[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD GIVE RELIEF TO EMPLOYERS ON SUPPLYING 
                       DETAILED HEALTH CARE DATA

  (Mrs. FOWLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced legislation to 
repeal yet another expensive and burdensome Federal mandate placed upon 
American Business. My legislation would repeal section 13581 of the 
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, which established the 
Medicare/Medicaid data bank.
  This onerous provision--which took effect January 1 of this year--
requires employers who provide health care coverage to send detailed 
information on current and past employees to a central data bank. This 
information includes names, social security numbers, health care plans 
and period of coverage, and failure to comply with the requirement 
would result in a substantial fine. In my view, this new mandate 
actually penalizes employers who provide health care, which hardly 
seems logical.
  No funding was provided in the bill for either employers or the 
health care financing administration to implement this difficult and 
expensive project.
  This databank is just another unfunded mandate placed on the backs of 
those who provide America's jobs. HCFA cannot administer the data bank 
and working America cannot afford it. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in cosponsoring H.R. 4095.

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