Representative McDermott Expresses Concern Over Appeals Backlog –  On March 18, 2014, Representative Jim McDermott (D-Wash), the ranking member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, submitted a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing concern about the backlog of appeals pending with the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals.  McDermott emphasized that the primary drivers of the appeals backlog include the Recovery Auditor Contractor (RAC) program and the two-midnight policy.  McDermott requested, among other things, that the agency move beneficiary appeals to the front of the line and require enhanced accountability for RACs.