Making Medicare Reimbursement Rates Fair
One of my priorities in Congress is to fix the inequity in Medicare reimbursement rates for Washington state. Our doctors, hospitals and other key health care providers face Medicare payment shortfalls. Many hospitals are losing money and more and more doctors in Northwest Washington can no longer afford to treat Medicare patients or are leaving the state altogether.

In large part, this is because Washington state receives far below the national average in Medicare payments per patient. Because of a flawed, complex funding formula, the federal government provides fewer Medicare dollars for Washington state than it does for other states. This means that our physicians receive lower rates to treat seniors and disabled patients on Medicare. It also means, even though all seniors pay the same amount into Medicare, seniors who live in Washington state get less back. Even more unfair, one of the reasons we receive less in our state is because our health care system is efficient and cost-effective.

This fight for equitable reimbursement rates is about fairness and continued access to high-quality health care. I have joined with my Washington state colleagues in reintroducing the MediFAIR Act (H.R. 868). This legislation will increase Washington state's reimbursement rates to the national average, ensuring that our seniors are treated on par with seniors around the country. The bill will also require other states to become more efficient and cut waste in their health care systems. It will stop punishing Washington state's health care system and instead reward the efficiency and good health we have produced.

I have also cosponsored the Preserving Patient Access to Physicians Act of 2005 (H.R. 2356). This bill seeks to create an annual physician payment update that reflects practice cost increases instead of the strength of the economy, as is currently factored in the SGR system. Many doctors can no longer accept Medicare patients because of the prohibitive costs. In recent years, Congress has passed annual legislation to increase the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, but each time these actions result in just a temporary fix. A more permanent solution is needed to enable doctors to treat Medicare patients.

Another problem with Medicare's complex funding system is that it has historically penalized rural areas. Health care providers in rural areas get less money from Medicare for the very same procedure performed in urban areas, which keeps many health care practitioners from serving rural populations. I have cosponsored the Rural Health Training Incentive Act of 2005 (H.R. 1654) to provide grants to medical and nursing schools to encourage more health professionals to practice in rural areas.

Helping Small Businesses and Working Families Afford Health Care
The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in 2005 than more than 40 percent of small businesses do not offer health benefits, primarily because of the high cost of health insurance. Today, one out of every six dollars spent in the US is spent on health care. And health care costs rose an average 2.1 percent faster than inflation over the last forty years.

As health care costs continue to rise, fewer employers and working families will be able to afford coverage, and the number of uninsured will inevitably rise.

My plan for small business health care includes group pooling arrangements and tax breaks while maintaining high-quality standards in coverage. I have cosponsored the Small Business Health Insurance Promotion Act (H.R. 2073) to create health pooling arrangements that small businesses of under 50 employees and the self-employed could join. This bill would extend a 50 percent tax credit, at minimum, to small businesses.

Bringing Down the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Many seniors have enrolled in the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit that was unveiled in early 2006. The program has received a mixed response from many seniors and their advocates.

In March 2006, I commissioned a study through the House Government Reform committee to compare drug prices offered by Medicare drug plans in our district with four benchmarks: (1) prices negotiated by the federal government, (2) Canadian prices, (3) online retailers, and (4) wholesalers. The study showed substantial price differentials between drugs bought through Medicare and those found elsewhere. To view this study, click here.

I have introduced legislation to make Medicare Part D a more user-friendly and affordable program. The FIX MEDICARE PART D ACT (H.R. 4792) would require Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for cheaper drugs, allow the importation of safe prescription drugs from Canada, and it would give seniors until the end of 2007 to enroll in a prescription drug plan without any penalty.

The drafting of my FIX bill resulted from the concerns of seniors from around the district. After the initial enrollment deadline in May 2006, I conducted a district-wide survey about seniors' experiences with Part D. The results showed that seniors had only lukewarm feelings about feeling better off with Part D. Through my legislation, I am working toward a better program that will have a more positive response.

Support for Life-Saving Research
I fully support efforts to double the research budget at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Groundbreaking research on diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and AIDS has been done at NIH or with NIH grants. I am continuing to work to make sure that critical medical research receives the support it needs from Congress.