 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Health Care
Throughout my tenure in the United States Senate, I have continued to work on many health care issues of great importance to Pennsylvanians. As Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, I remain committed to making quality health care more accessible and affordable. Among the many important issues faced by the 109th Congress are: Medicaid and Medicare reform; the uninsured and rising costs of health and malpractice liability insurance; and the continuation of funding for important biomedical research.
One of my health care priorities continues to be providing a quality prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. On November 23, 2003, I voted in favor of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which passed the Senate by a vote of 54-44. This legislation makes available a voluntary prescription drug plan for all Medicare beneficiaries. The program also provides a discount card for prescription drug purchases, which will save Medicare beneficiaries an estimated 10 to 25 percent of the cost of prescription drugs. For low-income beneficiaries, a $600 subsidy will be applied to the card offering additional assistance.
Effective January 1, 2006, Medicare will provide a new optional prescription drug benefit under Medicare Part D, which will make a dramatic difference for millions of Americans with lower incomes and chronic health care needs. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries, who make up 44 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries, will be provided with prescription drug coverage with minimal out of pocket costs. In Pennsylvania, this benefit would be further enhanced through coordination with the Prescription Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program to provide increased cost savings for low-income beneficiaries.
I also support Congressional action that would allow U.S. citizens to purchase imported prescription drugs provided that this action will result in no public health risk. I am a cosponsor of the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, S. 334, which creates a framework through which Americans can safely purchase imported pharmaceuticals from registered countries to provide a significant cost savings. Additionally, I introduced the Prescription Drug and Health Improvement Act, S. 813, which would enable the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with prescription drug manufacturers for lower prices for Medicare prescription.
I staunchly support legislation that ensures that health care providers receive fair and adequate reimbursement in order to maintain quality and accessible health care for Medicare beneficiaries. I am pleased that the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act contains a number of improvements for the providers of health care to Medicare beneficiaries. Physicians who were originally scheduled to receive cuts in 2004 and 2005, received a 1.5 percent increase. Moreover, rural health care providers received much needed increases in Medicare reimbursement through raises to disproportionate share hospitals and standardized amounts, and a decrease in the labor share in the Medicare reimbursement formula. Hospitals across Pennsylvania have benefited from upgrades to the hospital market basket updates and increases in Indirect Medical Education. Furthermore, this law provides $900 million for hospitals in metropolitan statistical areas with high labor costs due to their close proximity to urban areas that provide a disproportionately high wage.
According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 45 million Americans lacked vital health insurance last year. To reduce the number of uninsured individuals, I am a co-sponsor of the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005, S. 406, which allows the establishment of association health plans (AHPs). AHPs would give small businesses the ability to provide medical insurance to their employees by grouping together and using the same bargaining power that larger employers have in negotiating contracts with insurers. Through this increased bargaining power AHPs may be able to offer reduced priced plans, thereby enabling more employers to afford to offer such coverage and reducing the number of small-firm employees without access to health insurance.
I also recognize that maintaining an accessible, high quality pool of physicians, specialists and hospitals is critical to our health care system. From my travels throughout the state, I understand the problems faced by medical professionals, as well as by people injured in the course of medical treatment; and I am working with my colleagues in the Senate to provide an appropriate legislative solution to address Pennsylvania's medical liability insurance crisis. I support caps on non-economic damages so long as they do not apply to catastrophic injuries such as the paperwork mix-up leading to the double mastectomy of a woman or the death of a 17-year-old woman in North Carolina due to an erroneous blood test. Beyond the issue of caps, I believe there could be savings on the cost of medical liability insurance through eliminating frivolous cases by requiring plaintiffs to file with the Court a certification by a doctor in the field that it is an appropriate case to bring to court. This proposal, which is now part of state procedure, would be expanded federally, thus reducing claims and saving costs. Further savings could be accomplished through patient safety initiatives identified in the report of the Institute of Medicine.
I have also worked to increase funding for important medical research initiatives. As Chairman of the LHHS Subcommittee, I have fought to double funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I firmly believe that the NIH is the crown jewel of the Federal government, and substantial investment in the NIH is crucial for the continuation of breakthrough research into the next decade. Such research benefits not only Americans, but victims of disease throughout the world. The success realized by this investment in the NIH has spawned revolutionary advances in our knowledge and treatment of diseases; only the Federal government can advance the funds necessary to ensure continued breakthroughs in medical science. I will continue to support Federal programs that provide valuable assistance, guidance, and biomedical research for the benefit of all Americans.
With the increased availability of Federal research dollars, it is also important for Congress to help facilitate the availability of ethical and innovative research techniques. For this reason, I have continued to advocate stem cell research for the purposes of discovering knowledge that may lead to cures for ailments such as cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. On February 8, 2005, I joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing S. 471, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. Current federal policy on human embryonic stem cell research only allows federally funded research on those stem cells derived before August 9, 2001. Today, only 22 stem cell lines are available to federally funded scientists. S. 471 would lift the date restriction and allow federally funded scientists to research a greater number of stem cell lines. The legislation would also provide stronger ethical requirements on stem cell lines eligible for funding including donor consent, certification that embryos donated are in excess of clinical need, and that the embryos would be otherwise discarded.
Congress holds an important role in funding prevention, education and treatment programs for substance abuse, domestic violence and AIDS. I have continued to help fund the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which improves the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services for substance abuse and mental illnesses. During fiscal year 2005, I helped secure $3.4 billion for SAMHSA. In the fight against domestic violence, I support increased funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). These monies will continue to help combat domestic violence by making available needed educational and financial services for community action groups.
I further worked to secure $435 million for a U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Fighting the AIDS epidemic here in our homeland is equally important. I have consistently supported Ryan White AIDS programs, which assist localities that are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. In fiscal year 2005, I helped secure $2 billion for Ryan White AIDS activities.
I am personally opposed to abortion, but I am a supporter of a woman's right to choose. I believe that it is not the role of the Federal government to interfere in an issue best handled by women and families in consultation with their minister, priest, or rabbi. Through my role as Chairman of the LHHS Subcommittee, I have also helped focus substantial resources on family planning and abstinence education in an effort to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the United States. In fiscal year 2005, I helped provide a total of $185.7 million for abstinence education. Specifically, I helped secure $2.9 million for the Pennsylvania Abstinence Education and Related Services Program (AERS), which provided funding to 36 Pennsylvania abstinence education organizations, and proved successful in preventing many teenage pregnancies.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
Defense
|
[ view ]
|
|
Education
|
[ view ]
|
|
Energy
|
[ view ]
|
|
Environment
|
[ view ]
|
|
Foreign Affairs
|
[ view ]
|
|
Health Care
|
[ view ]
|
|
Homeland Security
|
[ view ]
|
|
Social Security
|
[ view ]
|
|
Tax Relief
|
[ view ]
|
|
Transportation
|
[ view ]
|
|
Veterans Affairs
|
[ view ]
|
|
 |
 |
Main Office:
711 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-4254
Contact Form: Click here
|
|
|
|
