PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3840 PRINTER'S NO. 4018
No. 576 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY SCHULER, PISTELLA, M. BAKER, SATHER, GEORGE,
ARMSTRONG, RUBLEY, FICHTER, CRUZ, MAITLAND, LESCOVITZ,
DONATUCCI, DeWEESE, BARRAR, KENNEY, LAUGHLIN, CAPPELLI,
SANTONI, PETRARCA, NAILOR, J. TAYLOR, M. WRIGHT, CORRIGAN,
SCHRODER, TIGUE, CALTAGIRONE, O'BRIEN, SHANER, BUNT, HERMAN,
BISHOP, BELARDI, YOUNGBLOOD, HARHAI, McILHATTAN, PICKETT,
KELLER, FREEMAN, CURRY, JOSEPHS, MAJOR, MELIO, HORSEY,
PALLONE, ROBINSON, THOMAS, BARD, CLARK, ROSS, BROOKS,
WOJNAROSKI, E. Z. TAYLOR, SOLOBAY, DALEY, CREIGHTON, DeLUCA,
HUTCHINSON, BROWNE, S. MILLER, GRUCELA, STEELMAN, WANSACZ,
SCRIMENTI, HENNESSEY, HESS, STABACK, BEBKO-JONES, B. SMITH,
HERSHEY, L. I. COHEN, McCALL, WATSON, MANDERINO, GEIST,
SAINATO, CIVERA, MARSICO, ADOLPH, BENNINGHOFF AND SEMMEL,
MAY 7, 2002
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 12, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Congress of the United States to permanently
2 eliminate the 15% cut in the Medicare home health benefit
3 scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2002, and extend
4 the 10% rural add-on to Medicare home health providers and
5 calling upon the President to support the Congress in this
6 effort.
7 WHEREAS, There are 321 Medicare-certified agencies in
8 Pennsylvania providing critical care each year in the homes of
9 nearly half a million Pennsylvanians; and
10 WHEREAS, Home health patients receiving Medicare services are
11 typically the sickest, frailest and most vulnerable of
12 Pennsylvania's elderly population; and
13 WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States in 1997 sought to
1 cut growth in the Medicare home health benefit by $16.2 billion
2 over five years but resulted in cutting more than $72 billion;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, Nearly one million fewer Medicare beneficiaries
5 qualify for Medicare-reimbursed home care than in 1997; and
6 WHEREAS, Additional cuts in the Medicare home health benefit
7 would force many low-cost, efficient agencies in Pennsylvania
8 which are struggling under the current system to go out of
9 business, thereby harming access to Medicare beneficiaries; and
10 WHEREAS, Total elimination of the 15% cut has been postponed
11 for the past two years; and
12 WHEREAS, The impending 15% cut is making it difficult for
13 home health agencies to secure lines of credit and is
14 discouraging investment in advanced technologies and staff
15 benefits; and
16 WHEREAS, Sixty-five members of the United States Senate have
17 joined in a bipartisan letter that recommends the elimination of
18 the 15% cut; and
19 WHEREAS, One hundred thirteen members of the United States
20 House of Representatives have joined in a bipartisan letter that
21 recommends the elimination of the 15% cut; and
22 WHEREAS, The Budget Committee of the United States Senate has
23 voted to set aside the funds necessary to do away with the 15%
24 cut; and
25 WHEREAS, The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC),
26 the group established by the Congress to advise on Medicare
27 policy, has called upon the Congress to permanently eliminate
28 the 15% cut in the Medicare home health benefit; and
29 WHEREAS, MedPAC has reported that there are three factors
30 that can lead to a cost increase for rural home health
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1 providers: travel, volume of services and lack of sophisticated
2 management and patient care procedures; and
3 WHEREAS, Medicare home health services are delivered to a
4 large rural population in Pennsylvania which often lives miles
5 apart, increasing the cost of providing home health services;
6 therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
8 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress to permanently
9 eliminate the 15% cut in the Medicare home health benefit AND <--
10 EXTEND THE 10% RURAL ADD-ON TO MEDICARE HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS;
11 and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
13 President to support the Congress in eliminating the 15% cut in
14 the Medicare home health benefit AND EXTEND THE 10% RURAL ADD-ON <--
15 TO MEDICARE HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
17 the President of the United States, the Vice President of the
18 United States, the Speaker of the United States House of
19 Representatives and to each member of Congress from
20 Pennsylvania.
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