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FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Gundersen (202) 225-8933
Tuesday, May 15, 2001
Health Subcommittee Chairman Nancy Johnson
(R-CT) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Stark (D-CA) Announce Steps To
Modernize Medicare
Bipartisan Letter of Recommendation Sent To
Health and Human Services
WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Nancy Johnson
and Ranking Member Pete Stark today released a letter they are sending to Health
and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. The letter makes detailed
recommendations regarding improvements to the Medicare program that can be
undertaken administratively and promptly.
"Today's bipartisan recommendations represent an aggressive approach to
modernizing and strengthening Medicare to better meet the needs of seniors in
the 21st century. These proposals will change the way the Health Care Financing
Administration works with providers and beneficiaries. By creating a
collaborative relationship from regulation writing to technical assistance with
new complex billing procedures, I believe these reforms will enable our small
health care providers to survive. Since millions of seniors depend on small
hospitals, home health care agencies and nursing homes, I consider this letter a
strong step toward preserving access to care for our seniors.
These recommendations will also improve the quality of Medicare services by
allowing health professionals to focus on caring for patients rather than
dealing with confusing regulations that divert precious hours from caregiving.
Additionally, the recommendations will improve the efficiency of Medicare by
significantly reducing bureaucratic red tape and stripping out regulations that
are not necessary to program integrity," said Chairman Johnson.
"I am pleased to join Chairman Johnson in forwarding these
recommendations to Secretary Thompson, and I hope that he will seriously
consider them," said Mr. Stark. "In response to the Secretary’s
request for additional funding for HCFA, I plan to work with him and our
colleagues in Congress to provide the additional resources needed to fulfill its
responsibilities."
Many of today’s recommendations are the result of Subcommittee hearings on
strengthening the Medicare program. Members and program experts also work
together in weekly seminars to focus on particular elements of Medicare in need
of improvement. In past months, Members solicited, listened to and evaluated
suggestions to make Medicare less bureaucratic and more workable.
Click here for a copy of the letter and the
attached administrative changes.
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