[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 26 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   THE MEDICARE WELLNESS ACT OF 2000

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                            HON. MARK FOLEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 9, 2000

  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, for far too long, our health care system has 
been taking the wrong approach. The primary focus has been on treating 
people once they become sick rather than preventing their illness in 
the first place. I have often spoken out in favor of a greater focus on 
preventive health care. My home state of Florida has one of the largest 
senior populations in the country. Heart disease and cancer account for 
roughly 60% of deaths in the state each year, with strokes contributing 
significantly to the other 40%. It would be great if we could cut the 
incidence of heart disease and strokes in half by providing individuals 
with nutrition and smoking cessation counseling.
  More and more, health care providers and health insurance companies 
in the private sector are making periodic disease screening and 
lifestyle counseling available to their patients at no extra cost. In 
fact, they are encouraging their patients to take advantage of these 
services. Although we did pass several very important preventive 
benefits in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, I would like to see the 
federal Medicare system play a greater role in promoting disease 
prevention and healthy lifestyles.
  I am pleased to join Congressman Levin in sponsoring the Medicare 
Wellness Act in the House to encourage this fundamental shift in 
Medicare policy. In addition to expanding disease screening and 
prevention services, this bill will also create mechanisms within the 
Department of Health and Human Services to increase awareness of 
factors that impact health and to encourage a change in personal health 
habits.
  Not only does preventive care create a healthier population with a 
higher quality of life, it also saves money. This is especially 
important for the Medicare system as we struggle to control its 
spending to maintain its solvency in the wake of rising health care 
costs. Even though expanding preventive benefits will cost money in the 
short term, the long term savings will be immense. Keeping people 
healthier will reduce the number of hospital admissions, operations, 
and drug prescriptions--three of Medicare's highest cost items.
  I am confident that with the combined efforts of Congressman Levin 
and myself--along with Senators Graham, Jeffords and Bingaman--the 
Medicare Wellness Act will be a significant part of any Medicare 
legislation that is considered this year.

                 Medicare Wellness Act of 2000 Summary

  The Medicare Wellness Act represents a concerted effort to change the 
fundamental focus of the Medicare program. It would change the program 
from a sickness program to a wellness program, one that treats illness 
before it happens.
  Title I: Establishes the Healthy Seniors Promotion Program. This 
program will bring together all the agencies within the Department of 
Health and Human Services that address the medical, social and 
behavioral issues affecting the elderly and instruct them to conduct a 
series of studies that will increase knowledge about and utilization of 
prevention services among the elderly.
  Title II: Adds several new preventative screening and counseling 
benefits to the Medicare program, including: screening for 
hypertension, counseling for tobacco cessation (for those with a 
history of tobacco use), screening for glaucoma (for high-risk 
beneficiaries), counseling for hormone replacement therapy, screening 
for vision and hearing loss, nutrition therapy (for high risk 
beneficiaries), expanded screening and counseling for osteoporosis, and 
screening for cholesterol (for beneficiaries with a history of heart 
disease).
  Title III: Establishes a health risk appraisal and education program 
aimed at major behavioral risk factors such as diet, exercise, alcohol 
and tobacco use, and depression. This program will target both pre-65 
individuals and current Medicare beneficiaries. The main goal of this 
program is to increase awareness among individuals of major risk 
factors that impact on health, to change personal health habits, 
improve health status, and save the Medicare program money.
  Titles IV and V: Authorize prevention demonstration projects and 
require the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study every five years 
to assess the scientific validity of the entire Medicare prevention 
benefits package. The study will be reviewed by Congress using a 
``fast-track'' process which will force Congress out of the business of 
micro-managing the Medicare program.
  Title VI: Authorizes a demonstration project on depression screening. 
The results will be evaluated by the Institute of Medicine, which will 
make recommendations to Congress about whether to add this benefit to 
Medicare.

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