Since I started writing this blog, I have tried to use it to reveal more details about various bills moving through Congress, most recently the health care reform bills being proposed by Democrats.

So yesterday, I just decided to pick a page.  Planes popped into my mind, so I went with 727.

On that page is Section 1643, "Access to Certain Information On Renal Dialysis Facilities."

"For purposes of evaluating or auditing payments made to renal dialysis facilities for items and services," the bill reads, "each such renal dialysis facility, upon the request of the Secretary, shall provide...access to information relating to any ownership or compensation arrangement between such facility and the medical director of such facility or between such facility and any physician."

That's an interesting one, because it is obviously meant to zero in on services administered to patients, and the payments made to doctors or hospitals for sending patients to a renal dialysis facility.

I figured that couldn't be the only effort to cut down on medical costs along those lines and it wasn't.

On Page 312, Section 1156, "Limitation on Medicare Exceptions to the Prohibition on Certain Physician Referrals Made to Hospitals," addresses some similar items.

This section requires the "names and unique physician identification numbers of all physicians with an ownership or investment interest" or "compensation arrangement" in the hospital, as well as immediate relatives who might be financially involved as well.

The legislative text then goes on to require such physician owned hospitals to disclose that early and often when dealing with the public under, "Requirements For Hospitals With Physician Ownership or Investment."

The plan would require "periodic updates" that contain "a detailed description" for the feds of each phyician owner and/or investor, that such interest be disclosed to every patient, and disclose in on the hospital website and in public advertising.

What happens if you don't follow those proposed rules?  The answer is on page 316, "a civil money penalty of not more than $10,000 for each day and "each case in which disclosure is required."

The bill then goes on to list a series of exceptions for rural hospitals that are partly or wholly physician owned and operated.

Later on page 322, the bill lays out that hospitals granted a waiver by the feds "may increase the number of operating rooms, procedure rooms, or beds of the hospital above the baseline numberof operating rooms, procedure rooms, or beds," and there's all kinds of other items related to this section.

It's just another reminder that the debates on a public option, end-of-life decisions and more are just a small slice of what's in this health care bill.

As always, I urge you to read parts of the bill yourself, to get an idea what's in it. You can download one of the versions from the House at http://bit.ly/nSL2A