FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 1997
No. HL-6
Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on H.R. 15, the "Medicare Preventive Benefit Improvement Act of 1997." The hearing will take place on Thursday, March 13, 1997, in the main committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be limited to invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND
Medicare currently covers only a limited number of preventive benefits and services. For women 65 and over, Medicare covers screening mammographies once every two years. For Medicare beneficiaries who are disabled, Medicare covers 1 baseline mammography screening for women age 35-39, 1 mammography screening every 2 years for women age 40-50, and annual screenings for women age 50-64 and for women age 40-50 who are at high risk for breast cancer. Medicare also covers screening pap smears once every three years, and more often -- at the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) -- for women who are at a high risk of developing cervical cancer. Medicare also authorizes coverage for a limited number of drugs and vaccines provided on an outpatient basis.
The bipartisan Medicare Preventive Benefit Improvement Act of 1997, was introduced on January 7, 1997, by Subcommittee Chairman Thomas, Reps. Bilirakis (R-FL) and Cardin (D-MD). The legislation would provide Medicare coverage for: (1) annual mammography screening for all women age 65 and older, whether or not they are at high risk for developing breast cancer; (2) annual pap smears and pelvic examinations for women at high-risk of developing cervical cancer; (3) colorectal cancer screening; (4) annual prostate cancer screening; and (5) new diabetes benefits, including outpatient self-management training services and blood-testing strips. The bill also would waive the Part B deductible for mammography screening and pap smear coverage. President Clinton's fiscal year 1998 budget contains a similar proposal to improve Medicare coverage for preventive benefits.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Thomas stated: "While the private sector has generally recognized the value of coverage for preventive benefits, Medicare has continued for over thirty years with a 1965 set of sickness benefits. Medicare beneficiaries ought to have coverage that will help them better manage their medical needs and health. This hearing will examine H.R. 15, which should help the beneficiaries help themselves and stay healthier."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING
The hearing will focus on the provisions of the Medicare Preventive Benefit Improvement Act of 1997 to determine how the new preventive benefits that would be authorized by the legislation may contribute to improved health status and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit at least six (6) copies of their statement and a 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or ASCII format, with their address and date of hearing noted, by the close of business, Thursday, March 27, 1997, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Health office, room 1136 Longworth House Office Building, at least one hour before the hearing begins.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be typed in single space on legal-size paper and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. At the same time written statements are submitted to the Committee, witnesses are now requested to submit their statements on a 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect or ASCII format.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, full address, a telephone number where the witness or the designated representative may be reached and a topical outline or summary of the comments and recommendations in the full statement. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please
call 202-225-1721 or 202-225-1904 TTD/TTY in advance of the event
(four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to
special accommodation needs in general (including availability of
Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the
Committee as noted above.