurity monitoring of government systems Allows "non-Federal entities" to other than the Defense Department. The entity sharing information must to remove personally identifiable information on people "not directly related" to the cybersecurity threat. governing what happens to information received by the Federal Government, of the bill becoming law. relating to privacy and civil liberties, within of the bill becoming law. A new branch, with , will be created within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence called the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, which will Information shared with the government is . Information given to the government to investigate, prosecute, prevent or mitigate a threat of "death or serious bodily harm or an offense arising out of such a threat" and to investigate, prosecute, prevent or mitigate a threat to a minor. to prevent, investigation, disrupt, or prosecute , , including murder, manslaughter, assault, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, extortion, firearms use, firearms possession, or attempt to commit any of these crimes, including photographing or sketching defense installations, and . Passed Sponsored by Rep. Devin Nunes of California : Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2015 to mobile home retailers who take mortgage loan applications, negotiate loans, or advise consumers on loan terms (including rates, fees, and other costs) This licensing, registry, a law prohibiting payment based on the terms of the loan, regulations prohibiting steering customers towards loans they can't repay or with excessive fees, regulations prohibiting mischaracterizing a customer's credit history, regulations prohibiting the mischaracterization of the appraised value of the home, or steering a customer towards a loan that's more expensive than others that they qualify for. banks can charge people buying a home for under $75,000 without the loan being labeled as "high-cost", which subjects the loans to . The regulations this would exempt the loans from: Ban , which is an oversized payment due at the end of a mortgage Prohibit banks from charging prepayment penalties and fees Restrict late fees to four percent of the payment that is past due Bans fees for loan modification Require banks make sure the loan can be repaid before offering it Prohibit banks from recommending that a customer default on a loan Require that banks receive a confirmation that the customer has received homeownership counseling before they accept a high-cost mortgage. Would allow banks to charge $3,000 or 5% in fees for loans under $75,000, . says banks can charge 5% for loans over $20,000, so the $3,000 fee option would hit the smaller loans the hardest. Passed the House . Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote. The bill by President Obama. Sponsored by Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee , his #4 donor and . Jeb Hensarling, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee , giving him $8,750. : Mortgage Choice Act of 2015 By changing the definition of what charges count as "points and fees", this bill... that charges for title insurance be counted as points and fees if they're paid to an affiliate of the bank/creditor that issued the loan. Currently, , which include fees charged by affiliated settlement providers. Every thing that gets exempted from counting as "points and fees" therefore becomes additional charges the lender is allowed to tack on to a mortgage. Exempts money held in for , which exempt insurance charges from the fee caps. The change in definition allows more fees to be charged to mortgages, while keeping those mortgages from being classified as "high-cost" and being subject to greater restrictions. This is ; it passed by voice vote on June 9, 2014. Passed the House . Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote. Sponsored by Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan are - in this order - Insurance ($273,265), Real Estate ($218,175), and Commercial Banks ($193,000). : Capital Access for Small Community Financial Institutions Act of 2015 Federal Home Loan Banks are privately owned cooperatives, funded by the global credit market, which provide money to local banks. There are twelve of them around the country and they are owned by the member banks. Most local banks are members of least one Federal Home Loan Bank. if they are FDIC eligible or are certified by the State. If the State doesn't get to it in under 6 months, Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio over the course of his four year Congressional career have been Insurance ($898,858), Commercial Banks ($534,622), and Securities and Investment ($502,098). : Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act Orders the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to create an application process for people or companies This would allow residents to become eligible for certain mortgages and exempt lenders from regulations intended for urban areas, after 2 years. Passed the House . Nydia Valazquez of New York was the only no vote. Sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky during his 3 years in Congress. : Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act Creates advisory boards for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Places for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Passed the House , with 4 Democrat Ayes and 5 Republican Nays President Obama the bill Sponsored by Rep. Robert Pittenger of North Carolina His #4 and #5 contributing industries are Securities & Investment and Commercial Banks; he's taken a during his 3 years in Congress : Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act Became the vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority in the Senate for organizations that are denied tax-exempt status Would apply to decisions made on or after . Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania : Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act Gives the Treasury Secretary of telling organizations if they are investigating a claim of unauthorized information disclosure by a government, if the investigation substantiated their claim, and if any action, including prosecution, is planned. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania : Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act Allows the IRS to fire employees who steer and audit for a political purpose or for personal gain. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. James Renacci of Ohio : Fair Treatment for All Gifts Act Makes gifts made to tax exempt. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois : Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act Tells the IRS Commissioner to "ensure" that IRS employees are "familiar with and act in accord" with including The right to be informed The right to quality service The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax The right to challenge the position of the Internal Revenue Service and be heard The right to appeal a decision of the Internal Revenue Service in an independent forum The right to finality The right to privacy The right to confidentiality The right to retain representation The right to a fair and just tax system Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois : IRS Email Transparency Act Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas : Death Tax Repeal Act for anyone who dies after the bill is signed , which is a tax on gifts and transfers of wealth to unrelated people who are more than 37.5 years younger than the donor, or to related people who are one generation younger. Would the top gift tax rate from 40 to 35 percent. The effects of this on the budget . The CBO says this would over the next 10 years President Obama the bill. Passed by Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas : State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Fairness Act the law that allows taxpayers who itemize their claims to deduct their state's sales taxes instead of getting a deduction for their state's income taxes. The effect of this bill on the budget . CBO says this would increase the Federal deficit over the next ten years. President Obama the bill. Passed the House . Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas : Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2015 Stops Federal agencies from contracting with companies that are tax delinquent A waiver can be issued and the contract granted if a report is submitted to Congress saying that the contract Passed the House Sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah : Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act Makes the Attorney General that a drug company is accused of violating in their notices to the companies regarding the possible suspension of their drug's registration. Allows drug companies to submit a when their drug registration may be suspended Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania His top contributing industry for the last election was the pharmaceutical industry; they gave him $55,250. : Medicare Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act Increases the length of Medicare contracts for at-home care from 3 years to 5 years Passed the Senate by a voice vote Sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon : Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act Clarifies that search and rescue volunteers and are . for allowing search and rescue teams onto Federal land so that they won't have to get insurance. The government as to approve or deny a request for a search and rescue mission . Passed the House Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada Rep. Heck introduced the bill in response to the ; the search for his body in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area was delayed because the search team needed a special use permit and a $1 million insurance policy. It took 10 months to get the insurance; his body was found 3 hours after their search began. The National Association for Search and Rescue and the National Park Service, however, . : Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act who provide information relating to motor vehicle defects or other dangerous safety problems. Allows the government to give from a car company that breaks the law to the whistleblower whose information lead to the conviction. The whistleblower is to be represented by a lawyer. Passed the Senate by a voice vote Sponsored by Senator John Thune of South Dakota Senator Thune has taken from the automotive industry : Steve Gleason Act of 2015 Starting in 2016, Medicare would cover . Allows people to (as opposed to renting them) if purchased between October 1, 2015 and October 1, 2018. Named after former NFL football player , who played for the New Orleans Saints before being diagnosed with ALS Passed the Senate of a voice vote Sponsored by Senator David Vitter of Louisiana Hearings : April 13 on HR 650 and HR 685, about housing bills. : April 21 on HR 1731 and HR 1560 on Cybersecurity : March 18 hearing on deregulation for banks titled "Preserving Consumer Choice and Financial Independence" Information Presented in This Episode Article: by Paul Demko, Modern Healthcare, April 14, 2015. Article: by Mike Baker and Daniel Wagner, The Seattle Times, April 2, 2015. Article: by Fowler Williams, National Mortgage Professional Magazine, June 11, 2015. Article: by Robin Sidel and Saabira Chaudhuri, Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2014 Article: by Anjeanette Damon, USA Today, March 8, 2014. Webpage: , Department of Homeland Security. Webpage: Press Release: Additional Information Kickstarter: by Soloman Kahn. Jen's Podcast Appearances : Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria : Podcast Junkies with Harry Duran Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: by (found on by mevio) by (found on by mevio) by (found on by mevio)