[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 173 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 173

 Expressing the sense of the Congress that the unique and vital health 
 care services provided by osteopathic physicians must be included in 
   any health care benefits package developed as part of health care 
                             system reform.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 4, 1993

 Mr. Barcia of Michigan (for himself Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Brown of Ohio, 
  Mr. Kildee, Mr. Skelton, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Towns, and Mr. Wyden) 
 introduced the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                  the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress that the unique and vital health 
 care services provided by osteopathic physicians must be included in 
   any health care benefits package developed as part of health care 
                             system reform.

Whereas there exist two distinct branches of medicine in the United States--
        osteopathic physicians, denoted by the initials D.O., and allopathic 
        physicians, denoted by the initials M.D.;
Whereas osteopathic physicians comprise 5.5 per centum (thirty five thousand) of 
        all complete physicians in the United States;
Whereas each year over one hundred million patient visits are made to 
        osteopathic physicians;
Whereas the unique focus of osteopathic medicine, with its guiding principle of 
        treating the whole person, has rooted the profession in a philosophy 
        which emphasizes primary care and prevention;
Whereas for more than one hundred years, the osteopathic profession has trained 
        more than 50 per centum of its physicians in primary care areas;
Whereas policy makers agree that the number of primary care physicians must be 
        increased if appropriate health care is to be made available to all 
        Americans;
Whereas osteopathic medical education has a unique internship requiring a 
        rotation in internal medicine, OB/GYN, family practice and surgery, 
        ensuring that osteopathic physicians are first trained as primary care 
        physicians, regardless of whether one chooses to specialize;
Whereas, osteopathic physicians provide complete medical care in all specialties 
        with over half of the physicians currently practicing in primary care;
Whereas, osteopathic physicians comprise 15 per centum of all physicians 
        practicing in communities of ten thousand or less, and 18 per centum of 
        all physicians serving communities of two thousand five hundred or less;
Whereas osteopathic physicians serve approximately one out of every seven 
        Medicare and one out of every four Medicaid recipients in the United 
        States;
Whereas osteopathic physicians comprise 10 per centum of all physicians serving 
        in the military; and
Whereas, despite their valuable contributions to the nation's health care, 
        osteopathic physicians continue to experience discrimination from some 
        health care institutions and managed care entities: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that any legislation enacted to 
reform the health care delivery system of the United States should 
include the services offered by all of the Nation's osteopathic 
physicians. Specifically, such legislation should:
            (1) Ensure that any American included in the health care 
        coverage systems supported by the United States Government have 
        the opportunity, without restriction, to secure the services of 
        an osteopathic physician.
            (2) Encourage and advance practices and principles utilized 
        by the osteopathic profession which are proven to produce high 
        numbers of physicians trained in all areas of primary care.

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