[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 58 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself and Mr. Smith of Oregon):
  S. 2490. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
ensure the quality of, and access to, skilled nursing facility services 
under the Medicare Program; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to join my 
colleague, Senator Torricelli, in introducing the Medicare Skilled 
Nursing Beneficiary Protection Act of 2002, a bill that will bring 
better care to thousands of Oregon seniors.
  Nursing homes across America are in trouble, and it's not just Wall 
Street analysts who will tell you that. The people who rely on nursing 
home services the most can share with you their concerns about the 
future of skilled nursing care. Impending cuts to Medicare benefits for 
skilled nursing facilities will jeopardize the health and safety of 
some of our most vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities, and 
we cannot in good conscience allow these cuts to occur. The Medicare 
Skilled Nursing Beneficiary Protection Act of 2002 will prevent cuts to 
Medicare funding for nursing homes and will ensure that Medicare pays 
for the full cost of care rather than short-changing nursing 
facilities.
  This bill will be particularly important for Oregon. My State of 
Oregon is home to an ever growing population of senior citizens, and we 
are predicted to be the 4th oldest State in the union by the year 2020. 
As our citizens age, and I am among that aging group, it will be 
essential that we have the capacity to care for our most needy seniors. 
Unfortunately, instead of increasing capacity we are seeing skilled 
nursing facilities close all over the country. This could have 
disastrous consequences for an already over-taxed health care system.
  Without the Medicare Skilled Nursing Beneficiary Protection Act, 
Oregon's nursing homes will lose $37.58 per patient per day, and it is 
difficult to offer high quality services under those circumstances. We 
must work together to pass this important legislation to protect our 
seniors, and to ensure that skilled nursing facilities will still be 
there when the rest of us need them in only a few short years.
                                 ______