[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E40-E41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      MEDICARE DIABETES EDUCATION AND SUPPLIES AMENDMENTS OF 1997

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                          HON. ELIZABETH FURSE

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my friend Mr. Nethercutt of 
Washington to introduce bipartisan legislation to improve Medicare 
coverage of outpatient self-management

[[Page E41]]

training and blood testing strips. By helping improve Medicare coverage 
for Americans with diabetes, we can save untold human suffering and 
millions of health care dollars.
  This legislation is identical to two bills we coauthored in the 104th 
Congress, H.R. 1073 and H.R. 1074, which were cosponsored by 250 
Members of the House. Unfortunately, neither bill was passed before 
Congress adjourned for the year. Today, we are introducing this 
landmark diabetes legislation with over 65 original cosponsors and the 
support of virtually every major diabetes organization in America. In 
fact, statements of support from seven diabetes organizations will 
follow this statement. It was the efforts of these organizations which 
helped build the broad, grassroots support for H.R. 1073 and H.R. 1074 
to 250 Members--a clear, bipartisan majority of the House.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, we can no longer wait to enact this 
important legislation. We must pass this bill as soon as possible to 
help improve the quality of life for the 16 million Americans who have 
diabetes. I was proud when, last July, every major diabetes 
organization in the United States came together in Washington for the 
Diabetes Call to Action! and stood on the steps of the Capitol 
imploring Congress to pass this legislation.
  Another reason for passing this bill as soon as possible is that it 
saves money. The latest scoring by the Congressional Budget Office 
demonstrates that this bill will actually save $223 million over 6 
years. Improving coverage of outpatient self-management training and 
blood-testing strips will help reduce costly hospitalizations and 
complications that result from diabetes. In fact, one statistic last 
year cited that Congress will lose $500,000 every day it waits to enact 
this bill.
  For families that live with diabetes, the time for waiting is past; 
the time for enacting this law is now. My beautiful daughter, Amanda 
has diabetes. My colleague from Washington, Mr. Nethercutt, has a 
daughter with diabetes. We know first hand about this deadly disease 
and what it means to live with diabetes. I know that if we can help 
people with diabetes better manage their disease, we will save untold 
human suffering and the precious health care dollars that are used to 
treat it.
  I ask all my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and urge leadership on 
both sides of the aisle to agree to schedule this bill for swift action 
on the House floor.

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