"I have three problems with this bill.  For one thing, seniors will need an accountant to figure out the complicated formula.  Under the plan, seniors would get no help from $2,000 to $3,500 they spend on prescription drugs.  If they can’t afford the first $2,000, how are they going to afford the next $1,500?  Republican Members of Congress just gave seniors a plan that would pay $980 of the first $3,500 in prescription drug costs, leaving them to pay $2,520.  These same Members of Congress have a plan that pays $2,800 of the first $3,500, leaving Congressmen paying only $700.  There’s something wrong with that.

"The second problem is that it’s a drug manufacturers’ plan, not a seniors’ plan.  The benefit is not a part of Medicare, so we lose the collective bargaining power of having 40 million seniors under one plan, the power to bring down the high cost of prescription drugs.  Last summer, a study I requested revealed that seniors in our district pay as much as 110 percent more for the five most popular drugs than they would pay in Canada, Europe, and Japan.  By splitting our seniors up into hundreds of private health plans across our country, we can expect the cost of prescription drugs to remain high.

"But the biggest problem is that it completely privatizes Medicare by 2010.  Rather than truly modernizing Medicare to include prescription drug coverage for seniors, in 2010 we’re going to hand them a voucher and say, ‘Here you go, now go out and find yourself a health insurance policy.’

"There is a reason Medicare was created, there is a reason our seniors have worked hard and paid payroll taxes: so that their needs will be taken care of.  Is this how we take care of our seniors?  If not for the $350 billion tax cut, we could have taken care of them.  We could have been able to provide an affordable, meaningful prescription drug benefit.  This issue reveals that the debate in Congress is not about what it costs, but where our priorities lie."

Wendelyn Osborne of Arkadelphia joined Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) in hosting a forum at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in an effort to gather support for the Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2003, H.R.1499.  Ross wrote the bill after learning of the challenges Osborne faced in getting the reconstructive surgery necessary to overcome her own disorder. 

“This country has laws to protect citizens from bring discriminated against in the workplace,” said Osborne, speaking before a group assembled in the Capitol.  “However, there are no laws preventing discrimination in the health care industry.  Insurance companies are discriminating against those of us suffering from a congenital condition.”

Children born with severe facial and head deformities are often denied insurance coverage because their health insurers classify needed operations as “cosmetic.”  Ten states have already taken steps to prevent this type of denial by insurance companies; Ross’s initiative would assure nationwide coverage for these medically necessary reconstructive surgeries. 

Ross was inspired to draft the bill after learning of Osborne’s continued struggle with her insurance company.  Osborne was the 16th person ever documented with the rare bone disease, Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia.  The condition causes an overgrowth of her craniofacial bone that never deteriorates, and requires periodic surgeries to correct the growth and abnormalities caused by the disease.  Unfortunately, Wendelyn has had to fight for any type of disease-related procedure as well as getting access to qualified physicians. 

“I introduced H.R. 1499 after trying time and time again to communicate with Wendelyn’s health insurance company,” Ross said at the forum.  “Insurance officials would not budge; they would not negotiate; they would not even consider all of the evidence from Wendelyn’s doctors and outside professionals that stated her reconstructive surgeries were medically necessary.  My legislation aims to stop the round-and-round, back-and-forth, and hoop jumping that she and others with craniofacial conditions have had to endure with their health insurance plans.  H.R. 1499 requires insurance companies to automatically cover medically necessary reconstructive surgery – surgery that has been clearly identified by medical professionals as a detriment to one’s health if it is not corrected.”

Wednesday, more than sixty families with The Children’s Craniofacial Association attended the forum on treatment and insurance coverage in support of the Reconstructive Surgery Act.  In addition to Ross, Osborne and families from around the country provided their personal experiences about lack of insurance coverage.  Leading experts, including Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Director of the National Institute of Health’s Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute, offered scientific evidence about the difference between cosmetic and medically necessary reconstructive surgeries.

Additional information on the Children’s Craniofacial Association and craniofacial conditions is available at www.ccakids.org.

Consumers angry and frustrated over telemarketing calls can take a significant step toward relief today, as the Federal Trade Commission launches a free, nationwide registry for residents who want to block unsolicited advertising to their home and cellular telephones.

Companies or marketers have until October 1 to remove any registered phone numbers from their calling lists. After that, enforcement will begin. Telemarketers who disregard the registry could face fines as high as $11,000 for each call. 

Consumers can join the list via the Internet at www.ftc.gov/donotcall beginning at 8:30 a.m., or by calling the toll-free number 888-382-1222.  
 

Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) on Tuesday announced that the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the H.R.2555, the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2004.  The spending package includes more than $29.4 billion to improve security, a $667 million boost above FY 2003 spending.

“I am pleased that we could come together to adequately fund our homeland security needs,” Ross said.  “I am particularly pleased that this bill includes more than $20 billion in aid for first responders.  Last month I released the First Responder Preparedness Survey which highlighted the need for funding, equipment, and training for firefighters, police officers, and other first responders in our district.  This money will help to fund grant programs to help them, and our office will do whatever we can to secure proper grant funding so that our local first responders can continue to protect people and property and take on the added task of serving as front line troops for hometown security.”

Aid to first responders in H.R.2555 includes:

· $1.9 billion for the Office for Domestic Preparedness’ basic formula grant program
· $500 million for state and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants
· $200 million for Infrastructure Grants
· $750 million for Firefighter Grants
· $168 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants
· $35 million for a new competitive grant program for Centers for Emergency Preparedness
· $125 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium
· $134 million for technical assistance, national exercises, standards, and testing

H.R.2555 was approved by a vote of 425-2, and will move next to the Senate for action.  For more information, visit www.house.gov/appropriations.