[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HEALTH RESEARCH AND QUALITY ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. BRIAN P. BILBRAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2506) to 
     amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to revise and 
     extend the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research:

  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Chairman, the grant program included in 
Representative Johnson's amendment has broad bipartisan support of over 
190 Members of the House, including the chairs, ranking members and 
other members of subcommittees and committees of jurisdiction--the 
Commerce, Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees. I am a proud 
cosponsor of Representative Johnson's related legislation and I look 
forward to the passage of this amendment.
  Children's Hospitals across this Nation, especially Children's 
Hospital and Health Center in San Diego, are critical to the future of 
pediatric medicine and therefore to the future health of all children. 
Because of the inequity in our current federal GME funding structure, 
our Children's Hospitals are disadvantaged when compared to other 
teaching facilities. Because GME funds are based on the amount of 
Medicare patients in each hospital, and Children's Hospitals rarely 
treat patients that use Medicare funds as payments, these hospitals are 
treated unfairly compared to other teaching schools that receive funds 
allocated through the Medicare Program.
  The grant program in this amendment would provide $280 million in FY 
2000 and $285 million in FY 2001. Since comprehensive GME reform will 
take more time to develop, this amendment would provide immediate 
financial assistance through a capped, time-limited authorization of 
appropriations.
  Children's Hospital and Health Center in San Diego is the region's 
only pediatric medical center, a 220-bed hospital offering 
comprehensive programs in diagnosis and treatment, research, 
rehabilitation, medical education, outcomes and community outreach and 
education. Founded in 1954 to treat polio victims, Children's has 
continually grown in direct response to the needs of the communities it 
serves through the San Diego and Imperial regions.
  Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with Representative Johnson 
and my other colleagues on this issue because the education and 
training programs of these institutions are critical to the future of 
pediatric medicine and the health of our children.

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