[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM ACT

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate reported by a 
unanimous vote of 100 yeas to 0 the Health Insurance Reform Act, S. 
1028.
  This legislation is designed to help millions of Americans gain 
access to health insurance coverage as well as keep their coverage when 
changing or losing their jobs.
  Over the past several days, I have received numerous telephone calls 
and inquiries from across the country regarding the antifraud and abuse 
provisions which were added to the bill last week. I understand that 
many of my colleagues in the Senate and House have received similar 
phone calls. These individuals have expressed concern over the bill's 
implications for alternative medicine as well as for services provided 
by nonmedical health care providers.
  As my colleagues know, the Senate approved on Thursday, April 18, 
1996, an amendment by Senators Dole and Roth that contained a 
substantive new health care antifraud and abuse program. These 
provisions, now contained under title V of S. 1028, were essentially 
developed by my colleague, the distinguished Senator from Maine, 
Senator Cohen.
  The antifraud and abuse provisions are designed to provide for a more 
coordinated Federal and State approach in addressing health care fraud 
and abuse, which is currently costing the Federal Government and 
private payers billions of dollars a year.
  This is an issue which has been the subject of numerous congressional 
hearings in both the Senate Judiciary Committee and in the Special 
Committee on Aging over the past several years.
  It is evident there is a need for a more enhanced program to 
appropriately address the growing and deliberate menace by perpetrators 
who deliberately scheme to defraud public and private payers of scarce 
health care dollars.
  The health care antifraud and abuse provisions are not new to the 
Senate or the House. In large part, they were formulated from the 
legislation developed by Senator Cohen, S. 1088, and were, in fact, 
similar to the provisions included in the Balanced Budget Act as passed 
by the Congress late last year.
  Mr. President, I am concerned, however, that the antifraud provisions 
could have unintended consequences and adversely impact the care 
provided by health care professionals who utilize alternative 
therapies, such as herbal treatments, or other nonmedical health care 
providers.
  It is certainly not my desire, and based on my discussions, nor the 
intent of my colleague Senator Cohen who drafted the original antifraud 
language, that these provisions in any way impede consumers from access 
to alternative or nonmedical treatment therapies.
  And, I would add that Senator Cohen and I specifically addressed 
these concerns in our colloquy on the floor of the Senate last 
Thursday, April 18, 1996, although I know that many people still have 
concerns.
  I want to assure my colleagues in both the Senate and House--and 
especially those individuals in the alternative and nonmedicine 
community--that I will continue my efforts to clarify, where necessary, 
and fine-tune the language as the bill moves to the conference 
committee.

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