| Offices : Beckley • Charleston • Fairmont • Martinsburg • Washington, DC | E-mail Senator Rockefeller |
October 1, 1999
ROCKEFELLER LEAD SPONSOR IN PLAN TO AID HEALTH PROVIDERS
- Rockefeller Cosponsors Legislation to Correct Medicare Cuts Made by the 1997 Balanced Budget Act -
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is cosponsoring legislation that would restore Medicare funds that were unexpectedly cut as a result of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act (BBA). The Medicare Beneficiary Access to Care Act (S. 1678), introduced today, includes a $20 billion package to assist hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospices, and clinics over the next ten years.
“This legislation restores the funds needed to make up for the unintended cuts to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, hospices and home health providers that are being harmed by the BBA,” Rockefeller said. “If we don’t act, we may see West Virginia health care institutions shut down, care denied to patients and access to some health services cut off for some Medicare recipients. Congress should not go home this fall until legislation is enacted to restore funds to Medicare and correct problems that unintentionally resulted from the Balanced Budget Act.”
This legislation includes provisions to: protect hospitals from losses that result from a payment system created as part of the BBA, with small rural hospitals permanently protected from any losses; provide additional funding for payments to skill nursing facilities that treat the most complex medical cases; and delay any additional cuts to home health agencies for two years.
Rockefeller continued, “Cuts in Medicare are especially troublesome in rural states like West Virginia since Medicare payments are a bigger percentage of hospital revenues and margins are generally lower. Since rural health care facilities have little to fall back on, providers are forced to choose between reducing services or shutting down.”
“West Virginians deserve the best possible health care available to them. This bill is the most comprehensive solution offered thus far to deal with the cuts and Congress must take action on it quickly,” Rockefeller said.
E-mail Senator Rockefeller | Click here for more contact information.