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Rep. Tom Allen serves on the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Air Medical Caucus, and the House Long Term Care Caucus.
According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, 47 million people in the United States, nearly 16 percent of the population, lacked health insurance coverage in 2006. Since 2000, the cost of health insurance has increased 59 percent, while workers’ wages have increased only 12 percent. The number of Americans under age 65 who were uninsured increased by nearly six million between 2000 and 2004, and the number with employer-based coverage dropped by nearly five percent.
The situation has now reached crisis proportions for many self-employed people and small business owners and their employees. Most families do not have the financial resources to pay out-of-pocket for a serious illness, and many personal bankruptcies are the result of overwhelming medical bills. This is unacceptable. Federal and state policy makers need to work together to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health insurance.
A large number of the uninsured and underinsured are retired people under 65 who are not yet eligible to enroll in Medicare. Rep. Allen supports legislation to allow people between the ages 55 and 65 to “buy in” to Medicare coverage. He also supports legislation to strengthen and expand health care coverage for children, including reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The goal should be to guarantee that all children have access to affordable, quality health insurance.
As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, Rep. Allen is working with his House and Senate colleagues to craft legislation to make health insurance more affordable for individuals, families, and small businesses. Seeking a solution to the current health insurance crisis must be a top priority for our nation.
Legislation
The Small Business Health Plans Act
In May, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen reintroduced the Small Business Health Plans Act (H.R. 2132), which would establish a health benefits program for businesses with up to 50 employees. Under the bill, small businesses, their workers, and the self-employed would be provided a choice of at least two health plans that are comparable to the insurance coverage currently available to federal employees and Members of Congress. Premium assistance would be available for smaller businesses and lower wage workers; insurance companies would be eligible for federal reinsurance coverage (up to 75 percent of costs) for catastrophic cases.
The Enhanced Health Care for All Act
In May, Rep. Tom Allen introduced H.R. 2184, the Enhanced Health Care for All Act of 2007, which amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to expand funding for comparative effectiveness research on prescription drugs, medical devices, procedures and other treatments. This legislation would enhance the quality of health care, and provide consumers with more balanced information about the comparative safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs and other therapies.
Long-Term Care Quality and Modernization Act
In November, Rep. Allen and Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced H.R. 4082, The Long-Term Care Quality and Modernization Act. It provides a comprehensive strategy that combines public and private resources to address the challenge that the coming influx of aging baby boomers poses to our health care system. It promotes further investment to upgrade aging skilled nursing facilities, modernizes the payment system and encourages a stable, well-trained long-term care workforce.
Importantly, it will create a Long-Term Care Quality Advisory Commission which would be charged with developing and facilitating the implementation of a national plan to improve long-term care quality. The Commission will achieve this mission by administering five long-term care demonstration projects to evaluate methods that improve the quality of health care in long-term care settings.
The National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Programs Renewal Act
In November, Rep. Allen introduced H.R. 4205, a bill to reauthorize the National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Programs. These are a vital resource for underserved communities experiencing shortages of health professionals. For over 35 years, NHSC clinicians have expanded access to primary and preventive health care, dental care, mental health and behavioral health services in underserved areas of the country and have improved health outcomes among difficult to reach populations.
The National Health Services Corps provides Maine with 43 clinicians at 36 sites, many in the most remote areas of our state. The program offers scholarships and educational loans for health care professionals who, in turn, agree to serve in communities that have a shortage of health care providers. Since 1970, the NHSC has placed nearly 27,000 health professionals across the country in communities with chronic shortages of health professionals.
H.R. 4205 will double the federal investment over five years (to $250 million in 2012). This increased investment will allow community health centers, rural health clinics, and other health care facilities in Maine to address existing shortages in their clinical workforce and will ensure a continued supply of primary care clinicians as these entities expand to meet the needs of the medically underserved.
The State of Maine and many other states are facing a growing crisis in recruiting and retaining qualified medical personnel. Bolstering investment in the National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Program will providing a crucial tool to ensure that the doctors, dentists, mental health and other health care providers reach the communities where they’re most needed.
Children’s Health Insurance
Ten years ago, Rep. Allen cosponsored and fought to pass the legislation creating the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide health insurance to low income children who do not qualify for Medicaid, but whose families are unable to afford health insurance for them.
Children without health coverage are significantly less likely to visit a doctor or dentist when they are sick and receive the care they need to stay healthy. SCHIP, along with Medicaid, provides otherwise uninsured children with access to regular health exams, preventative screenings, and other essential health care services. Despite the success of the SCHIP program, nine million children are without health insurance today, and nearly two-thirds of those without coverage are in low-income families. Currently, the SCHIP program covers 6 million children. Rep. Allen is fighting to insure 10 million children.
Rep. Allen is firm in his commitment to strengthening the SCHIP program in order to move closer to ensuring that every child in America has health insurance. Every dollar we invest in SCHIP saves many more dollars over time. Children with health care coverage are less likely to require more expensive health care later in life, far more likely to be better achievers in school, and much better prepared to become productive adults.
Medicare
The passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act in 2003 brought major changes to the Medicare program, including the addition of a new Part D, which provides coverage for outpatient prescription drugs and certain preventive screenings and tests.
A study Rep. Tom Allen commissioned by the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Government Reform in 2006 confirmed that seniors and taxpayers are paying much higher prices than if the federal government had been allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies. The study found that the prices charged by the ten leading Medicare Part D insurance plans in southern Maine for the ten best-selling drugs used by seniors are almost 80 percent higher than the prices the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) negotiates for its purchases; almost 60 percent higher than the prices available to consumers in Canada; and more than five percent higher than the prices available on Drugstore.com, a popular Internet supplier of prescription drugs. For specific drugs, the price differences can exceed or approach 100 percent.
This is why he cosponsored and voted for H.R. 4, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, which passed the House on January 12, 2007. This legislation provides long over-due relief to millions of Americans who struggle to afford the medicines their doctors prescribe. Negotiating lower drug prices under Medicare Part D is more than a good deal for America’s taxpayers and America’s seniors; it is plain common sense and the right thing to do.
Rep. Allen is also a cosponsor of H.R. 3932, the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2007. This bill would create a separate, voluntary prescription drug program within Medicare that would negotiate for lower drug prices. Medicare beneficiaries would be able to choose between the existing Part D plan and the new negotiated plan. H.R. 3932 is currently being considered by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, on which Rep. Allen serves, and by the House Committee on Ways and Means.
On December 19, 2007, Rep Allen voted in favor of S. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act which prevented a scheduled ten percent cut in physician Medicare reimbursements and extended the Medicare therapy cap exceptions process through June 30, 2008. The bill was signed into law on December 20.
Rep. Allen is committed to ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the health care services they need and that health care providers are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide.
Research
Medical research conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) provides our nation and the world with invaluable insights about the human body in order to prevent and cure disease. Inadequate funding for NIH impairs our ability to protect Americans and advance the health of future generations. Rep. Tom Allen strongly supports increased funding for NIH and believes that a sustained federal commitment to health research is absolutely critical to the future of medical care in America.
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Rep. Tom Allen serves on the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Air Medical Caucus, and the House Long Term Care Caucus.
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| Rep. Allen meets with Caitlin Crawford, age 13, of Yarmouth and Aidan Sweeney, age 5, of Gray about juvenile diabetes. |
The situation has now reached crisis proportions for many self-employed people and small business owners and their employees. Most families do not have the financial resources to pay out-of-pocket for a serious illness, and many personal bankruptcies are the result of overwhelming medical bills. This is unacceptable. Federal and state policy makers need to work together to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health insurance.
A large number of the uninsured and underinsured are retired people under 65 who are not yet eligible to enroll in Medicare. Rep. Allen supports legislation to allow people between the ages 55 and 65 to “buy in” to Medicare coverage. He also supports legislation to strengthen and expand health care coverage for children, including reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The goal should be to guarantee that all children have access to affordable, quality health insurance.
As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, Rep. Allen is working with his House and Senate colleagues to craft legislation to make health insurance more affordable for individuals, families, and small businesses. Seeking a solution to the current health insurance crisis must be a top priority for our nation.
Legislation
The Small Business Health Plans Act
In May, 2007, Rep. Tom Allen reintroduced the Small Business Health Plans Act (H.R. 2132), which would establish a health benefits program for businesses with up to 50 employees. Under the bill, small businesses, their workers, and the self-employed would be provided a choice of at least two health plans that are comparable to the insurance coverage currently available to federal employees and Members of Congress. Premium assistance would be available for smaller businesses and lower wage workers; insurance companies would be eligible for federal reinsurance coverage (up to 75 percent of costs) for catastrophic cases.
The Enhanced Health Care for All Act
In May, Rep. Tom Allen introduced H.R. 2184, the Enhanced Health Care for All Act of 2007, which amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to expand funding for comparative effectiveness research on prescription drugs, medical devices, procedures and other treatments. This legislation would enhance the quality of health care, and provide consumers with more balanced information about the comparative safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs and other therapies.
Long-Term Care Quality and Modernization Act
In November, Rep. Allen and Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced H.R. 4082, The Long-Term Care Quality and Modernization Act. It provides a comprehensive strategy that combines public and private resources to address the challenge that the coming influx of aging baby boomers poses to our health care system. It promotes further investment to upgrade aging skilled nursing facilities, modernizes the payment system and encourages a stable, well-trained long-term care workforce.
Importantly, it will create a Long-Term Care Quality Advisory Commission which would be charged with developing and facilitating the implementation of a national plan to improve long-term care quality. The Commission will achieve this mission by administering five long-term care demonstration projects to evaluate methods that improve the quality of health care in long-term care settings.
The National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Programs Renewal Act
In November, Rep. Allen introduced H.R. 4205, a bill to reauthorize the National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Programs. These are a vital resource for underserved communities experiencing shortages of health professionals. For over 35 years, NHSC clinicians have expanded access to primary and preventive health care, dental care, mental health and behavioral health services in underserved areas of the country and have improved health outcomes among difficult to reach populations.
The National Health Services Corps provides Maine with 43 clinicians at 36 sites, many in the most remote areas of our state. The program offers scholarships and educational loans for health care professionals who, in turn, agree to serve in communities that have a shortage of health care providers. Since 1970, the NHSC has placed nearly 27,000 health professionals across the country in communities with chronic shortages of health professionals.
H.R. 4205 will double the federal investment over five years (to $250 million in 2012). This increased investment will allow community health centers, rural health clinics, and other health care facilities in Maine to address existing shortages in their clinical workforce and will ensure a continued supply of primary care clinicians as these entities expand to meet the needs of the medically underserved.
The State of Maine and many other states are facing a growing crisis in recruiting and retaining qualified medical personnel. Bolstering investment in the National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Program will providing a crucial tool to ensure that the doctors, dentists, mental health and other health care providers reach the communities where they’re most needed.
Children’s Health Insurance
Ten years ago, Rep. Allen cosponsored and fought to pass the legislation creating the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide health insurance to low income children who do not qualify for Medicaid, but whose families are unable to afford health insurance for them.
.JPG) |
| Rep. Allen congratulates Cindy Walker Butler, of Scarborough, recipient of the Stars of Life award that recognizes and honors dedicated ambulance EMS professionals. |
Rep. Allen is firm in his commitment to strengthening the SCHIP program in order to move closer to ensuring that every child in America has health insurance. Every dollar we invest in SCHIP saves many more dollars over time. Children with health care coverage are less likely to require more expensive health care later in life, far more likely to be better achievers in school, and much better prepared to become productive adults.
Medicare
The passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act in 2003 brought major changes to the Medicare program, including the addition of a new Part D, which provides coverage for outpatient prescription drugs and certain preventive screenings and tests.
A study Rep. Tom Allen commissioned by the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Government Reform in 2006 confirmed that seniors and taxpayers are paying much higher prices than if the federal government had been allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies. The study found that the prices charged by the ten leading Medicare Part D insurance plans in southern Maine for the ten best-selling drugs used by seniors are almost 80 percent higher than the prices the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) negotiates for its purchases; almost 60 percent higher than the prices available to consumers in Canada; and more than five percent higher than the prices available on Drugstore.com, a popular Internet supplier of prescription drugs. For specific drugs, the price differences can exceed or approach 100 percent.
This is why he cosponsored and voted for H.R. 4, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, which passed the House on January 12, 2007. This legislation provides long over-due relief to millions of Americans who struggle to afford the medicines their doctors prescribe. Negotiating lower drug prices under Medicare Part D is more than a good deal for America’s taxpayers and America’s seniors; it is plain common sense and the right thing to do.
Rep. Allen is also a cosponsor of H.R. 3932, the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2007. This bill would create a separate, voluntary prescription drug program within Medicare that would negotiate for lower drug prices. Medicare beneficiaries would be able to choose between the existing Part D plan and the new negotiated plan. H.R. 3932 is currently being considered by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, on which Rep. Allen serves, and by the House Committee on Ways and Means.
On December 19, 2007, Rep Allen voted in favor of S. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act which prevented a scheduled ten percent cut in physician Medicare reimbursements and extended the Medicare therapy cap exceptions process through June 30, 2008. The bill was signed into law on December 20.
Rep. Allen is committed to ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the health care services they need and that health care providers are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide.
Research
Medical research conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) provides our nation and the world with invaluable insights about the human body in order to prevent and cure disease. Inadequate funding for NIH impairs our ability to protect Americans and advance the health of future generations. Rep. Tom Allen strongly supports increased funding for NIH and believes that a sustained federal commitment to health research is absolutely critical to the future of medical care in America.
Press Releases
- Rep. Tom Allen Announces $1,846,409 Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to Help Maine Meet the Demand for Health Care Workers (03/11/2008)
- Rep. Tom Allen Announces HHS Grant of $601,505 to the Maine State Department of Education for a Comprehensive School Health Program (03/07/2008)
- Budget Committee Adopts Rep. Tom Allen’s Language on Access to Affordable Health Insurance (03/06/2008)
Articles
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