 |
 |
 |
|
ask.heather@mail.house.gov
|
In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
Home » Word-duh » Wilson Named Conferee for Defe... » Wilson Works to Increase Water... » Wilson Supports Bingaman Domen... » A True American Hero » Fliers Ready, Passports Aren`t » STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE HE... » Medicare Change Helps New Mexi... » Wilson Announces Possible Vet ... » Energy & Commerce Committee Pa... » Baca Ranch Sale is Official » KIRTLAND TAPPED FOR MAJOR NEW ... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Calls on Secretary Nort... » Wilson Touts NM Homeland Secur... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Rep. Wilson Wants to Improve T... » E-Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue ... » Wilson Appointed to House Page... » Placitas Library Gets $350K » Wilson Announces Federal Funds... » Thanking Our Troops » The Great American Jobs Machin... » Wilson Welcomes Next Step in I... » A bracelet and a simple questi... » Wilson Nails the E-mails » How you can help ... » Wilson Announces Federal Fundi... » Wilson Introduces Legislation ... » Wilson Statement on Iraq Suppl... » Wilson Added to Commerce Healt... » Wilson Supports Veterans And H... » Resources for Veterans » Kirtland AFB Hosts Successful ... » Wilson Announces Hearing on ‘S... » Wilson Announces Over $79,000 ... » Wilson Urges Stronger Federal ... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 6 » Wilson Opposes Union-Only Labo... » E-Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue ... » Wilson: Congress Should Heed G... » Wilson’s Spam Act Passes Overw... » Wilson: Don`t Charge Parents ... » New Mexico Students Can Reach ... » Wilson Votes to Create Jobs an... » Wilson Working to Raise Profil... » Wilson Introduces NM Aquifer A... » Wilson Applauds Deal to Purcha... » Bill to Protect N.M. Land Goes... » E-Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 7 » Jobs, schools, health care fac... » We`re Back! » Wilson: House Passes Comprehen... » Wilson: Albuquerque Companies ... » ‘Scooby’s Bill’ Gets Hearing i... » Recriminations on Capitol Hill... » Wilson Opposes Bush Administra... » Statement on Colin McMillan`s ... » Wilson Works to Raise Profile ... » State of the District » E-Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 58 » A woman`s place is in... » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 28 » Facing Challenges Together » Home Heating Help » Wilson: LANL Has Long Road to ... » Adding Prescription Drugs to M... » Wilson Encourages Cuomo To Rel... » Border Patrol Job Fair » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Asks DOE to Release Oil... » E-Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 10 » Wilson demands answer from Edu... » Welcome Home » Wilson Statement regarding res... » Wilson Attaches Amendment to P... » Wilson Votes to Override Veto ... » Wilson Opposes Troop Increase » E-Newsletter Vol 4 Issue 9 » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 7 » E-Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 6 » Wilson touts education bill be... » E-Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 8 » E-Newsletter, Volume 6, Issue ... » Wilson Supported TB Bill Passe... » Iraq » Wilson, Pearce, U.S. House Wei... » The Electoral College » Wilson Introduces NM Water Pla... » Wilson: Medicaid Is Broken & N... » Tax Day Draws Near: Informatio... » Wilson Encouraged by Job Creat... » Congress poised to approve New... » Changing Trains » Rep. Wilson Working on $200,00... » Wilson Announces Expanded Chir... » E-Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 25 » Video Test » Wilson Hails Funding for Viole... » Wilson Introduces Bill to Give... » Celebrate National Hispanic He... » Albuquerque Man Presented with... » Strengthening mental health ca... » Domenici & Wilson Confirm That...
|
|
 |
| Domenici & Wilson Confirm That Final Package Will Include Increased Medicare Choice Reimbursements |
December 14, 2000 |
| |
| WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Pete Domenici and Congresswoman Heather Wilson today confirmed that the Congress and White House have agreed on a Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement package to help ensure that thousands of New Mexico seniors do not lose the health care benefits offered through Medicare-HMO plans.
The Congress has set a goal of adjourning this week and giving final passage to a variety of bills. Wilson and Domenici have continued to push the Clinton administration and the congressional leadership to support and enact a Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement adjustment package to make up funding shortfalls in a number of health care programs that are important to New Mexico, preeminent among them, the Medicare Choice program. Without additional funding, as many as 15,000 New Mexico seniors will be among 1.7 million Americans who will lose benefits offered by Medicare HMO programs.
Domenici and Wilson today confirmed that both houses of Congress are expected to pass the Medicare Choice reimbursement package as part of an omnibus budget package on Friday.
“I think we may finally be reaching the apex of our efforts to try to preserve health care benefits for thousands of New Mexico seniors,” Domenici said. “The agreement that Congress could finally approve this week will work to end the discrimination reimbursement rates that penalize states, like New Mexico and Oregon, that deliver health care in an efficient manner. I hope providers in our state will now take a second look at their decision to withdraw from Medicare Choice programs.
“I met earlier this year with hundreds of New Mexicans affected by HMOs scaling back their Medicare Choice programs,” Wilson said. “And since then I`ve heard from hundreds more about the devastating effect losing their coverage will have on them. Deborah Wagner, a single mom who is disabled and relies on Medicare, just can`t afford to be in limbo. She`s been waiting
for months to find out what Congress and the President agree on. Behind the numbers and the formulas and the statistics are real live faces and people. I sincerely hope the President will agree that it`s important to fix this for people like Deborah.”
In October, negotiators agreed to increase the Medicare Choice Minimum Payment Floor to $525 a month per beneficiary in 2001 for all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA’s) with populations exceeding 250,000. The health care providers in the Albuquerque MSA are currently reimbursed at $430 per beneficiary. Under the deal, the Albuquerque area would see an increase of $95 ($430 to $525) per beneficiary per month, resulting in at least an additional $34 million for New Mexico in FY2001.
In addition, the agreement would increase the Payment Floor for Rural Areas from the current $415 to $475 in 2001.
The final reimbursement rates closely mirror the levels advocated by both Domenici and Wilson in legislation they introduced this year. In July, Domenici introduced the Medicare Geographic Fair Payment Act of 2000 (S.2937) to increase reimbursement rates and keep Medicare-HMO benefits available to at-risk seniors. Wilson, who introduced the Fair Care for Seniors Act (H.R.5001), was instrumental in gaining House Commerce Committee approval for a plan that increased Medicare Choice reimbursements to the $475 and $525 levels. A bill (HR.2614) that included Wilson`s Medicare Choice provisions passed in the U.S. House on Oct. 26, 2000 by a vote of 237-174.
The Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) this summer reported that nearly 1 million seniors could lose their Medicare Choice coverage by 2001, possibly forcing them to return to the traditional Medicare Fee-for-Service program. Over the past three years, more than 1.7 million seniors have already been forced out of Medicare Choice plans because of unfair reimbursement rates.
Of the at-risk seniors, an estimated 15,000 of the 45,000 New Mexico seniors enrolled in Medicare Choice programs could lose coverage. In July, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Lovelace Health Systems, QualMed Plans for Health and St. Joseph Healthcare in New Mexico informed HCFA of their intention to withdraw from the Medicare Choice program.
Under HCFA’s administration, reimbursement rates around the country have varied widely, with private health maintenance organizations dropping out of the Medicare Choice program in communities where reimbursement rates are lowest. For example, while patient care reimbursement rates are now $814 for Staten Island and $794 for Dade County, Fla., they are only $430 for Albuquerque and $453 for Portland, Ore., for the same senior services.
--30-- |
|
|
|
|
|