Fwd: [RD] Fwd: ACTION ALERT!! Oppose Medicare Co-Payment Proposal

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In a message dated 10/14/2003 7:50:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tcarroll@... writes:

From: Justice For All Moderator <jfa@...>> Date: Tue Oct 14, 2003 2:08:32 PM US/Eastern> justice@...> Subject: ACTION ALERT!! Oppose Medicare Co-Payment Proposal>> "ACTION ALERT!! Oppose Medicare Co-Payment Proposal">> The following New York Times article discusses Congress's> consideration of a Medicare proposal that would impose a> co-payment on Medicare home health care services.> Congressman Bill and other House Republicans are> pushing the measure as a way to save money to pay for other> Medicare reforms such as prescription drug coverage. A> bipartisan majority of the Senate has signed onto a letter> opposing the House proposal.>> At a time when we continue to struggle to alleviate the> institutional bias in Medicaid, when federal budget> deficits make any new funding for disability programs> difficult at best, the last thing we need is to impose a> BIGGER burden on people with disabilities who need home> health services and supports. This proposal would only> make the problem worse. Congress should stick to its> original intent in exempting home health from co-payments> to provide an incentive to stay at home and avoid much more> costly nursing home institutionalization.>> CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES! Ask them to oppose> the House Medicare Home Health Co-payment proposal! Tell> them we do NOT need more pressure for people to move into> nursing homes.>> Visit www.house.gov for a list of House members and methods> for contacting them.>> Young> JFA Moderator, AAPD>> ================================>> House and Senate Weigh Co-Payment for Care at Home> By ROBERT PEAR> October 14, 2003> The New York Times>> WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 - House and Senate negotiators working> on Medicare legislation say they are seriously considering> imposing a co-payment on home health care, one of the few> Medicare benefits for which patients do not have> to pay such charges.>> Congress eliminated the co-payment in 1972 in an effort to> encourage the use of home care as an alternative to nursing> homes and hospitals, which are generally more expensive.>> Just four days remain before a Friday deadline suggested by> Republican leaders of Congress for completing work on the> legislation, which would revamp Medicare and add> prescription drug benefits, at an estimated cost of> $400 billion over 10 years.>> Several negotiators said on Monday that they were seriously> considering a co-payment of $40 to $45 for each 60-day> period in which a beneficiary receives home care. That is> about 1.5 percent of the average cost of such care. For> each 60 day period, Medicare typically pays $2,700 to> $3,000.>> Members of a Congressional conference committee are trying> to reconcile separate bills passed by the House and the> Senate, a big challenge with big political implications for> President Bush and lawmakers of both parties. The> House bill includes a co-payment for home care, but the> Senate bill has no comparable provision.>> Representative Bill , Republican of California, the> chief architect of the House bill, described the co-payment> as a way to deter unnecessary use of home care.>> "Requiring beneficiaries to share the cost of home health> services encourages them to use care more prudently," said> Mr. , the chairman of the conference committee.>> But home care agencies and advocates for the elderly> criticized the co-payment as a "sick tax.">> Most supporters of the co-payment are Republicans. But> opposition comes from both parties.>> "A home health co-payment of $40 to $50 per episode would> impose a significant additional burden on those> beneficiaries who can least afford it," said a letter to> the conference committee, drafted by Senators > , Republican of Maine, and D. Feingold,> Democrat of Wisconsin. Fifty-seven senators, including 24> Republicans, have signed the letter.>> Medicare spending on home care soared in the early 1990's.> But it fell to $10 billion in 2002 from $17.5 billion in> 1997 as the government adopted a more restrictive method of> payment and cracked down on fraud. The Congressional Budget> Office predicts that annual spending will triple in the> coming decade, to $32.9 billion in 2013.>> A. Scully, administrator of the federal Centers for> Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the Bush> administration had not taken a formal position on the co-> payment. He said he personally believed that "a good case> can be made for charging a modest co-payment to people who> can afford it.">> A Republican working on the Medicare bill said, "A co-> payment seems inevitable." Any effort to block the co-> payment at this stage would probably touch off a big fight,> he said.>> Another Republican, Representative E. of> Pennsylvania, said he argued against the co-payment last> week in a meeting with Representative .>> Mr. said he came away from the meeting with the> impression that "there's likely to be a co-payment" on home> health care. Mr. is not a member of the conference> committee, but is closely following its work.>> Home care workers provide a wide range of services to the> homebound elderly and disabled: nursing care for patients> with surgical wounds, physical therapy for those with hip> fractures, speech therapy for stroke patients and> monitoring of patients with unstable vital signs.>> The Republican leaders of Congress, Speaker J. Dennis> Hastert of Illinois and Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee,> have set Friday as the goal for reaching agreement on the> Medicare bill.>> Several lawmakers said it would be difficult to meet that> goal. But Congressional aides have been meeting continually> for several months, and E. McManus, a top aide to Mr.> , said: "The end is nigh. We are making tremendous> progress, and the momentum is building.">> Though the prospect of new drug benefits has excited the> greatest public interest, the Medicare bill would affect> many other aspects of the program.>> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/national/14MEDI.html?hp>> # # #>> =====================>> NOTE: Some Internet Providers (including AOL, Earthlink and> Juno) may see JFA postings as spam because of the large> volume of JFA mail recipients and fail to deliver the> posting. If this happens more than a few times, the JFA> system may automatically unsubscribe some email> addresses. Should you stop receiving JFA Alerts, please> subscribe to JFA again as per the instructions at> http://www.jfanow.org.>> PLEASE Empty your email inbox regularly. JFA deletes> subscribers that are consistently over their message quota.> If you stop using an account please unsubscribe that old> account.>> With hundreds of inbound emails and thousands of outbound> emails daily. JFA can not respond to every message.>> We thank you for your understanding and continued> outstanding advocacy!>> =====================>> JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the> American Association of People with Disabilities> www.aapd-dc.org www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html>> There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a national> coalition of people with disabilities and join AAPD today.> www.aapd-dc.org>>>>>

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Justice For All Moderator <jfa@...>

> Date: Tue Oct 14, 2003 2:08:32 PM US/Eastern

> justice@...

> Subject: ACTION ALERT!! Oppose Medicare Co-Payment Proposal

>

> " ACTION ALERT!! Oppose Medicare Co-Payment Proposal "

>

> The following New York Times article discusses Congress's

> consideration of a Medicare proposal that would impose a

> co-payment on Medicare home health care services.

> Congressman Bill and other House Republicans are

> pushing the measure as a way to save money to pay for other

> Medicare reforms such as prescription drug coverage. A

> bipartisan majority of the Senate has signed onto a letter

> opposing the House proposal.

>

> At a time when we continue to struggle to alleviate the

> institutional bias in Medicaid, when federal budget

> deficits make any new funding for disability programs

> difficult at best, the last thing we need is to impose a

> BIGGER burden on people with disabilities who need home

> health services and supports. This proposal would only

> make the problem worse. Congress should stick to its

> original intent in exempting home health from co-payments

> to provide an incentive to stay at home and avoid much more

> costly nursing home institutionalization.

>

> CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES! Ask them to oppose

> the House Medicare Home Health Co-payment proposal! Tell

> them we do NOT need more pressure for people to move into

> nursing homes.

>

> Visit www.house.gov for a list of House members and methods

> for contacting them.

>

> Young

> JFA Moderator, AAPD

>

> ================================

>

> House and Senate Weigh Co-Payment for Care at Home

> By ROBERT PEAR

> October 14, 2003

> The New York Times

>

> WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 - House and Senate negotiators working

> on Medicare legislation say they are seriously considering

> imposing a co-payment on home health care, one of the few

> Medicare benefits for which patients do not have

> to pay such charges.

>

> Congress eliminated the co-payment in 1972 in an effort to

> encourage the use of home care as an alternative to nursing

> homes and hospitals, which are generally more expensive.

>

> Just four days remain before a Friday deadline suggested by

> Republican leaders of Congress for completing work on the

> legislation, which would revamp Medicare and add

> prescription drug benefits, at an estimated cost of

> $400 billion over 10 years.

>

> Several negotiators said on Monday that they were seriously

> considering a co-payment of $40 to $45 for each 60-day

> period in which a beneficiary receives home care. That is

> about 1.5 percent of the average cost of such care. For

> each 60 day period, Medicare typically pays $2,700 to

> $3,000.

>

> Members of a Congressional conference committee are trying

> to reconcile separate bills passed by the House and the

> Senate, a big challenge with big political implications for

> President Bush and lawmakers of both parties. The

> House bill includes a co-payment for home care, but the

> Senate bill has no comparable provision.

>

> Representative Bill , Republican of California, the

> chief architect of the House bill, described the co-payment

> as a way to deter unnecessary use of home care.

>

> " Requiring beneficiaries to share the cost of home health

> services encourages them to use care more prudently, " said

> Mr. , the chairman of the conference committee.

>

> But home care agencies and advocates for the elderly

> criticized the co-payment as a " sick tax. "

>

> Most supporters of the co-payment are Republicans. But

> opposition comes from both parties.

>

> " A home health co-payment of $40 to $50 per episode would

> impose a significant additional burden on those

> beneficiaries who can least afford it, " said a letter to

> the conference committee, drafted by Senators

> , Republican of Maine, and D. Feingold,

> Democrat of Wisconsin. Fifty-seven senators, including 24

> Republicans, have signed the letter.

>

> Medicare spending on home care soared in the early 1990's.

> But it fell to $10 billion in 2002 from $17.5 billion in

> 1997 as the government adopted a more restrictive method of

> payment and cracked down on fraud. The Congressional Budget

> Office predicts that annual spending will triple in the

> coming decade, to $32.9 billion in 2013.

>

> A. Scully, administrator of the federal Centers for

> Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the Bush

> administration had not taken a formal position on the co-

> payment. He said he personally believed that " a good case

> can be made for charging a modest co-payment to people who

> can afford it. "

>

> A Republican working on the Medicare bill said, " A co-

> payment seems inevitable. " Any effort to block the co-

> payment at this stage would probably touch off a big fight,

> he said.

>

> Another Republican, Representative E. of

> Pennsylvania, said he argued against the co-payment last

> week in a meeting with Representative .

>

> Mr. said he came away from the meeting with the

> impression that " there's likely to be a co-payment " on home

> health care. Mr. is not a member of the conference

> committee, but is closely following its work.

>

> Home care workers provide a wide range of services to the

> homebound elderly and disabled: nursing care for patients

> with surgical wounds, physical therapy for those with hip

> fractures, speech therapy for stroke patients and

> monitoring of patients with unstable vital signs.

>

> The Republican leaders of Congress, Speaker J. Dennis

> Hastert of Illinois and Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee,

> have set Friday as the goal for reaching agreement on the

> Medicare bill.

>

> Several lawmakers said it would be difficult to meet that

> goal. But Congressional aides have been meeting continually

> for several months, and E. McManus, a top aide to Mr.

> , said: " The end is nigh. We are making tremendous

> progress, and the momentum is building. "

>

> Though the prospect of new drug benefits has excited the

> greatest public interest, the Medicare bill would affect

> many other aspects of the program.

>

> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/national/14MEDI.html?hp

>

> # # #

>

> =====================

>

> NOTE: Some Internet Providers (including AOL, Earthlink and

> Juno) may see JFA postings as spam because of the large

> volume of JFA mail recipients and fail to deliver the

> posting. If this happens more than a few times, the JFA

> system may automatically unsubscribe some email

> addresses. Should you stop receiving JFA Alerts, please

> subscribe to JFA again as per the instructions at

> http://www.jfanow.org.

>

> PLEASE Empty your email inbox regularly. JFA deletes

> subscribers that are consistently over their message quota.

> If you stop using an account please unsubscribe that old

> account.

>

> With hundreds of inbound emails and thousands of outbound

> emails daily. JFA can not respond to every message.

>

> We thank you for your understanding and continued

> outstanding advocacy!

>

> =====================

>

> JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the

> American Association of People with Disabilities

> www.aapd-dc.org www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html

>

> There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a national

> coalition of people with disabilities and join AAPD today.

> www.aapd-dc.org

>

>

>

>

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