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Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 1999

Introduced: March 16, 1999 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 16, 1999
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mar 16, 1999
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2769-2770)
Mar 16, 1999
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop outcome standards and measures to evaluate health care program and project performance in providing quality end-of-life care and to report to Congress on such development.

Requires the Secretary to study and report to Congress on: (1) the implementation of this Act; and (2) all matters relating to the creation of a national uniform policy on advance directives.

Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, with regard to advance directives in order to: (1) require service providers and eligible organizations to provide an appropriately trained professional for discussing advance directive issues with all adult individuals receiving medical care by or through such entities; and (2) ensure that an advance directive valid in one State will be honored in another State.

Requires the Secretary, through the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), to: (1) establish and operate a clearinghouse and 24-hour toll-free telephone hotline to provide consumer information about advance directives and end-of-life decision making; (2) conduct ongoing evaluations of innovative health care programs that provide end-of-life care to Medicare beneficiaries who are seriously ill or who suffer from a medical condition that is likely to be fatal; and (3) conduct demonstration projects to develop new and innovative approaches to providing such end-of-life care.

Directs the Secretary to report annually to Congress on the quality of end-of-life care under Medicare, together with any suggestions for legislation to improve the quality of such care.

Provides for necessary funding of such evaluations, demonstration projects, and annual reports.

Amends SSA title XVIII, as amended by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, to provide for Medicare coverage of self-administered prescription drugs which are prescribed for the relief of chronic pain in patients with a life-threatening disease or condition.

What's happening now March 16, 1999

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1