[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H450-H451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PROTECT EFFICIENT, GOOD QUALITY HOME HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. McGovern asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, because of an ill-advised provision in 
last year's budget agreement, providers of home health care all across 
America are in danger of being forced out of business. Many of these 
home health agencies have been crucial in our efforts to control health 
care costs.
  Unfortunately, because of the way the budget agreement was drafted, 
Medicare reimbursement rates for some agencies will be higher than 
others simply because of how those agencies structure their fiscal 
years. Further, the agreement requires that home health care agencies 
be in compliance with Federal spending caps before the government tells 
agencies what those caps are. Mr. Speaker, where is the logic in that?
  Today I am proud to introduce a bipartisan bill with the gentleman 
from Utah (Mr. Cook), and 18 other cosponsors, that will help these 
providers to continue their important work.
  Mr. Speaker, our bill allows home health care agencies, if they wish, 
to calculate their caps based on 1995 levels rather than the 1994 
levels mandated by the budget agreement. The bill also takes into 
account the wide variety of agency fiscal years and allows for more 
home health care visits to our seniors under the caps. Finally, we push 
back the date of compliance, giving providers time to meet the 
requirements.
  This problem is big and getting bigger. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in protecting efficient, good quality home health care. Our senior 
citizens deserve no less.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record:

                                          National Association for


                                                    Home Care,

                                Washington, DC, February 10, 1998.
     Hon. James P. McGovern,
     House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative McGovern: On behalf of the National 
     Association for Home Care (NAHC), the nation's largest home 
     health organization representing home care providers, 
     caregivers and the patients they serve, I would like to 
     commend you for introducing legislation that would address 
     some of the devastating inequities in the interim payment 
     system (IPS). We wholeheartedly support your legislation, 
     which will delay its implementation and change the base year 
     for calculation of per-beneficiary caps.
       As you know, IPS became effective with cost reporting 
     periods starting October 1, 1997. The new per-beneficiary 
     limits, however, will not be published until April. This 
     means that approximately 2/3 of home health providers will be 
     on the new IPS without knowing what their per-beneficiary 
     limits will be. Your legislation, by delaying the 
     implementation date, would ensure that providers would not 
     have to be ``flying blind'' under a wholly new system.
       Equally important is your provision which would change the 
     base year for calculation of the per-beneficiary caps from 
     fiscal year 1994 to ``fiscal year 1995 or, at the election of 
     the agency, calendar year 1995.'' This change will level the 
     playing field among agencies and cap reimbursement rates at 
     more reasonable amounts.
       Once again, thank you for your leadership on this most 
     important issue. We look forward to working with you to 
     assure passage of the legislation. Please contact Eric Sokol 
     or Lucia DiVenere of my staff if we can be of any assistance 
     to you.
           Sincerely,
                                              Val J. Halamandaris,
     President.
                                  ____

                                      Home Health Care Association


                                       of Massachusetts, Inc.,

                                    Boston, MA, February 11, 1998.
     Hon. James P. McGovern,
     Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman McGovern: On behalf of the 155 members of 
     the Home & Health Care Association of Massachusetts, I am 
     delighted to offer our full endorsement of the McGovern/Cook 
     bill that amends the Interim Payment System for Home Health 
     Care under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. We understand 
     that Senator Kennedy will be filing a companion bill in the 
     Senate.
       It is our belief that the McGovern bill is a sensible 
     attempt to retain Congress' intent to slow the growth in the 
     home health industry while correcting the provisions of the 
     law we believe are unreasonable and unworkable.
       Your unwavering advocacy on our behalf has given our 
     members hope that the inequities of the Interim Payment 
     System may be corrected. The patients who depend on the 
     services are grateful.
       Once again, many, many thanks for your support of the home 
     health industry.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Ken McNulty,
                                                        President.
                                                Patricia Kelleher,
                                               Executive Director.

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