[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1552-E1553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCING THE HERO ACT--HOMEBOUND ELDERLY RELIEF OPPORTUNITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 5, 1998

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today I join with my Colleague 
Representative Van Hilleary, to introduce a new bill that has as its 
purpose to resolve the unconscionable mess the BBA made of home health 
benefits programs when it passed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
  As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I have been involved in this effort 
since last November when I introduced H.R. 2912, intended to restore 
the venipuncture home health benefit that the BBA terminated for all 
time. As of this date, 105 of my concerned colleagues from both sides 
of the aisle have joined me in supporting the restoration of this life-
giving home health benefit.
  Mr. Speaker, the bad news is that the hastily drawn, ill-considered 
attack on America's home health industry that took place last year 
during debate on a balanced budget has resulted in massive harm--both 
to home health agencies and to the Medicare-enrolled, Medicare-eligible 
senior citizens who are vulnerable, frail and seriously disabled. This 
attack on home health agencies has driven 1,100 out of 8,000 agencies 
nationwide out of business and those who are still open are beginning 
to refuse to accept Medicare patients.

[[Page E1553]]

  But the good news is that: Members of this House from both sides of 
aisle with conservative to moderate to liberal leanings--are finally 
beginning to band together to try and reverse the trend to shut down 
the only specialists we have in this country who are trained to provide 
care for our sickest and most vulnerable population--senior citizens 
and others who are disabled and homebound.
  I take great pride in having introduced H.R. 4339 last week--a bill 
calling for a three-year moratorium on the so-called temporary payment 
(interim) system that has caused home health agencies to fail and 
patients to be left totally without resources to keep them safe.
  The Interim Payment system (IPS) was only supposed to remain in place 
until HCFA could get the Prospective Payment System in place in October 
of 1999. The horror is that HCFA has advised Congress that due to 
circumstances, including HCFA's problem with Y2K considerations--it 
can't meet the deadline next October.
  If HCFA doesn't meet that deadline, Mr. Speaker, it doesn't matter--
the BBA says that when next October 1st rolls around it will 
automatically trigger a 15 percent reduction in all reimbursements to 
home health agencies.
  I deeply appreciate the bipartisan support my bill, H.R. 4339 has 
received over the past week, and I encourage those Members who haven't 
cosponsored it, to do so.
  But because of a need to provide a solution to the IPS problem while 
at the same time guaranteeing budget neutrality--we need not only a 
moratorium--but also a trigger of our own--a trigger that works on 
behalf of home health agencies--instead of the built-in trigger that 
gets pulled next October making matters much worse than they are today.
  That is why we have introduced the HERO bill today--the Homebound 
Elderly Relief Opportunity bill--to provide both a moratorium for 
immediate relief--and a trigger mechanism for future relief and 
stability among both agencies and the patients they serve.
  This is a bipartisan effort to get something done--something positive 
and constructive to get home health agencies back on their feet--where 
they deserved to be--and Medicare patients back into home care programs 
they rely upon for daily comfort, for physical and mental stability, 
for the chance to remain at home among loved ones while struggling with 
the infirmities of old age and disease.
  That what this joint effort is about today--my colleague 
Representative Van Hilleary of Tennessee and I--it is our rallying cry 
for action before this Congress adjourns to help those we are sworn to 
help--vulnerable people who cannot help themselves--the sickest and 
most frail population in this country--who depend upon home care and 
the people who deliver it to them.
  We need to do the right thing. I strongly believe the combined 
moratorium to provide immediate relief, and the trigger mechanism in 
the HERO bill for future cost effectiveness, is the right thing to do.

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