A bill to amend part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to the payment rates for routine home care and other services included in hospice care.
Public Law 98-617 · H.R. 5386 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 8, 1984 · Health
Sponsor: Rep. Leon Panetta (D-CA-16)
Cosponsors (8): Rep. Willis Gradison, Rep. Mario Biaggi,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that the rate of payment for hospital care shall be $53.17 per day for routine home care furnished during FY 1985.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with respect to hospice care and services furnished on or after October 1, 1985, to: (1) at least annually, review and make appropriate adjustments to the payment rate for routine home care; and (2) report to Congress annually concerning such review and adjustments.
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Act to decrease the reduction in OASDI benefits payable because an individual receives a public pension from the full amount of the pension to two-thirds of the amount of such pension. (Current law excludes certain individuals from such treatment because of the date they became eligible for a pension.)
Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Act to extend for one year: (1) the conditional ceiling on Federal financial participation in foster care; (2) the provision which permits a State to use, under part B (Child Welfare Services) of title IV, funds made available to it under the conditional ceiling that are not needed under part E; and (3) the provision permitting Federal financial participation for foster care for certain children voluntarily placed in foster care.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Ways and Means Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Nov 8, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-617.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 29, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 11, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 3, 1984FloorFloor · Held at the desk by unanimous consent.
- Oct 1, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Sep 28, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
- Sep 26, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Ways and Means Committee
- Sep 20, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee
- Apr 9, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee
- Apr 5, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.