[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 158 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND SCHIP BALANCED BUDGET REFINEMENT ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 5, 1999

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to HR 
3075. When the BBA of 1997 was enacted, it wrought havoc with a sea of 
unintended consequences in Medicare cuts.
  Mr. Speaker, in my state alone, the BBA will reduce Medicare hospital 
payments by $4.8 billion dollars over five years--these cuts are mostly 
permanent.
  They will cripple the delivery of healthcare to seniors and to the 
under-served far beyond 2002.
  While this bill begins to fix some of the devastating cuts, it does 
not go far enough. The bill before us today provides restorations 
equaling only 15.6 percent of the BBA Medicare reductions and these are 
only temporary fixes.
  Where does the money for the fixes come from? The restorations come 
at the expense of direct- graduate- medical- education funding. This 
means that teaching hospitals in my state will be deprived of $100 to 
$130 million dollars over 5 years.
  The situation of the teaching hospitals is already dire. Because of 
the BBA, many of these hospitals are close to financial ruin. These 
institutions are not only the academic centers that train our future 
healthcare providers--they are the hotbeds of medical research that 
produces life-saving treatments.
  The teaching hospitals are the ``safety net'' hospitals that care for 
the nation's low-income and uninsured patients when they are sick and 
have nowhere else to turn.
  Mr. Speaker, let me walk you through how this will hurt each off the 
teaching hospitals in my district.
  Because of the teaching hospital provisions included in this bill, 
Mt. Sinai hospital will lost $14.4 million over 5 years; Lenox Hill 
hospital will lost $4.5 million over 5 years; Memorial Sloan Kettering 
hospital will lose $180,00 over 5 years; Beth Israel hospital will lose 
$33.9 million over 5 years; the hospital for Special Surgery will lose 
$3.6 million over 5 years; the Hospital for Joint Diseases will lose 
$1.9 million over 5 years.
  The bill before us today neglects to adequately address the crisis in 
the teaching hospitals. While the bill's restoration of funding to 
skilled nursing facilities is favorable, only a band-aid, temporary 
remedy is provided for outpatient hospital departments.
  Mr. Speaker, let's go back and do this right. Give us the change to 
offer amendments and let's have a real debate. While there are some 
provisions in this bill that I support, I believe that we can do a 
better job at protecting our Medicare beneficiaries, providers and 
teaching hospitals. I urge a ``no'' vote.

                          ____________________