On April 23, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 5613, the “Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008,” by a vote of 349 to 62. The bill would extend a current moratorium on implementation of certain Medicaid regulations and block additional rules through April 1, 2009. The rules affected by the legislation involve: payments to public safety net institutions; coverage of rehabilitation services for people with disabilities; outreach and enrollment in schools and specialized medical transportation to school for children covered by Medicaid; graduate medical education payments; coverage of hospital clinic services; case management services; state provider tax laws; and appeals filed through HHS. The bill also would provide $25 million annually to fund Medicaid anti-fraud activities. To finance the legislation, the bill would extend an electronic asset verification demonstration for Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries, and temporarily borrow money from the Physician Assistance and Quality Improvement (PAQI) Fund. The legislation next moves to the Senate. Note that the Bush Administration has threatened to veto the bill.